The Substance Review: A Sick, Twisted, and Squirm-Inducing Parable

As a horror enthusiast, I’ve come to appreciate the unsubtle approach to the genre. Not every great horror movie needs to have an intricate, Babadook-style metaphor lurking beneath its scares. In fact, some of the most beloved films in the genre are unapologetically overt in their messaging. Coralie Fargeat’s sophomore feature, The Substance, is a prime example of this approach.

The Substance takes aim at celebrity culture’s obsession with youth and beauty.

In The Substance, Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a middle-aged fitness guru ousted from her workout empire by a misogynistic executive (played by Dennis Quaid). In her despair, she’s introduced to a remedy called “The Substance,” which, when injected, splits the cells of her body and creates a younger, better version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley). The catch? They must share custody of Elisabeth’s life, alternating weeks without exception. Naturally, the clone has other plans, and a bizarre fight for self-preservation ensues.

“The Substance is a body-horror nightmare jabbing a finger in the eye of celebrity culture’s obsession with the newest, youngest, hottest thing.”

As I watched The Substance, I couldn’t help but think of the Scream franchise, which built its success on its lack of subtlety. Fargeat’s film takes a similar approach, using its overt messaging to drive home its point about the dangers of our society’s obsession with youth and beauty.

Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a middle-aged fitness guru.

The Substance is a sick, twisted, and squirm-inducing parable that will leave you uncomfortable and uneasy. It’s a film that will make you question the lengths to which we’ll go to maintain a youthful appearance and the true cost of our vanity.

Margaret Qualley plays the younger, better version of Elisabeth Sparkle.

In the end, The Substance is a film that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll. It’s a film that will make you question the world we live in and the values we hold dear. It’s a film that will make you squirm in your seat, and that’s exactly what makes it so brilliant.

The Substance is a body-horror nightmare that will leave you uncomfortable and uneasy.