In my favorite movie so far this year, Demi Moore plays Elisabeth, an actress whose star is fading. Over 50 now, her main creative outlet is her morning aerobics show, but she loses even that when her producer Harvey (Dennis Quaid) decides it is time to bring in someone younger. Facing irrelevance, Elisabeth is given a mysterious offer to try The Substance, which promises a “better, younger you.” Of course, there is a catch.
“The Substance” is French writer/director Coralie Fargeat's second film, and it signals a great, new talent. She gets outstanding performances from her stars, particularly Demi Moore, who plays some absolutely devastating scenes. One thing about the film, though, it is incredibly gross. I'm talking Stuart Gordon horror film levels of disgusting body-horror. I would view it as gratuitous and a weakness of the film, except that at the end, Fargeat pulls out all the stops and takes the gore so over the top that it becomes comic relief.
There's a lot of food for thought in “The Substance.” You might wonder why Elisabeth, who is still a fit, beautiful woman, would risk using an unknown “substance” to look young again. We never see Elisabeth with any friends or family or pursuing any hobbies. Her apartment and office are filled with giant pictures of herself. Her career is all she has, and it depends on her looking good on screen. While any normal person would look at her and say she has a lot going for her, Elisabeth internalizes the judgment of her industry, which is that she is old and ugly.
I could go on about the film for pages, but I don't want to ruin any of the surprises. Just. Watch. It! “The Substance” is a cutting, visually disturbing satire about how society views women as they age and how cruel we are to ourselves.
5 stars out of 5
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