The Substance
Introduction
The new English film, The Substance can best be termed as a tragedy, the tragedy of a celebrity who was once considered to be a starlet. But the insecurities that the film addresses, isn’t reduced only to stardom. The whole new social media generation that thrives on the idea of selling their looks in order to gain attention while also monetizing yourself, is a huge stakeholder here. Sure the main protagonist here is a starlet but she could easily be replaced (ironically) with a social media influenzer, and the outcome of the film would be the same. Taking this universal thought and packaging it as a startling body horror is no mean feat which explains why The Substance did win the Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival of 2024. It doesn’t take a while for the writers to get directly to the point – a supposed new entrant in the Hollywood ‘Walk Of Fame’ has a bunch of people lay out the measurements and engraining a name ‘Elizabeth Sparkle’ (oh the irony) before laying the foundation of the same on the sidewalks. Over a period of time, you see people casually walking over that stone while abusing it sub-consciously. In a poignant scene, a walker-by drops his food item directly on its name, and further smearing ketchup on it while trying to clean-up. In a matter of minutes, the name ‘Elizabeth Sparkle’ is conveniently forgotten, a fleeting incident that is reflective of the psyche of the protagonist here.
Story & Screenplay
The concept itself of The Substance is a winner – a fading starlet obtaining a drug from the black market that would temporarily create a younger, better version of herself. And the same conflict is in a lead-up to a chain of events wherein she is fired on her 50th Birthday on the pre-text that she is too old to host an aerobics show that is nothing short of sleaze and erotica on television. Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is a character that has seen fame all her life – from the towering highs of being an Academy Award winner to gaining immense popularity for her looks, that would once have made an entire generation of women envious while having the make gaze ogle over her. So her downfall has been sudden and abrupt, both of it centered around her looks and age. This issue is itself so relatable that you are instantly invested in her character and her journey. And the irony lies right here – it is relatable because we all are programmed to look and seek people who are physically attractive. Therein lies the underlying layer of commentary that also touches upon various topics of greed and lust along its brilliant screenplay of 140 odd minutes.
The drama here is largely unforgiving towards its protagonist and its viewers alike while packaging itself in a body horror for the ages. The latter is true because you as a viewer seek solace in the fact that the injected drug has created a newer version of Elizabeth, with the pretext that both of them are essentially the same person at the end of the day. And hence, while your sympathies are towards Elizabeth, your inner greed is directed towards her newer version Sue (Margaret Qualley) who is younger, sassy and more attractive than the current version of Elizabeth. But the secret that the Elizabeth hides from the world, much like all of us do on social media, is the fundamentals of the work that goes on behind the scenes while maintaining good looks in front of the world online. In case of Elizabeth, it is the slow process of tearing the layers of skin on her back and virtually ripping open the spine, for Sue to form. The catch is that there are rules to the game, and should you try and bend it, the results will be disastrous.
The proceedings here are a difficult watch in many ways given how it acts as a mirror for the society. The younger version of Elizabeth, Sue is at the center of all the adulation that Elizabeth always longed for, and while she and Sue are the same person, they aren’t exactly a look-alike of sorts. And this prompts a change in the game, even as Elizabeth desperately seeks validation while creating a monster inside her head, something that she already has created physically in the form of Sue. The comparisons are inevitable even as the drama switches POVs expertly. In a scene, you see Elizabeth staring at a poster of Sue that had once featured her while resorting to gluttony while completely ditching the idea of meeting a middle-aged man for a date. Sue on the other hand wishes to encash and extend the adulation that she gets (including casual hookups with younger men) while bending the rules of the game and in trying to be greedy, something that affects Elizabeth, mentally but more importantly physically (remember how she is also a part of the problem wanting the part of life and younger men that Sue gets, much like most of us). This, even as she finds herself too far down the rabbit hole to bail out. And therein lies the twist which is veiled as a searing conflict.
The Substance in many ways signifies the cycle of life – whatever goes around comes around which is where the shock value lies. And the multiple twists in the tale are all a byproduct of the actions of the two protagonists, both of whom are at different stages of greed, and hungry for adulation related to their respective looks which are poles apart at this point of time in the screenplay. It is also a tad frightening to imagine the demons inside their heads, while equally being about their appearances that makes a powerful stake in the body horror genre. But it is the final act that completely hits it out of the park by not only adding a shocking turn of events, but also pushing the body horror genre to its absolute pinnacle.
One of the reasons why the film works to this point is because it unfolds through the gaze of an elderly woman aspiring to be young and beautiful like her alter ego. But the finale switches sides almost as a reminder that the young will get old and that there is no escaping reality. On the other hand, the POV of shock as a part of the society that we see in the final act is more to also do with how we are programmed to look at bodies (for instance in p*rn that focuses just on the body parts of women). This is a part of the problem because of the ultimate appearance of the protagonist in the public eye that changes from being lustful to fearful in a matter of minutes. The chaos is real but also figurative that forms a crux of its final 30 minutes that are shocking but the joke is on us. I also liked how the grand finale returned to its roots (no puns intended) which essentially was the germ of the idea that eventually all of us will get old, reduced to rubble and eventually fade out in our journey of oblivion. The writing is absolutely a screenplay writing masterclass of the highest order, while attempting to be shocking and poignant both at the same time.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but there is an underlying layer of emotions reflective of the psyche of the characters that the lines brilliantly possess. The BGM is also prevalent to aide the narrative ahead, and in terms of the horror soundtrack, it does elevate the horrifying aspects of the drama. The cinematography retains the gore and blood in frames that don’t wish to create a mental impression of the sequences, but instead committed to provide a crystal clear structure that is horrifying and gut-wrenching (at times literally). The frames are excellent and will force you to look away or keeps your eyes shut whilst the multiple sequences of gore play out. The editing is crisp and sharp while adding a layer of eccentricity to the drama before switching to poignancy, in what was a balanced narrative. Director Coralie Fargeat does such an astounding job here by being fully committed to the written material. This basically meant that she did not dilute the body horror elements of the drama that was a crucial selling point. This, while lacing the narrative with multiple themes of relevancy. The direction is outstanding and deserves every bit of the applause for an uninhibited piece of cinema that has been delivered here.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the members of the cast. Gore Adams as Oliver and Edward-Hamilton as Fred play essentially pieces of the puzzle here and both have their moments to shine. Dennis Quaid as Harvey is a character that is part lusty and part authoritative person while willing to place his bet on younger actresses to run his show. This character in many ways is all of us, who are constantly rovering over beauty whereas we are getting old too. But the two acting masterclasses come in the form of Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore, both essaying such complex characters that are also alter egos of most of us. As Sue, Qualley is excellent often playing to the galleries and garnering the attention while later on, highlighting her share of vulnerabilities. And as Elizabeth, Moore is astounding in what was an unhinged performance. There was a lot of physicality associated with her character, and she uses her body language and expressions expertly to showcase her pain, anxiety and insecurity. I am pretty sure that both these actors will get nominations at the Academy Awards of 2025, and we may just have witnessed two winners already! Only time will tell ….
Conclusion
The winner of the Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival of 2024, The Substance is a tragic commentary on aging and temporary stardom packaged as a body horror for the ages in a screenplay writing masterclass. This would be the Best English Film of 2024 for me, something that has left me dumbfounded and shocked by the turn of events in the film while leaving me with several moments of poignancy. This drama is Highly Highly Highly Recommended from my end!