'The Substance' shows the consequences of beauty obsession in the most grotesque way
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In this modern world, unrealistic expectations of beauty standards are promoted through the entertainment industry. People suffer from low self-esteem because of the promotion of beauty standards.
Even the actors and actresses are not expected to age, even though ageing is normal for every human being. The same entertainment industry ends many stars' careers to meet these beauty standards.
Motivated by this phenomenon, French director Coralie Fargeat wanted to show the consequences of obsessions with beauty and ageing through a specific genre of horror that crawls many viewers' skins, body horror.
Her 2024 body horror film The Substance directly addresses this issue and offers an extreme version of what people face when they try too hard to preserve a semblance of their younger selves.
The film steps into the conversation just as society buzzes about quick fixes like Ozempic that promise easy youthfulness, much like the eerie product in the movie.
Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, an actress whose fame is fading with age. When she loses her gig on a fitness show to a younger person, she learns of a sinister cure called 'The Substance'. This product changes her into Sue, a younger and more attractive version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley. But this magic fix comes with a catch, Elizabeth and Sue must maintain a symbiotic relationship to ensure this beauty status. Soon, they find themselves in a dangerous mess, which makes the audience feel sorry yet frightened, similar to the classic tale of Frankenstein and his monster.
But this film has some weaknesses. It becomes too busy doing overt homages to all-time popular horror films like David Cronenberg's The Brood, Brian De Palma's Carrie, Stanely Kubrick's The Shining, and many more, feeling more like a horror tribute compilation than a horror film with a unique concept. The plot is full of metaphors of self-destruction and renewal, raising the question: At what cost does this perpetual chase for youth come?
As the story progresses, it leaves viewers with a question that what will happen to Elisabeth and Sue? Will they find peace with their reality, or will their search for eternal beauty destroy them?
The cinematography uses bright colour palettes and intense body horror scenes to keep the audience on edge, challenging them to think about their views on ageing and beauty.
Despite some issues with excessive homages, The Substance is definitely worth watching. Demi Moore, one of the most popular young actresses in the 90s, is an example of 'ageing like fine wine' in real life.
She perfectly shows Elisabeth's struggle with her ageing self, and Margaret Qualley's Sue depicts the dangerous charm of eternal youth. The film's visually striking scenes and intense body horror add to the overall feel of a dream turning into a nightmare, keeping the audience captivated and engaged.
The Substance is a film with substance: not only entertaining but also a thought-provoking contemplation of society's obsession with youth and beauty. Watching this film, one might be compelled to ask: Is the price of eternal youth genuinely worth the sacrifice of one's soul?