They say that beauty is only skin deep. Especially in Hollywood. As looks fade, is it someone’s inner beauty that is more important? To be content and comfortable in one’s own skin. What if, however, that inner beauty was given the chance to emerge? Would it solve your problems in a world increasingly obsessed with youth and appearance?
It is the dilemma that faces former actress-turned-television-fitness-instructor Elizabeth Sparkle when she is fired by her show’s producer, pointedly called Harvey, on her 50th birthday. Just as she hits rock bottom, she is given the opportunity to try The Substance, and experience “a better version” of herself. “Younger, more beautiful, more perfect”.
The secrecy surrounding signing up to the programme, and the fact that the pick up point is in a sketchy part of town, hints that this particular beauty treatment is not exactly FDA-approved, if you know what I mean.
The mystery box comes with clear instructions:
- Use the activator only once
- You must switch every seven days. No exceptions.
- Remember that you are one.
What follows is a twisted hybrid of Death Becomes Her meets Society x the Satisfaction video by Benny Bennassi.
The very first shot of the movie hints at the process and Elizabeth discovers that there is no pleasure without pain. With the new and improved version of herself emerging from her like a certain scene from Alien: Covenant.
Elizabeth 2.0 aka “Sue” applies for her old job and has no problem whatsoever in winning the (lustful) affections and approval of not only the producer, but the public. Becoming an overnight sensation.
There is no movie if the rules are followed to the letter, so inevitably there is a “slight misuse of the substance” as Sue’s star continues to rise and she leverages more and more time in the spotlight. Upsetting the balance with truly horrifying results.
As the instructions are careful to emphasise, one cannot exist without the other, and that goes for the performances of Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.
The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival where the Best Actress award was jointly given to the female cast of Emilia Perez. There are some, including this critic, who would argue that this was the better film to celebrate the female leads of.
Demi Moore’s character and performance blur the lines between fact and fiction. Largely overlooked by Hollywood since her hey-day in the early-to-mid-Nineties, there is a palpable bitterness that is spat out in every venomous line delivery, rooted in the cold-hearted nature of the industry. Having said that, what a return this is. It is a statement and a half. An incredibly raw, vulnerable, angry and naked (literally) performance.
Margaret Qualley is an actress who has carved out an impressive resume with supporting turns in films by the likes of Tarantino and Yorgos Lanthimos. Here however, just like Sue, this is a breakout moment. A star is born. Or is that birthed (depending on how you view her inception). To the public she is shy, coquettish… in the modern parlance, “very demure, very mindful” but off camera she is ruthless, conniving and, well, ugly.
It is fascinating to see her character shot by a female director but through the male gaze. The camera lusts after her. Every bead of sweat that drips down her toned buttocks and thighs is shot as though it were capturing a priceless work of art.
As good as the two leads are, a special mention must go to Dennis Quaid. He devours every scene he is in with as much relish as he does with his seafood platter. You will never look at a shrimp cocktail in the same way. He delivers a performance so sleazy and slimy, the audience will feel like Bill Murray in Ghostbusters after his first encounter with Slimer.
Hollywood is, and has always been, a crazy, messed up place. A place with a naturally heighted and distorted version of reality. This movie dials that up to eleven. Delivering a scathing satire and cautionary tale. One that wipes away the concealer to expose the ugly truth about the lengths women will go to, and what they put their bodies through, to stay beautiful and relevant.
There were some critics at Cannes who felt that the film’s screenplay and message were a bit too on the nose (job).
However as John Doe in Se7en said: “Wanting people to listen, you can’t just tap them on the shoulder anymore. You have to hit them with a sledgehammer, and then you’ll notice you’ve got their strict attention”.
Writer-director Coralie Fargaet did the same in her debut feature Revenge, delivering her vision with blunt force trauma. This is not a film that you will forget easily, and that’s the point. Forget the saying “all style, no substance”. Fargaet’s twisted vision gives the genre a shot in the arm. Body horror has never looked this good.
It feels almost cliche these days to say things like “you need to see it on the biggest screen possible”, HOWEVER… The Substance is a film that is 100% enhanced by seeing it with a charged audience.
Hearing the gasps, and feeling other people wince and shift uncomfortably in their seats as the insanity reaches its apex in the final act, is a memory that will stay with you.
It is easily one of the most fucked up experiences you will have at the cinema.
The Substance is in UK cinemas from September 20
Rating: 
Director: Coralie Fargaet
Stars: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid
Runtime: 140 minutes
Country: USA/France
