The Cost of Perfection: A Review of THE SUBSTANCE

Rating 5/5

By Naomi Fraser

Profound, frightening, and darkly comedic, The Substance is a body-horror film centered on fading Hollywood star, Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore). On Elisabeth’s 50th birthday, her producer Harvey (Dennis Quaid) fires her under the pretext that she is no longer beautiful enough for TV. 

Left humiliated and insecure, Elisabeth stumbles upon a miracle drug called “the substance,” which promises to create an enhanced version of herself she can embody every other week. Desperate to regain her beauty and youth, Elisabeth injects herself with the drug, starting down a dangerous path with horrific consequences. 

Winner of Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival, The Substance offers an insightful critique of societal beauty standards and their harmful effects. Though I tend to avoid horror, The Substance reeled me in and delivered an enjoyable, thought-provoking experience. 

Demi Moore does a phenomenal job portraying Elisabeth. Capturing the role’s nuances, Moore creates a complex character who elicits just as much sympathy as frustration. While the audience knows taking the substance is a bad decision, Moore’s performance allows us to understand Elisabeth’s desperation and pain. 

She genuinely believes she is worthless as is and will do anything to relive her glory days. Moore’s portrayal of this mindset gives Elisabeth depth and highlights how societal pressures can push people into making choices they will later regret.  

The Substance makes excellent use of the body-horror genre, creatively condemning the unattainable beauty standards women constantly face. Halfway through the film, Elisabeth decides to extend her time as “Sue” (Margaret Qualley), the younger, enhanced version of herself, beyond the drug’s weeklong limit. When she reverts to her normal self, Elisabeth discovers parts of her body deteriorating. As it turns out, any extra time in her new body will cause irreversible damage to the original. 

Nevertheless, Elisabeth continues to overspend her time in Sue, effectively destroying her body in pursuit of perfection. The horrific depiction of Elisabeth’s physical decay heightens awareness of the real-world consequences of chasing beauty ideals. Though we’ve yet to create “the substance,” our society does promote an array of drugs, trends, and procedures that promise to produce a “better you.” But, as in Elisabeth’s case, the negative effects may not become clear until it’s too late.

Moving beyond Elisabeth, The Substance also delves into the systemic forces in Hollywood, namely, the male gaze, that perpetuate societal beauty ideals. Coined by film theorist Laura Mulvey, the male gaze describes the practice of depicting women in media through a masculine, heterosexual lens that reduces them to objects of male desire. 

The Substance gives us a glimpse into how this process works. From male judges selecting Elisabeth’s replacement based solely on appearance to male directors sexualizing dancers through choreography and camera work, the male gaze dictates every step in creating Harvey’s new show. 

While these portrayals are exaggerated for comedic effect, they shine a light on the male gaze’s power over the media we consume. By exposing these dynamics, The Substance invites viewers to question the deeply ingrained standards of beauty and desirability perpetuated by the entertainment industry. 

While there is much to appreciate about The Substance, some moments are undeniably disturbing. As a body-horror film, it does not shy away from blood and gore, which may turn away some viewers. Most of the time, the unsettling images enhance the story, but there are instances where the graphic content feels excessive, seemingly included to showcase the filmmakers’ special effects skills.

With that being said, I still believe The Substance is a fantastic film. It expertly combines horror and satire to produce a thought-provoking exploration of our society’s beauty standards and the lengths people will go to achieve them. If you’re a horror fan (and don’t mind the blood and gore), I recommend giving The Substance a watch.