The Substance
The Substance is streaming on Mubi at the time of writing. Rated R. Common Sense says 17+.
A fading celebrity takes a black-market drug: a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
STORY: C-
A jaw dropping premise that unfortunately overstays its welcome by a good 30 minutes.
PEOPLE: A-
Demi Moore’s raking in kudos for her physical performance, but its emotional aspect is what resonates most powerfully.
FILM NERD STUFF: B
Exceptional color and set design reinforce the film’s themes of artifice and external values.
ONE BIG LESSON: A-
Living in the past only leads to pain. And sadness. And … vomit-inducingly disgusting deformities.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Hollywood is a monster, and young attractive women like Elisabeth Sparkle are its victims.
What makes this film so interesting is that it does something most films like it don’t. It focuses on the “second arrow.” In Buddhist philosophy, the first arrow is a negative event. The second arrow is our reaction to that event.
After being bludgeoned by the Hollywood monster, Elisabeth transforms into a monster as well. Her victim? Herself. And she’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to her fame.
A great deal of the film’s impact and enjoyment comes from the savage and blunt way it delivers its message. The film is nothing if not unsubtle (its quantity and quality of body horror is really quite extraordinary), and I would never ask it to be untrue to itself. But its 140 minute runtime becomes overwhelming. Trimming it down would surely result in some addition by subtraction.