The Substance brings back the body horror genre with incredible, yet disturbing results

Body horror is an art that I feel has been lost in Hollywood today.

Some of the most iconic horror films of all time utilise this sub-genre as they rely greatly on bodily gore and horrific imagery more so than the jumpscares, which are becoming more and more commonplace.

So when a new satirical body horror starring Demi Moore is released, which aims to hold a spotlight over people in media and the revolving door of people in the industry, I justifiably became curious.

The Substance follows Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a renowned aerobics show host who is fired by her boss on her 50th birthday.

Believed to be too old and no longer the attractive face she once was, Elisabeth seeks out a new experimental substance sold to her as “the chance to transform her into an enhanced version of herself”.

Once taking the substance, a younger version of Elisabeth, Sue (played by Margaret Qualley) forms from a slit in her back. Required to take a dose a day in order to stay as her younger self, Sue eventually lands Elisabeth’s former job and everything works out fine.

That is obviously a lie. Addicted to becoming her younger self, Elisabeth learns that the longer she stays as Sue, the more rapidly she ages when she’s not.

What follows is a tale about addiction, substance abuse, the value of self-worth and the underbelly of working in the media.

The easiest comparison I can make to The Substance is the controversial 2000 film Requiem for a Dream. In the same vein that Requiem for a Dream covers topics like addiction, so does The Substance. It can be a difficult watch, seeing Elisabeth transform into a recluse and hide away from the world, while Sue becomes a pawn for greedy and sex-craved studio heads.

Unlike Requiem for a Dream, The Substance uses body horror and the descent into Elisabeth’s depression as its points of horror. It is broken up with moments of comedy, but it felt less of a ‘haha, that’s funny’ feeling and more of a ‘If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’ situation.

The film is brilliantly acted.

Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley differ and contrast from one another brilliantly without feeling whacky. In a film like this, especially a satirical movie with serious subject matter, it can be easy for the cast to appear like they’re almost in different movies. Demi Moore is obviously the POV character and watching her mental health decline is difficult. It could have easily been seen as abusive to its audience if Margaret Qualley played the party/satirical nature of the character poorly.

I think the film found a pretty good balance between these two tones and that comes down to French director Coralie Fargeat. I wasn’t too familiar with her previous works, but it’s safe to say she’s definitely on my radar now, and I’m eager for her next project.

Dennis Quaid is also a stand-out. His brilliant yet horrific portrayal as Elisabeth’s boss, Harvey, is so on the nose and plays into the news that the world has learnt about Hollywood over the past 10 years, but is also so pivotal to the movie’s messaging. He’s despicable and hard to look at. It’s impossible to see Quaid as anything other than this horrible person, which is the hallmark of a great performance.

It would be remiss of me not to talk about this film’s ending. It is a tough 20 or so minutes to sit through. While the destination may be expected, the route Ms Fargeat takes to get there is outstanding in a very sadistic kind of way. In terms of horror, it’s the most uncomfortable I’ve felt in the cinema for quite some time. It’s the perfect climax of tense storytelling, chilling imagery and gruesome body horror.

The Substance is brilliant, but it’s not for everyone.

For a lot of people, movies are an escape, but this world isn’t one I’d imagine a lot of people would like to visit. For those looking for dark themes in a very well-made movie, this is worth your time. For others who are looking to go out with some friends and enjoy a night out, I wouldn’t pick this.

In the horror genre, The Substance is one of the year’s best. It will stay with me for days, probably weeks to come.

The Substance is playing in select theatres across NSW and the ACT and will be heading to streaming in late November.

Original Article published by Jarryd Rowley on Riotact.