The Substance

Usually when I hear a movie is absolutely bonkers, bats**t, crazy, "like nothing you've ever seen", etc...it fails to live up to the hype. Or perhaps it is those things, but I didn't like it (or it's an actual bad movie...looking at you Titane). 

The Substance is one of those rare occurrences that I'm actually in line with the comments and superlatives surrounding it. It's absolutely f**king crazy and goes to places I didn't expect. It really was like nothing I've ever seen before. 

And while I'm confident it's not a bad movie, as I write this almost 3 days later, I'm still not all that confident in how I actually feel about the whole thing. On top of that, it's a film that's almost impossible to recommend unless you're okay with body horror and/or just looking for a wild time. 

It should go without saying that, in the spirit of Who's Line is it Anyway?, the final score doesn't matter on this one because it could change dramatically over time. Will this be in my Top 10 of 2024? Not right now, but hey...crazier things have happened. Could it win my most Overrated film award? Most Underrated? See? It's not going to matter what I score it, but if you're interested in seeing it, you should know on the surface what you're getting into (while this will obviously be all spoiler free). 

The Substance marks an impressive "return" for Demi Moore, who plays once-starlet-now-aging-actress, Elisabeth Sparkle. She used to have Hollywood at her fingertips, but as she ages, she's booted from her archaic Jazzercize-esque workout platform while the studio hunts for something new. The tagline is "What if you could be a better version of yourself?" and thus, The Substance, enters. There's a little bit more plot I could give you, but I'd rather not as one of the benefits of The Substance - beyond all the crazy s**t - is the mystery and "rules" of The Substance. While I "enjoyed" my time with the majority of the film, it's really this first part that build tension, mystery, and anticipation effectively. 

During this first section, we're introduced to some of the best parts of the moviemaking. The use of color is vibrant and always present. It uses color in its story to stand out, while also making great use of background colors subtly too. The cinematography is frequently top notch, with several scenes being memorable from the camera work alone, regardless of what may be happening on screen. Audio is another highlight, as the mic work is intimate in a nasty, visceral way. This was none more apparent than a scene where Dennis Quaid eats shrimp like a pig at the trough (and in a disgusting twist of events, I was sitting next to a man eating fries and a burger with an almost identical open-mouth-chew approach to eating in public...). Our original score is unique and perfectly fitting to the film, and is something that can be glimpsed in the trailers. If there's at least one thing I'm certain about with The Substance, it's that Coralie Fargeat is a stellar director and has a distinct vision.

There's 2 powerhouse performances and a 3rd "very good" worth noting. Demi Moore deserves awards recognition, regardless of the film's subject matter, because of how full-out she goes here. It feels personal to her and the character arc for Elisabeth is one that demands a lot, which she seems to gleefully deliver. Similarly, Margaret Qualley gives it her all, going nearly toe-to-toe with Moore, just as a different character shade. The aforementioned Dennis Quaid is unhinged, just with less scenes, as a disgusting Hollywood decision maker, always outfitted in satin suits (again with the use of color!). He eats up the role. 

So if you've got all that going for you: award-worth performances, a visually impressive film, and sound design/music to match...what's there to be confused about?

Some of my favorite things were the use of color,
cinematography, and audio effects (all highlights in this scene)

Honestly, because it goes so bonkers...I'm maybe still perplexed and borderline impressed that it did so. I'm also not convinced that body horror is my forte because there's a lot of uncomfortable sequences in this, both from a blood/gore perspective, but also a nudity perspective. The premise of the film is to tackle the beauty standards of women head-on, and it proudly wears this on its sleeve the entire time. Some would argue it goes off the rails in the 3rd act (it does), but I almost appreciated it more for doing so. I'm just imagining the pitch idea to the studio or acting team going something like, "F**k it, we're going there!"

If you're intrigued about The Substance because you've been hearing it's as crazy as everyone says it is, then I'd encourage you to seek it out. Just don't expect to be in love with it right away and know that you're going to see something unlike anything you've seen before. As I've allowed some time for it to relax in my thoughts, there's a lot to love about this movie, even if I'm not sure I loved it completely. But maybe someday I will...

Rapid Rath's Review Score | 8/10