The Substance arrived in select cinemas last week, with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley starring in the grotesque body horror. Exposing and poking fun at the brutality of female body standards, aging, and identity in utopian Hollywood.
Directed by Coraline Fargeat, The Substance combines the genres of dark comedy and body horror. Exposing the brutalities that lie in Hollywood’s entertainment industry. Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) an aging Hollywood actress faces the wrath of misogynistic producer Harvey (Dennis Quaid) who is let go from her long-running fitness show. In a desperate bid to delay aging, Elisabeth is offered a mysterious black market ‘Substance’ that can procure a younger and more attractive version of herself.
The Body Horror Genre
As a potentially less popular sub-genre, body horror remains a subversive style of film. Specifically seeking to shock audiences through imagery of the human body alone. Famous body horror releases include Frankenstein (1931), Hellraiser (1987), and Old (2021).
“Movies that depict various transformations, mutations and degradations of the human form. The terrifying changes often emphasize the futility of our efforts to control our unpredictable bodies.”
Kellina Moore, writer for the New York Times
Themes in The Substance
Beauty Standards
One of the main themes within The Substance is the irony of Hollywood beauty standards. Specifically, the extreme level that women specifically are held to. The ‘substance’ taken by Elisabeth creates a younger replica Sue (Margaret Qualley) whose youth and beauty represents everything Elisabeth is not according to Hollywood. Despite her success and fame, Elisabeth comes to resent herself and her looks which drives her to take the altering substance.
“The Substance is a satirical body-horror and science fiction film underpinned by feminist critique. The film examines the obsession with female beauty and youth, the invisibility of aging women, and the voracious consumption of women’s bodies in Hollywood’s star system.”
Sara Oscar & Cherine Fahd, writers for The Conversation
Aging
The Substance begins with Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) being let go from her TV role on her 50th birthday for being “too old”. As a result, Elisabeth falls victim to the black market drug which produces an alternative version of herself. A younger and more glamorous woman deemed acceptable and desirable amongst Hollywood executives. Despite a long and successful career in Hollywood, Elisabeth is discarded due to her age, a similar path that many women in Hollywood face. The theme of age is a personal reflection of Demi Moore’s career, who has spoken out about the cruel treatment she faced once she turned 40 and was type casted into ‘older’ roles.
Female Competition
The lucrative ‘substance’ that Elisabeth takes to derive a younger version of herself requires Elisabeth (Demi Moore) and Sue (Margaret Qualley) to switch every seven days without fail. The two have to exchange bodies, with one unconscious resting and the other existing in the world. The process get complicated when Sue overstays her seven days, causing an accelerated aging process in Elisabeth. Increased tension and resentment grow between the pair, with Elisabeth increasingly hating Sue and herself. The focus on competition and jealousy between both women is prominent in the film, and reflective of a broader societal tension.
“Women compete, compare, undermine and undercut one another — at least that is the prevailing notion of how we interact.”
Emily V. Gordon, writer for the New York Times
Feminism and the Horror Genre
Audiences were drawn to the Substance due to its running commentary and prominent feminist voice, not usually common within the subgenre of body horror. Drawing on horror and gore, the Substance grotesquely uses the female body to convey a simple message about beauty standards and the female experience.
Although the horror genre has long-standing historical tropes that limit female capacity and agency. The genre once seen as ‘anti-feminist’ has been expanding and projecting a wider range of female voices and experiences, as seen in Barbarian (2022), Ready or Not (2019) and now The Substance (2024).
Should you watch the Substance?
The Substance is now being branded as the feminist horror film of the year. With five-star ratings across various media outlets, this film is a must see for horror fans and women alike.
