The Substance
Directed by Coralie Fargeat
Mubi, 2024
Reviewed by Steph Lacey
The Substance is a satirical, body-horror film that centres around the character of Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading Hollywood star who goes to extreme lengths to try to reclaim her youthful looks and career, by taking a new, secret wonder drug called ‘the substance.’
The film aims to put a spotlight on the objectification and ridiculous beauty standards faced by women in Hollywood. The casting of Demi Moore in the lead role works so well because she is an incredibly beautiful woman who is only guilty of aging. It’s less about losing your ‘looks’ but losing your youth, which are so entwined, especially for women, in this patriarchal culture of capitalist society.
French director Carolie Fargeat has cited David Lynch, John Carpenter and David Cronenberg as her influences, which is very obvious from this movie with nods to The Elephant Man, The Thing, The Fly, Videodrome and Existenz throughout. There are also references to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and Brian de Palma’s Carrie, as well as ‘The Nightmare and Dawn’ theme from Bernard Herrmann’s score for Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. All of which makes it a very fun film for movie-buffs, but with an original, female-driven perspective.
The film can also be compared to All About Eve – in which Bette Davis plays an aging Broadway star who is being ‘replaced’ by a younger actress. Twelve years after All About Eve, Bette Davis would take out an advertisement in the Hollywood Reporter and other trade papers looking for work. It read: “Mother of three – 10, 11 and 15. Divorcee. American. Thirty years’ experience as an actress in motion pictures. Mobile still and more affable than rumour would have it. Wants steady employment in Hollywood. (Has had Broadway.) References on request.”
While the subject of the movie dates back to the early days of Hollywood, it is still very topical. In 2000, for example, the best actress Oscar winners were Angelina Jolie, 24 at the time, and Hilary Swank, 25. The best actor Oscar winners were Kevin Spacey, 40, and Michael Caine, 67. In 2013, Jennifer Lawrence, 22, and Anne Hathaway, 30, were the best actress Oscar winners, and Daniel Day-Lewis, 55, and Christoph Waltz, 56, took home the best actor Oscars. Last year, Cillian Murphy, 48, and Robert Downey Jr, 49, took home the best actor Oscars, while the best actress Oscars went to Emma Stone, 36, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph 38. While there are exceptions, with Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis winning the Oscars in 2023, both older than the actor winners, it is still rare to see older female actors consistently getting great roles, unlike their male counterparts.
The film is a reflection of Hollywood and society’s obsession and fetishisation of female youth, and the lengths people will go to to reclaim it. Both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley give powerhouse performances. Moore’s resentment of her younger, ‘prettier’ self, and Qualley’s hatred and anger at her older self makes for an uncomfortable and uneasy watch as it can be very relatable for a lot of people.
While the film does go to the extreme of body horror and grotesque imagery, every shot and scene feels very intentional and not just done for shock value. Carolie Fargeat is a staunch advocate for practical effects and sought to minimize the use of VFX throughout the film, which, although over the top, gives it a very real quality.
It is a film that starts, (or continues), a very important conversation about the impossible beauty standards forced on women, and the demonisation women face when they decide to either ‘grow old naturally’ or seek out ways to cover up aging. We, as a society, need to dismantle what is typically seen as beautiful, and really examine who sets these beauty standards and why, when they are very much steeped in ageism and racism.
