Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” a body horror film exploring the pressures of beauty standards on aging female celebrities, has garnered significant attention and accolades, including a Golden Globe for Demi Moore. However, the film’s excessive length, uneven pacing, and arguably misogynistic undertones warrant a closer examination. Similar to Robert Zemeckis’s “Death Becomes Her,” “The Substance” ostensibly critiques the unrealistic expectations placed upon women in modern society, yet it simultaneously subjects its female protagonists to relentless physical and emotional torment. While the men in the film are portrayed as caricatures of sexist behavior, the women ultimately bear the brunt of the suffering, raising questions about whether the film truly subverts these harmful tropes or revels in the spectacle of female pain.
The film’s central premise revolves around Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading celebrity clinging to relevance through workout videos. Upon overhearing her boss’s plan to replace her with someone younger, Sparkle discovers a mysterious “Substance” that promises a younger, more beautiful clone. The mechanics of this cloning process, however, are absurd and poorly conceived. The film requires the audience to suspend disbelief not only for the existence of the Substance itself, but also for the implausible logistics of the transformation process, which involves DIY surgery, intravenous feeding, and a complete lack of professional medical guidance. This lack of attention to detail undermines the film’s attempt at social commentary, distracting the viewer with logistical inconsistencies rather than engaging with the deeper themes it attempts to explore.
Further complicating the narrative is the bizarre dynamic between Elisabeth and her younger clone, Sue. While the two share a body, they possess distinct consciousnesses and no shared memories of their respective experiences. This lack of connection fuels resentment and ultimately leads to a destructive power struggle between the two selves. The film’s portrayal of this conflict reinforces harmful stereotypes about female rivalry and undermines any potential for empathy or understanding between the characters. The absence of communication or even a basic attempt at cooperation between Elisabeth and Sue further underscores the film’s cynical view of female relationships, reducing them to a battle for dominance fueled by vanity and insecurity.
The film’s core premise also suffers from a fundamental flaw: the lack of any compelling motivation for Elisabeth to use the Substance in the first place. Given the grueling side effects and the fact that Elisabeth does not experience the benefits of Sue’s youth and beauty, the decision to undergo the transformation is baffling. The film attempts to frame Elisabeth’s desperation as a commentary on societal pressures, but the lack of any tangible reward for her suffering makes her actions seem illogical and self-destructive. This fundamental disconnect weakens the film’s intended message and leaves the viewer wondering why Elisabeth would willingly subject herself to such a painful and ultimately pointless ordeal.
The film’s descent into gratuitous body horror in the final act further undermines its thematic ambitions. Sue’s decision to drain Elisabeth’s life force and the subsequent transformation of Elisabeth into a grotesque caricature of her former self pushes the film beyond the realm of satire and into the territory of exploitation. The brutal fight scene in which Sue beats her older counterpart to death is particularly disturbing, serving no purpose other than to shock and disgust the viewer. This graphic violence, coupled with the film’s relentless objectification of the female body, casts doubt on its purported feminist message.
The film’s ending, featuring a monstrous amalgamation of Elisabeth and Sue wreaking havoc on a New Year’s Eve show, is both absurd and narratively unsatisfying. The creature, a grotesque patchwork of stitched-together body parts, is presented as a victim of society’s obsession with youth and beauty. However, the film has done little to engender empathy for either Elisabeth or Sue, making it difficult to connect with this monstrous manifestation of their combined insecurities. The chaotic and bloody climax feels more like a desperate attempt to shock the audience than a meaningful culmination of the film’s themes.
Ultimately, “The Substance” fails to deliver on its promise of insightful social commentary. The film’s weak premise, illogical plot developments, and excessive reliance on shock value ultimately detract from its exploration of relevant themes like ageism and the pressures of beauty standards. While the film’s visual style and performances may be captivating, its lack of substance and tendency towards gratuitous violence and exploitation leave the viewer with a lingering sense of unease and dissatisfaction. The film’s attempt to critique the objectification of women is undermined by its own indulgent gaze, leaving the audience to question the sincerity of its intentions.
