THE SUBSTANCE

 

Body horror is a subgenre of horror that I don't find myself too familiar with. There's been a few that haven't passed me by but, for the most part, my experience with them is definitely at the level of a novice. With little experience in the field, watching something like The Substance was always going to be an eye-opener - judging by the euphoric praise the film's been lauded with since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.

Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), renowned for an aerobics show, faces a devastating blow on her 50th birthday as her boss fires her. Amid her distress, a laboratory offers her a substance which promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself (Margaret Qualley).

The Substance received an eleven-minute standing ovation at Cannes earlier this year which, as we all know, is indicative of a film's quality, right? It's all a bit ridiculous that sort of thing still happens but the excess is actually quite relevant to The Substance, a film that deals in excess for better or worse, Coralie Fargeat delivering a blood-soaked cautionary tale of the obsession to meet beauty standards in the world of entertainment. She dives head-first into the absurdity of her work with varying results, ideas flinging around left, right and centre but only a few truly making an impression. It grabs you from the start for sure however, a bloated runtime and a final act that goes all out to shock the audience really hurt the film if I'm being honest. Yes, the overwhelmingly grotesque nature of the final act will undeniably be what people speak about the most but it's nowhere near the most interesting part of the film.

The crowning glory of the film are its visuals; Benjamin Kracun framing shots in such a precise and inventive nature, the film possessing a unique energy as a result. It zips along at such a speed to begin with, relentless in zoning in on such detailed scenes of gore that will leave those a bit squeamish reaching for a sick bag or two - Kracun's photography combining with some epic sound design to great effect. The use of practical effects are there for everyone to see in all their gory glory, something that should always be championed when used in this manner. They just add such a sense of realism even in the most outlandish of scenarios and the abominable creation towards the end just proves this.

Where The Substance really wins is the tussle of power between Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in the lead roles. Moore's Elisabeth desperately trying to stay relevant with Qualley's Sue intent on making the most of her time in the limelight, to the detriment of Elisabeth. There is absolutely nowhere for these two to hide in the film and they tackle the challenge head on - the use of their bodies emphasising the film's themes as much as their words could. It's easily the most impressive Moore has been and just another fearless performance from Qualley that proves she's set to be one of the biggest stars of the future. Look out for a slimy and despicable performance from Dennis Quaid too, his turn as the head of a network absolutely vile and deliberately outrageous. In a film full of horrendous body horror, he might just be the most gross thing in it.

In this day and age, people don't like to sit in the middle of the road when it comes to films, you either have to love something or hate it. I can't help but do it though for The Substance, a film full of plenty of good stuff yet also managing to leave me feeling cold towards it. That final act for example, it's designed to shock yet it left me feeling next to nothing. Worth a watch just to see what all the fuss is about but definitely not film of the year material for me.

Verdict: ★★★