Superb Body Horror Epic Is A Fearless Takedown Of Absurd Beauty Standards

At every film festival, there’s always one feature that leaves me absolutely floored for one reason or another. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, that film was none other than the body horror epic, The Substance. Written and directed by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, who is no stranger to exceptional work, the film confronts and tackles beauty standards with style. While dissecting the world’s ridiculous beauty ideals, Fargeat directs her sensational feat with pungent audacity, fearless humor, and dysmorphic body horror. Not only was it the talk of the festival, but The Substance will be discussed for years to come.

A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.

Pros

• Demi Moore & Margaret Qualley are the perfect beauty duo.
• Director Coralie Fargeat isn’t afraid to criticize ridiculous beauty standards.
• Denis Quaid is having the time of his life, putting on an exceptionally fun performance.
• Fargeat puts on a masterclass in body horror in the final 30 minutes.
• Great music and cinematography amplify the experience.

The Substance Is Everything We Want From A Body Horror Epic

What would you do if you could make the perfect version of yourself? Would you risk your life in the pursuit of flawlessness? Would you take a curious substance to make all your dreams come true? Elisabeth “Lizzy” Sparkle (Demi Moore) faces these questions after her long career in Hollywood comes to an abrupt stop. Harvey (Dennis Quaid), her boss at her exercise entertainment studio, wants to replace Lizzy with someone younger, perkier, and hotter. After an unfortunate accident leaves her feeling isolated, Lizzy signs up for the chance of a lifetime — to create a perfect version of herself.

When she gets the instructions for the road to perfection, “activate, stabilize, switch,” Lizzy desperately dives in, no questions asked. At this moment, Fargeat beautifully encapsulates the art of body horror by giving us a transformative scene full of anguish, shock, and blood. Sue (Margaret Qualley) emerges with a perfect smile and body, ready to live her life as the new and improved, younger, sexier version of Elisabeth. From here, the film soars into an exotic array of vivacious sequences that will blow your mind with detail, sexiness, and excitement to see how it all comes crashing down.

The Substance works so well for several reasons. It serves as a wildly entertaining body of work while using extremes to hold up a mirror to our ridiculous beauty standards. The perfect woman has always been a petite figure with perky breasts and flawless skin. But Fargeat is here to dismantle that notion by showing the monster inside of us that actually maintains those standards, which are impossible to meet. In short, the perfect woman does not exist.

The script also serves as a lesson about the importance of confidence. While we’re busy chasing people and things that don’t accept us and/or change who we are, we simultaneously miss out on the people who already care about us as is. Fargeat captures this simple message through a sincere and sweet interaction that is much needed emotional relief for Lizzy. Whether that is enough is answered shortly after, and the result is horror film magic.

When the time comes, The Substance shifts into high gear after a battle of the new versus old ensues. This leads to an epic bloody showdown that you’ve never seen onscreen before. When shallow motives are at the forefront, our actions can be deadly. Fargeat turns up the volume to capture this, leading to a perfectly unhinged Demi Moore performance and an equally deranged Qualley to support her. In the end, what we’re left with is a delightfully bloody epic that is humorous, terrifying, and so superb that it’ll be hard to look away despite the need to squirm.

The ultimate fearless takedown of impossible beauty standards, The Substance is an audacious, bloody delight. Boasting perfect performances from Moore, Qualley, and Quaid, Fargeat has a certified winner on her hands. Given all the unrealistic expectations of women when it comes to beauty, it’s easy to see why this feature left multiple audiences at the Cannes Film Festival roaring with applause. This body horror epic is every bit gory and disturbing, while simultaneously offering humor and total entertainment.