The Substance (2024)

There comes a certain point later in The Substance where director Coralie Fargeat has stuck the camera so close and so far up Margaret Qualley's booty in tight spandex so many times that I actually almost wanted to reach for my phone. I was so engrossed in the story, only for it to throw ass in my face for probably the hundredth time.

And yet, I couldn't help but pause and ask myself if it was intentional... especially by that point in the film. And while I can't know for sure... I think it might have been intentional. Yes, I firmly believe that this film purposely displayed what I can only refer to as the "utter banality of unbridled booty."

Bravo, Fargeat, you beautiful nutcase! Bravo!

Featuring a career-best performance from Demi Moore, the twisted and heavily satirical black-comedy horror The Substance is a deliciously over-the-top celebration of excess that proudly wears its themes on its sleeve for all to see and exploits them for all they're worth. Mixing the best aspects of filmmakers like Cronenberg, Yuzna and Kubrick, Fargeat's opus of mayhem not only stands tall as one of the best films of 2024, but possibly one of the best horror films of the decade. And that's no small feat given the high caliber of horror the 2020s have given us so far.

Set in a slightly cartoonish and otherworldly version of Los Angeles, aging actress turned TV presenter Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) is left crestfallen after losing her hosting gig on her fiftieth birthday. However, she soon learns that there may be a way to reclaim her fame and youth... an experimental drug known as "The Substance," which is only offered to a select and elite few. This miraculous concoction allows Elisabeth to create a younger, prettier doppelgänger of herself (Margaret Qualley) that she can transfer her consciousness into.

However, there's a rule... every seven days, she must transfer her consciousness back into her original body to prevent it from decaying. When Elisabeth becomes "hooked" on being young again, her mind starts to splinter into two distinct personalities depending on which body she's in, further fracturing her already damaged psyche...

Exploring rich themes including the marginalization of older women in a society that demands youth and "perfection," unrealistic beauty standards and abuses in the entertainment industry, The Substance is never a subtle film, but that's all right, because it never tries to be. This is a whacked-out cartoon clown-show for grownups where topics are explored both with words and with gratuitous sex and gore... and I'm game for a film that knows how to do that well.

Moore easily earns all of her awards and nominations in turn that is equal parts fearless, hilarious and touching. But I must say, I also felt Qualley matched her perfectly, offering a similarly revelatory performance, especially for her relatively young age. And director Fargeat pulls every trick in the book to near perfection, with dazzling compositions, a wickedly specific tone and a wonderful execution.

It may not be a film for everyone. But it was absolutely a film for me. And it feels destined to become a genre classic in years to come.

5 out of 5.

TedStixon