The Substance had its world premiere in the 77th Cannes Film Festivalwhere it received a passionate ovation and won the award for Best Screenplay. This Thursday the film directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid hits theaters.
“Have you ever dreamed of a better version of yourself? You. But better in every way. You have to try this product: The Substance. It changed my life.” That question and answer are a key point of the film, but how many times have we heard something similar? “Bring out the best version of yourself.” We can quickly relate it to miracle products that try to sell something that will never return: youth.
In The Substance Fargeat takes his penchant for stylized horror beyond what was seen in his debut feature. Revenge and returns to the theme of appearance and superficiality seen in his short Reality+.
The Substance: From Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde to David Cronenberg’s Body Horror
Demi Moore She undoubtedly gives the best performance of her career as Elisabeth Sparkle, a dated former Oscar-winning star who stays in the spotlight thanks to her TV fitness show.
However, after turning 50 (Moore is 61), she is fired because she is considered too old by Harvey (a borderline Dennis Quaid), the executive at the network that produces the show. Harvey plans to find a younger replacement to win over new audiences.
Unsure of how to move on with her life, Elisabeth is involved in a car accident that puts her face to face with the opportunity to try a mysterious new drug: The Substance. All it takes is one injection and she’ll be reborn – temporarily – as the beautiful twenty-something Sue (a great performance by Margaret Qualley). The only rule? Time must be divided: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. What could possibly go wrong? One party might start to feel like they need more time than the other, leading to an escalation of horror with increasingly worse consequences.
The references in The Substance are several. One of the most obvious parallels is with the cinema of David Cronenberg where the human body becomes the medium in which society’s fears and obsessions are manifested. Much like Cronenberg’s work, Fargeat uses body horror as a means of visual shock and as a way to explore cultural and social anxieties surrounding youth. The relevance of beauty in a society obsessed with appearances and particularly what is demanded of women regarding these issues.
The Substance may not be a film for everyone, but it is one of those films that make cinema an experience, it transmits emotions and will undoubtedly not leave anyone who dares to see it indifferent.
The Substance (France-USA-UK/2024). Screenplay and direction: Coralie Fargeat. Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Hugo Diego Garcia, Phillip Schurer, Joseph Balderrama, Oscar Lesage, Gore Abrams and Magtthew Géczy. Photography: Benjamin Kracun. In theaters Thursday, September 19.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
