Title: An Examination of 'The Substance': A Horror Flick That Veers Off Course
In a bizarre turn of events, the critically acclaimed body horror flick, "The Substance," has become a smash hit since its release, much to my surprise. Starring Demi Moore as washed-out celeb Elizabeth Sparkle, the movie skewers celebrity beauty standards, especially as they pertain to aging female stars.
The film's 142-minute runtime is a slog, leaving me feeling like I've been on a marathon without a finish line. It's reminiscent of Robert Zemeckis' "Death Becomes Her," suffering from similar issues as its 1992 counterpart. The peculiar trend of punishing women as frequently and brutally as possible is both films' unfortunate commonality, while men are portrayed as bumbling buffoons with wandering eyes.
Both "The Substance" and "Death Becomes Her" are a paradoxical cocktail of parody and torture porn, critiquing absurd beauty standards only to gleefully destroy women who suffer as a result. I found myself despising almost every character by the end, a feeling echoed in David Denby's critique of "Death Becomes Her."
The premise of "The Substance" is admittedly absurd. Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Moore, is a 62-year-old still hosting workout videos like "Buns of Steel." After overhearing her insensitive boss, Harvey, she discovers a mysterious substance that allows her to clone herself while paying the ultimate price.
The substance's cloning process is downright grotesque, each step less DIY than it seems. The weekly switchover involves stitching up the old body and injecting daily boosters, all without proper medical assistance. These details may be too much for some to swallow, but they distracted me more than they annoyed me.
Sue, the younger clone, inherits Elisabeth's job and relationships, responsible for maintaining the former's life while in her own body. The duo's resentment quickly boils over, leading to back-and-forth manipulation with disastrous consequences. Their failure to communicate or compromise, intentional or not, symbolizes the universal struggle between aging and youth.
The film's title is fitting, as both women become substances to one another, each other's existence dependent on the other's destruction. The dialogue is on-the-nose, making the messages obvious but not exactly profound. The film ultimately provides little more than a superficial critique of beauty standards, falling short of the high praise it has received.
The body horror scenes in "The Substance" are gruesome and nonsensical, their purpose unclear. Elisabeth and Sue's eventual clash leads to violence that predictably falls short of delivering a satisfying conclusion. This movie merely serves to leave viewers questioning why they watched it in the first place.
The film "The Substance" attempts to comment on beauty standards, aging, and female relations, but its weak writing and excessive violence detract from the message it aims to convey. Its take on these themes is unoriginal and, unfortunately, falls flat.
- Despite its controversies, "The Substance" has been praised in the 'The Substance Awards,' highlighting its impact in the body horror genre.
- Margaret Qualley delivers a compelling performance in 'The Substance' as the cloned character Sue, adding depth to the film's exploration of identity and aging.
- In his review of 'The Substance' on Mubi, Dennis Quaid praised the film's exploration of beauty standards and aging, despite its graphic violence.
- Despite criticisms, 'The Substance' garnered multiple nods as one of the 'best body horror movies' of the year, sparking both controversy and admiration.
