In a film full of bursting bodies and giant needles who would’ve thought that a man eating shrimp would be the scene that got the most visceral reaction out of me. Coralie Fargeat’s body horror film The Substance, made waves at Cannes before opening to unsuspecting audiences worldwide. You may have noticed two things if you were lucky enough to see this in a cinema. One, being that a couple probably left halfway through because they couldn’t hack it and two, that this is a messed-up rollercoaster of emotions that not-so-subtly bludgeons the audience with its themes of beauty standards, stardom and addiction – in the best possible way.
The Substance is about as subtle as a baseball bat to the face when it comes to the messages it’s trying to convey, which in the hands of a less talented filmmaker would fall flat on its face. Instead, Coralie Fargeat replaces subtlety and sub-text with bold storytelling and squirmy, squishy violence that in equal measure, disturbs and repulses, while also filling me with a weird sense of joy in the chaos that’s unfolding.
Starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, The Substance follows aging actress Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) who once flourished among the Hollywood elite, now struggles to hold the attention of her slimy Hollywood Exec boss Harvey (Quaid). When she is let go from her role as a TV fitness instructor, Sparkle takes a risk on a black market drug known as “The Substance” which essentially creates the “perfect version” of yourself. This turns out to be Sue (Qualley) a vivacious younger double of Elisabeth. However, rules must be followed and the balance respected or else disgusting consequences will occur.
The Substance is everything you want from a cinematic experience. That is if you’re a sicko who enjoys this kind of thing. But even those with weak stomachs will find the insanely surreal and absurd world in which the film takes place to be unique. Fargeat’s visual and narrative influences are clear, with Cronenberg and Kubrick being the most prominent. Certain sets and characters seem ripped from the frames of The Shining, 2001 and A Clockwork Orange to name a few, but the visual style of the film still manages to feel distinctive and fresh. The camera is always influencing the audience’s feelings towards the characters. This film is full of uncomfortably tight close-ups – DP Benjamin Kracun fills the screen with shots of Dennis Quaid milking the act of smoking a cigarette and multiple angles of Margaret Qualley’s butt. What should be seen as normal and mundane becomes gross and repulsive, helping to fuel the uneasy tone of the film and brace you for the outbursts of violence.
Narratively The Substance keeps you guessing right till the end. It’s expertly paced with each reveal of information or messed-up sequence of violence helping to keep you invested. Once we do reach the end, it really is something to behold. I often find with these types of ‘shocking’ horror movies that, they’ll build and build and build to a point where the ending can’t possibly top the insanity that came before it, but The Substance somehow manages to put the blood-soaked cherry-on-top.
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley put in brilliant performances as Elisabeth and Sue respectively. They really go through a lot of emotions here and they sell it all genuinely. Dennis Quaid knows exactly what he’s doing as the (wink, wink, nudge nudge!) disgusting studio exec Harvey. He’s a walking ‘Me Too’ case waiting to happen, who chews up the scenery and spits it back out. Perfect casting all around!
The Substance is a film that literally wears its heart on its sleeve. A mash-up of body horror, satire and black comedy that makes the human figure look nasty and gross in ways you didn’t know were imaginable. A thrilling narrative that takes liberties with its realism but provides a thoroughly entertaining experience for those who can stomach it. Highly recommend watching with others if you can, worth it for the reactions alone!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
