As the theater lights came back on at the end of Substance, a man tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You know what? I turned my head, regretful. Thanks for the laugh! ”
I wasn’t sure if this was meant as a compliment or not, but my reaction perfectly sums up the intention behind this film’s body horror: to show the extent of ungodliness we endure in order to maintain standards of beauty. I knew that summed it up.
At the beginning of the film, Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is told by a TV executive (Dennis Quaid) that she doesn’t look like herself at 50 after being photographed in disgusting close-up of Quaid’s mouth. . More of what people want to see.
Heartbroken, she is approached by a man in a run-down alley who tells her she is the perfect candidate for The Substance. Sparkle grabs a box containing fluids, syringes, an IV and seven days worth of food. When the fluid itself is injected, it copies your DNA and creates a “newer” and younger version of you.
She stands there naked before a green liquid is injected into her body. She examines her body and decides to inject some liquid into her arm.
That’s when she falls to the floor and her “new” self, Sue (Margaret Qualley), comes crawling out, tearing her back open.
Like a newborn, she comes to life, but when the camera zooms in on her naked body, as Sparkle did during filming, she goes through the same process as her former self and quickly becomes sexualized. It becomes a thing. But this time, she knows she’s beautiful.
This new persona restores Sparkle’s former life by appearing on television and quickly skyrocketing her to fame. Everyone loves Sue, so she quickly placed a sign conveniently located directly across from the main window of Sparkle’s penthouse.
However, this new power has one side effect. Sparkle and Sue are two different physical selves, but they share one consciousness. At any given time, one person is out in the world, while the other is lying unconscious on the floor. Each can go out and live their own lives, but must switch locations every seven days. If you do not follow this rule, you will face irreversible consequences. As Sue rises in celebrity status, she becomes more in demand and is no longer able to abide by the rules of “Substance.”
I loved this movie because I had never seen revenge and the torturous nature of desecrating another person’s body portrayed in a movie like this. The biggest takeaway I took away from The Substance was the intense body horror. Watching Sue crawl out of Sparkle is worth it in itself. The lengths to which these two women work to maintain their beauty perfectly illustrates the unrealistic expectations women have from men.
It was almost shocking how easily director Coralie Ferguito captivates with body horror.
Visually, Fergito presented the film in the style of a 2010s music video, where Sue’s training resembles the athleticism shown in Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda.” The packaging of “The Substance” written in bold black letters gives it a sense of fashion and exclusivity.
Watching Sue show off her body on TV wasn’t just a ploy to become more famous, it was also a marketing strategy to “Substance” viewers and the male gaze of our world. .
It was such a great showcase that I made a reservation to go see it at the theater soon.
