With the release of The Substance, that means we now have three Barbarians in one year. What a time to be alive!
In The Substance, aging starlet Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is fired from her cushy gig running a television exercise/ work-out show on her 50th birthday. Crushed, Elisabeth happens across a black market drug called The Substance that promises the user a younger, perfect, more beautiful version of their current selves...but at a cost. Naturally, Elisabeth can't resist and soon finds herself spiraling down a dark rabbit hole as her double Sue (Margaret Qualley) and her battle for control over their life.
A horror-comic satire about age, youth, and beauty. Imagine if you mixed David Cronenberg’s The Fly, Sorry To Bother You, X, AntiViral, Amazon Prime’s Them, and a Troma production. The Substance is self-indulgent and impulsive at the worst of times, luckily it approaches it’s tale of age vs youth with creativity, humor, and an off-kilter and odd sensibility.
Dennis Quaid isn’t given much to do, but perfectly embodies his character. Margaret Qualley as Sue and Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle are absolute dynamite. The cinematography by Benjamin Kracun and production design by Stanislas Reydellet consistently pop off the screen. Coralie Fargeat (A Paris native) writes and directs, having previously done the same for Reality+ and Revenge.
The Substance is graphic, with full-frontal nudity and more blood and gore than you could fill several swimming pools with. That said, while the proceedings can get disturbing, gross, and stomach-churning, the vibes The Substance more often than not tries to go for are comedic.
Some might feel tempted to say that this movie is an exercise in style over substance, but they’d be wrong. The Substance has A LOT to say about youth, beauty, age, how youth views age and beauty, and how age views youth and beauty. The final 20-40 minutes plays host to a barrage of endings, each proceeding one invariably more bombastic and insane than the last. Look, a decade ago a movie like this would have been direct to video on demand, so what a treat that The Substance is getting a wide release.
The Substance is flawed. It tries too hard at times, and can feel more than a little self-indulgent. The good news is that its premise is incredibly interesting and unique, our two leads steal all their scenes, and there is plenty of commentary for viewers to contemplate after the credits roll. The Substance ranks in as another one of the best of 2024.
4.5 STARS
