‘The Substance’ Review – A Ghastly, Vivid And Daringly Performed ‘Careful What You Wish For’ Social Commentary [Cannes 2024]

Admit it. You’ve probably looked back at old photos longing for that old body. You probably weren’t happy with your body when the picture was taken. However, you seem to forget that when you pinch every body part you wish could instantly melt away. We will never be able to win the battle with ourselves, but we keep on fighting. But why do we constantly wish to be a sexy, strong and confident version of ourselves (while there’s nothing wrong with us to begin with)? That’s something writer/director Coralie Fargeat explores in her latest eery, unnerving body horror feature led by the immaculate duo Demi Moore-Margaret Qualley.

The way we see ourselves is already distorted and probably very far removed from reality, but it’s even worse when you’re an actress (or actor) in Hollywood. Every wrinkle, minor body ‘flaw’ and dimple is scrutinized and discussed intensely in the media. In the eyes of society, actresses who reach their forties will soon become old witches with wrinkles and grey hair. That vision of the beauty standard is something Moore has been battling against for many years, and also her character, Elizabeth Sparkle, in The Substance, is facing that same problem. While Moore is now accepting her true natural beauty, Elizabeth can’t do the same. Not only because she wants to stay young but also because Hollywood, and especially her crude, macho and greedy boss Harvey (Dennis Quaid), condemns her as too old for her television show.

As if things aren’t bad enough for the fifty-year-old star, Elizabeth’s involved in a car accident. This doesn’t only allow her heartless boss to replace this aging woman finally, but also allows Quaid to shows us his character’s much more grotesque and rude side. Quaid represents every man in Hollywood who made a snarky remark about aging women and their changing beauty, and his name is undoubtedly an unsubtle notch to Harvey Weinstein.

Cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (Promising Young Woman, Beast) mainly films the character in unbecoming ways. This heightens the disrespectful and misogynistic character traits of Harvey and, at the same time, also shows that men in the film industry don’t always look great, despite them thinking that their beauty stays forever even when aging. Quaid (Far from Heaven, The Big Easy) portrays Harvey with a lot of flair and is surprisingly captivating, and while he steals many scenes he’s in, this is undoubtedly Moore and Qualley their movie.

Both strong women are the different sides of the same coin, or, better said, of Elizabeth. After the incident, the fallen celebrity is ready to throw the towel until she learns of the substance. The mystifying product unlocks DNA and new cells. Via this elaborate process, it would split Elizabeth into two—a younger, prettier and ‘better’ version of herself (Qualley) and her current self. The only condition is that Elizabeth needs to switch between the two every seven days without exception. Hesitantly at first, she decides to take the plunge when she sees an advertisement for her old job in the newspaper.

The scene in which she prepares herself and the product is crucial not only for Elizabeth but also for the film. From that moment on, Fargeat, Kracun, and the highly talented hair and make-up team show what a shocking body horror they can create together. Just like in her Revenge, another blood fest, Fargeat gives great importance to using the right colours; each has its purpose. The bright yellow and neon orange contribute to the perplexing and alarming vibe, and the product itself is luminescent green and looks like poison.

Also, the injection process is undoubtedly a metaphor for all the beauty regimes and procedures actresses are going through. The whiteness of the tiled room where the changing between bodies happens heightens that bizarre and unpleasant feeling even more. Every time Elizabeth steps into that hospital-like room, you know something repulsive will happen and that you will see some powerful and bold acting.

Moore (Songbird, One Crazy Summer) delivers an utterly complex and vulnerable performance. It’s her most challenging, emotionally and physically, and daring role and she pulls it off stunningly well. While the ‘switching bodies’ scenes are certainly the most impactful and bloody ones to watch – especially when the practical effects and VFX teams are going into overdrive in that final scene – the most poignant and unforgettable moment is, without a doubt, the date scene. Not only because of Moore’s perplexing performance but also because we’ve all been in her character’s shoes.

Right before going out of the door for a date, Elizabeth catches a glimpse of her younger and more beautiful self on a billboard (for ordinary people, it would have been a picture hanging on the wall or standing on the desk). Seeing that image causes her to spiral. She goes back and forth to the mirror, changing her outfit and make-up multiple times. She wants to conform to Hollywood standards while also hiding her natural ‘imperfections’. The worst thing happening during that scene isn’t Elizabeth cancelling on her date, but her not seeing how gorgeous she’s to begin with.

The person who does see what an amazingly gorgeous-looking person she is, is Sue (Elizabeth’s other self). The young model applies for Elizabeth’s old job, and surprise, surprise, Harvey instantly hires her. Sue gets her exercise show, and while being heavily made-up, she teaches the audience to pimp it up in a skimpy sports outfit. The rating skyrockets, and because Sue is finally feeling the thrill and love again from Hollywood, she wants to stay younger for longer. This doesn’t only result in her misusing the substance, with disastrous and bloody self-destructive consequences to follow, but also in Qualley (Sanctuary, Drive Away Dolls) throwing herself entirely into her weirdest and most exhilarating film.

While The Substance could have been a bit shorter – the utterly bloody and chaotic climax feels prolonged – and maybe a bit more subtle (depending on how you look at it), it’s a remarkable, ghastly, vivid and daringly performed ‘careful what you wish for’ frightful social commentary.

The Substance held its World Premiere as a part of the In Competition section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The film will be released in the US on the 20th of September courtesy of MUBI.

Director: Coralie Fargeat

Screenwriter: Coralie Fargeat

Rated: NR

Runtime: 140m