Demi Moore gives a career-best performance as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister past her prime and suddenly fired from her fitness TV show by repellent studio head Harvey (Dennis Quaid). She is then drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug: THE SUBSTANCE. All it takes is one injection and she is reborn – temporarily – as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue (Margaret Qualley). The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. A perfect balance. What could go wrong? Deliriously entertaining and ruthlessly satirical, Coralie Fargeat’s Cannes sensation turns toxic beauty culture inside out with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable for the ages. Explosive, provocative and twisted, THE SUBSTANCE marks the arrival of a thrillingly visionary filmmaker.
What We Thought:
The Substance will be one of the most talked about movies of 2024. Some people will love it. Some people will absolutely despise it. But make no mistake, no one will forget it. It should easily rank in my Top 10 of 2024 by the end of the year because it’s so drastically different than anything else out there currently.
The film takes an odd approach at how we see age and its resulting ageism especially in the entertainment business. Demi Moore plays a former A-lister whose age isn’t Hollywood friendly. The 80s heartthrob still looks great in real life, but let’s be honest, she’s not exactly leading many films nowadays because of how the industry sees older women. It makes her perfect for the role and she gives what might be her career defining performance. If she’s not in awards talk come voting season there’s something wrong.
Then there’s Margaret Qualley who plays the “younger and hotter version” of Moore’s character. I’ve seen Qualley in previous projects, but if this is Demi’s career defining performance then it’s Qualley’s career making performance. Both actresses capture and hold your attention throughout and dominate the big screen in their own ways. Add in Dennis Quaid as a creepy studio head named Harvey (wink wink) and the three main performances are some of the year’s best. Quaid absolutely chews the scenery like a boss and brings authenticity to the character.
Now if you go back up you might see I said the film takes an “odd” approach at how it gets its message across. I kind of forgot to mention that it’s probably the most batsh*t crazy movie of 2024. It’s partly a drama about age, life, doing what it takes to keep your career going and doing what it takes to get a career, but it’s also the craziest body-horror flick I’ve seen in years. This movie would make David Cronenberg proud. Set amongst the glitz and glamour of Hollywood is absolute gore and body-horror effects that will thrill the right audience and make the wrong audience want to run out screaming. It’s an homage to movies I love and you can see inspirations from Stanley Kubrick (his carpeting from The Shining shines through), John Carpenter’s The Thing, Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator, Cronenberg himself, 80s flicks like Basket Case and The Elephant Man. If you ever wanted to see a movie about how Hollywood throws women away when they are no longer at their most beautiful mixed with the “I am not an animal” scene from The Elephant Man while The Shining’s blood flood was happening well you are in luck.
Director Coralie Fargeat kicks open the doors with The Substance and all the hype coming out of the film festival circuit is deserved as far as I’m concerned. The cast is stellar. The score and style are just as great. The effects will have you riveted one minute and blocking your eyes the next. It’s powerful and sexy and gory and absolutely bananas. I’m totally down for more like it.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
The Nerds Templar 