Movie Review | 'The Substance' 

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As director/screenwriter Coralie Fargeat's latest film "The Substance" opens, a new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is being designed. The sequence is then used as a sped-up demonstration of the passage of time. In the matter of moments, the star finds its new home on Hollywood Blvd., is inscribed with the made-for-the-movies name ‘Elisabeth Sparkle’ and quickly becomes just another part of the sidewalk for people's trash and discarded food. It's the safest visual representation of what "The Substance" is all about.

Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth, a movie star-turned-exercise guru who has been famous for decades. As a woman of a certain age, Elisabeth is starting to feel the harsh and gross reality of Hollywood. Her boss Harvey (Dennis Quaid, having the time of his life in this role), a sleazy and off-putting producer whose character name certainly can't be a coincidence, doesn't help assuage her fears of being forced to retreat because of her age.

Elisabeth learns about a product known as The Substance, a product obtained through shady phone calls and secret underground lockboxes, completely designed to create a stereotypically perfect younger version of the consumer. Elisabeth is apprehensive, but the temptation mixed with the crossroads in her life convinces her to try The Substance. There are rules and guidelines as to how it works, but from The Substance, a younger Elisabeth is born: Sue (Margaret Qualley).


Discussing the plot too deeply doesn’t compare to actually experiencing the movie. No matter what one's opinion of the film may be — because a lot about "The Substance" doesn't work — there's no denying the visual and aural elements. Its use of body horror feels fresh and original, likely to find the approval of someone like David Cronenberg.

"The Substance" had its debut at this year's Cannes Film Festival, where Fargeat won Best Screenplay. It's an interesting award for this movie, because the script is where the movie often falters. Fargeat runs the gamut of perfectly pointed in her depiction of females aging in a shallow industry to more bonk-you-over-the-head obvious with her themes. It creates an uneven experience, but as "The Substance" goes on, it becomes repetitive as Elisabeth and Sue interchange placement in the real world. At 140 minutes, "The Substance" feels bloated, but each time the movie starts to flail, Fargeat throws another shocking image at the screen.

While the body horror element is the biggest takeaway from the movie, it shouldn't drown Moore's performance. The actress, who hasn't had a role of this kind in decades, is so fitting for Elisabeth: a once prominent star, who isn't seen in projects of note these days, gets a chance to come back to an industry where she once was a staple. Moore's performance isn't just strong, fierce and vulnerable; it's also poetic for her to lead this story.

"The Substance" has been earning raves across the festival circuit and will likely prove to be a great conversation starter in theater lobbies and car rides afterward. The movie's imperfections tend to blunt the daring visuals, but Fargeat's vision is nothing less than audacious. It's a story to be seen in the darkness of a theater, shoulder-to-shoulder with adventurous viewers.

"The Substance" opens at The Little Theatre on Friday, Sept. 20.

Matt Passantino is a contributor to CITY.