The Substance
This is the strangest movie of the year. It is grotesque and
some scenes are hard to watch but it is a good story. This film won the best
screenplay at Cannes for 2024. Demi Moore is the protagonist as Elisabeth
Sparkle the host of a popular aerobics show. On her fiftieth birthday, she was fired
from the show. The obvious message is beauty is superficial but the film's core
is to what ends will you go to stay young and beautiful. The Substance is the
fountain of youth from hell.
Demi Moore is the wrong actress for this part; she looks
good at any age. A great deal of prosthetic makeup is used to make Moore grotesque.
The metamorphosis of her character is symbolic of aging and the Faustian
bargain she makes to stay youthful. Margaret Qualley is the younger version of
Moore. The gore is how Qualley comes to be. The film is a subset of horror
called Body Horror. The Body Snatchers and the Blob are examples
of this genre.
Denis Quad is the producer of the TV show. He overacts the
role but is comical. His outfits would make a pimp envious. He is insensitive
when he dismisses Moore and is predatory
in his efforts to find a replacement.
The final scenes of the movie are extremely grotesque and
over the top. They combine traits from Carrie, Altered States, and the
Elephant Man. There is a copious amount of blood in the final scenes.
The cinematography is interesting. There are extreme
closeups of Moore’s face to highlight her fine wrinkles. The shower scenes are reminiscent of Psycho.
This movie is not for everyone but for its type it is
exceptional. Rotten Tomatoes gave a grade of 90%.
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