Movie Review: The Substance

Quick Recap

In a bid to retain her place in the spotlight, celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle opts for a substance that changes the course of her life.

So, let’s talk about The Substance, shall we? I had earmarked the movie for a later date and sincerely didn’t have much interest in it until I read an article with this headline:

Coralie Fargeat has pulled her film “The Substance” from Camerimage Film Festival following comments the festival director made about female cinematographers.

I don't know if this happens often, but it piqued my interest.

What was said?

Who said it?

This was all I got:

“After discovering the highly misogynistic and offensive words of the director of the Camerimage Film Festival, I have decided to pull The Substance from the festival (and [director of photography] Benjamin Kračun has decided not to attend). “The Substance” is about the impact of exactly these types of behaviors on our world. We shouldn’t tolerate them anymore. We send our support to all involved in the festival and hope this decision will help create much-needed change.”

Okay. I was hooked. Now I had to know for sure what happened, so I watched the movie—and I get it.

The Plot

The movie follows the life of Elisabeth Sparkle as she navigates life after stardom and the harsh reality of being an older, “unattractive” woman in the entertainment industry. At first, she tries to stay strong, but after a chance meeting with a nurse, she takes a path that ultimately ruins her life.

Spoilers Ahead

The substance allows her to manifest a younger, more attractive version of herself who has seven days to shine, after which they switch places. What starts as a reasonable plan turns sour and goes downhill very, very fast.

Elisabeth's Vanity

Elisabeth was vain at her core, because the manifestation of the younger version wouldn't happen without her. They are one, and whatever the younger version did, the older version would have done as well.

The crack occurred when they stopped seeing each other as one and instead as separate people. By assigning identities to these parts, they led themselves into trouble.

The First Sign of Trouble

The very first time young Elisabeth, alias Sue, used more than her allotted time should have pushed older Elisabeth to stop—but she didn’t. Why?

• The high of being wanted.
• The attention.
• The spotlight.

All the things she had decades ago were coming back to her. But were they really?

She was unconscious while the other version got the cheers—so what was the point?

Looking at her rotten finger should have shown her that Sue, her other self, couldn’t be trusted. This meant Elisabeth couldn’t be trusted with the high of the entertainment world either.

But did she stop? Nope.

She should have gone on the date—or rather invited the man over. Maybe, just maybe, it would have helped. But she chose to stay in.

Elisabeth's Emotions

She went from feeling bad about what others thought of her to feeling bad about herself entirely. She felt so unworthy that she couldn’t even go on a simple date. It was sad to watch her deteriorate so badly. The scene where tries to off herself and that hesitation just showed that the addiction to being the center of attraction has no cure.

The Substance

I can't begin to explain how I felt when her back tore open. I mean, couldn't the instruction have stated where the double would come from? Also, the brains behind the substance are pros. There's absolutely no way to tie anyone to it. I'm sure that at the first sign of trouble they will clear out that warehouse and it'll be abandoned again.

Beauty is Pain

How she was able to survive the procedure, I will never understand. Patching herself up in the house with no anesthetics was daring. The beauty industry is typically depicted here where the standards to look good puts one in a position of sacrificing comfort.

My Thoughts

The Substance isn’t a horror movie in the usual sense, but it is disturbing and expository. The major backlash it faced was accusations that the director made the movie appealing to a male audience with its nudity and performances.

In reality, I feel she simply showed things as they were. Take the neighbour, Oliver, who came knocking to yell at Elisabeth but was tongue-tied when he saw Sue.

Also, when Sue said the old occupant left, I knew things were going to end badly—because why not say you’re her niece?

Whether we admit it or not, the entertainment industry often pushes celebrities to go to great lengths to retain youthfulness and stay relevant.

Look at the modeling industry. Certain age limits aren’t even considered for the runway. Ladies must be pretty with certain measurements, and once they cross a particular age, they’re dropped unless they start looking younger.

Many insist this is a choice, and to some extent, I agree. But it’s also the industry. Elisabeth was constantly told she was too old and not “hot” enough, reinforcing her need to seek help.

Should she have bowed out gracefully? Maybe. But she was alone. And this brings me to another point—the importance of family and friends. If she’d had a support system, she might have felt valued enough to avoid any experiments.

While discussing the movie with a friend, he mentioned Michael Jackson and how, to some degree, the entertainment industry made him feel so inferior that he sought procedures.

I loved the storytelling in this movie. It’s not every day you find films like this—it was a unique watch. I especially enjoyed the zoomed-in shots of things like aspirin, water, and other elements.

However, I was definitely disgusted by the up-close chewing by Dennis Quaid. I assume it was meant to build disgust toward his character, and it worked. I hated him throughout the movie. He personifies many top executives. They may not chew as he did, but they exist.

Remember Harvey Weinstein? Women who turned him down got blacklisted, but I digress.

The Nudity Debate

Was I uncomfortable with certain nude scenes? Yes, I was. But was Elisabeth supposed to be fully clothed during the experiment? Probably not. I also feel that showcasing Demi Moore/Elisabeth Sparkle’s body was intended to highlight how there was nothing wrong with her—just the natural process of aging, which everyone undergoes.

Men age in the entertainment industry and are called “sugar daddies” or seen as aging gracefully. Women age, and they’re deemed unfit for roles.

In conclusion, I liked the movie. I get the message. While many may disagree, it’s totally worth watching.