Coralie Fargeat's latest film, The Substance, is a brash and visceral dive into the dark side of beauty standards and the endless pursuit of youth, wrapped in a visually striking, body-horror spectacle. Set against the backdrop of the entertainment industry, where ageism and the fetishization of youth reign supreme, The Substance weaves a disturbing yet wildly entertaining tale that mixes gore, neon lights, and biting social commentary. Fargeat, who wrote and directed the film, uses her unique style—first showcased in her brutal revenge thriller Revenge—to dissect the pressures placed on women’s appearances, particularly in a society where looking young is synonymous with value.
Demi Moore stars as Elizabeth Sparkle, a former Oscar-winning actress turned fitness guru whose career is on the decline. Facing the cold reality of aging in an industry obsessed with youth, Elizabeth is unceremoniously fired from her role on a popular daytime fitness show by her sleazy boss Harvey, played with gleeful repulsiveness by Dennis Quaid. Harvey’s character is a grotesque caricature of corporate chauvinism, embodying the ugly side of the industry that discards women as soon as they show any signs of age. His decision to replace Elizabeth with someone younger sets in motion a chain of events that leads her to discover “The Substance,” a mysterious green liquid that promises a fountain-of-youth-like transformation.
Enter Sue, Elizabeth’s younger, more beautiful double, played by Margaret Qualley. The Substance allows Elizabeth to transform into Sue for a few days each week, creating a bizarre shared existence between the two women. However, the transformation is not without consequences. The film takes cues from classic body horror films like Society and Re-Animator, with the body itself becoming a battleground for identity, control, and survival. The procedure is both physically and emotionally taxing, forcing Elizabeth to endure an excruciating process that involves extracting spinal fluid with a needle in order to maintain the transformation. The grotesque physicality of these scenes, crafted by SFX expert Olivier Afonso, heightens the film’s overall sense of unease, making the audience viscerally feel the cost of chasing youth.
As Elizabeth and Sue grapple with their shared consciousness, the tension escalates. Sue, representing an idealized version of Elizabeth’s younger self, begins to overstay her welcome, sabotaging Elizabeth’s life and career. The film plays out as a darkly comic, horror-tinged battle of wills between the two versions of Elizabeth, each representing different stages of life—youthful ambition versus the wisdom and insecurity of aging. Margaret Qualley nails her role as Sue, a wide-eyed and ruthlessly calculating version of Elizabeth’s younger self, while Moore delivers a powerhouse performance filled with vulnerability and rage. Moore’s portrayal of Elizabeth—bruised, desperate, and determined to hold onto her sense of self—anchors the film’s emotional core. It’s her best work, tapping into the very real pressures women face to remain youthful in a world that equates beauty with worth.
Fargeat’s direction shines throughout the film, using striking visuals and bold colors to create a world that feels simultaneously hyperreal and nightmarish. The neon-soaked cinematography by Benjamin Kracun brings a lurid, almost surreal quality to the scenes, whether it’s the garish brightness of Beverly Hills or the sterile, futuristic facility where Elizabeth obtains The Substance. Production designer Stanislas Reydellet and costume designer Emmanuelle Youchnovski craft an environment that visually reflects the film’s themes—an over-the-top representation of a world obsessed with surface appearances. From Sue’s garish workout gear to the ominous orange-lit hallway that could be straight out of The Shining, The Substance uses its aesthetic choices to emphasize the absurdity and horror of its characters’ predicament.
At its core, The Substance is a biting critique of a world that chews up and spits out women based on their appearance. But it’s also a wildly entertaining ride, mixing dark humor with moments of pure horror. Fargeat’s signature style—a mix of intensity, dark comedy, and blood-soaked spectacle—elevates the film beyond mere commentary, making it an unforgettable experience. It’s a grotesque, thrilling fairy tale that asks its audience to reconsider what it means to be beautiful and why society places so much value on youth.
5/5
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