The Substance

Only true fans of body horror manage to sit through The Substance without once averting their gaze from the screen. Brutal, bloody and enriched with a specific dark humour, the second feature by French director and screenwriter Coralie Fargeat, following Revenge in 2017, shocked the audience at this year's Cannes Film Festival, both positively and negatively. Recently, it left a similar impression on the Macedonian viewers at the CineDays European Film Festival.

The film follows the story of Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a television star whose fame is slowly fading along with her youth. Desperate to beat time and prove herself indispensable, the 50-year-old celebrity resorts to a dubious drug that can temporarily create an improved version of herself: a younger, more talented and more beautiful alter ego. All she must do is carefully follow the instructions. What could possibly go wrong? Well, many things.

The quest for eternal youth is the central point of the plot, but other contemporary issues constantly revolve around it. The ‘beautiful girls should always smile’ propaganda is channelled through Harvey (Dennis Quaid), a representative of the modern sexist society and a television owner who fires Elizabeth because of her age. Quaid’s credible performance of a misogynist hidden behind the mask of a successful businessman is emphasised with close-ups of his flaws, including his repulsive, yellowed teeth as he casually eats shrimps or smokes cigars. These unpleasant film shots are contrasted with provocative close-ups of the flawless Sue (Margaret Qualley), who not only is the upgraded young version of Elizabeth, but also serves as a symbol of the ignorant youth lacking empathy.

The Substance makes its most crucial points through its anti-heroine. Moore’s grotesque metamorphosis dwells on the idea that everyone is their own worst enemy and reminds one of the consequences that can arise from neglecting oneself. Over the course of 140 minutes, the 61-year-old actress transforms from a confident, attractive woman into an insecure, faded star. This change is most evident in an impressive cooking scene where the combination of skillful editing and powerful acting is striking. Here Elizabeth is presented as a mentally unstable ‘witch’ who neurotically mixes potions in her ‘cauldron’ as a distraction from reality. Eventually, her transformation culminates in a monstrous deformation which ends dramatically (and bloodily), in Cronenberg and Carpenter’s style.

Although generally sparse with words, The Substance is packed with powerful audiovisual effects. The dynamic close-ups are the main tool for depicting the eternal contrasts of young vs. old and beautiful vs. ugly. These are complemented by loud techno sounds, which further contribute to the unsettling impact the director aims to achieve. Even if the intense stimuli overwhelm someone's senses, it is apparent that they are marked by strong artistic expression. Furthermore, the subtle elements of black comedy serve as a brief relief between the gore scenes.

The Substance is not for those with weak stomachs. Part of the audience will enjoy this science-fiction drama, which (un)expectedly turns into a grotesque horror-parody of today's distorted societal values. Some, on the other hand, will be revolted by the ferocious hyperbolised finale. In any case, most fans of this underrated horror subgenre will agree that Coralie Fargeat's film rightfully deserves the Cannes Film Festival award for best screenplay and will praise Moore's masterful acting in her perhaps most brilliant performance to date.