The Substance – Movie Review
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Writer: Coralie Fargeat (Screenplay)
Cast
- Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
- Demi Moore (Ghost)
- Dennis Quaid (Frequency)
- Hugo Diego Garcia (The Killer)
- Oscar Lesage (The Count of Monte-Cristo)
Plot: A fading celebrity decides to use a black-market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
Runtime: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Substance starts when aging model Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) is seeing her star fade. She turns to a black-market drug with a certain set of rules to solve her problems. The drug provides her with a chance to create a younger version of herself, Sue (Qualley). Sue gets to live one week before trading places with Elisabeth.
However, Sue’s stardom sees her explode on the scene and Elisabeth can’t handle the changes put on her. The two fight for control, leading to consequences they never imagined.
Verdict on The Substance
The Substance is a body horror movie following an aging celebrity who takes a drastic step to regain her fame. However, it comes with a consequence as her younger self starts becoming more popular than she ever was.
This is one of the most extreme body horror movies we have seen in years. It holds nothing back and will be in the conversation for one of the greatest of all time. This won’t be for the weak-stomached and anyone who doesn’t like needles. Away from the horror, we get a story which focuses on the problems in Hollywood and women getting aged out of the business. It shows how easily they can be dumped once the cash starts running out. Demi Moore gives one of her best performances of her career, while Margaret Qualley continues to see her abilities shine through. Dennis Quaid completes the perfect casting as the sleazy producer happy to lust over his talents.
Final Thoughts – The Substance is one of the greatest body horror movies of all time.