yep, thought it was predictable, over the top, and didn't stick the landing thematically. Stylistically it was pretty impressive. I liked the sound design, lots of little ASMR moments.
I definitely took it as the pursuit of perfection is a lose/lose. And the most tragic part for me was when gifted with this “perfect” version of herself she just decided to go back to the horrific producer who fired her in the first place. Going right back to system that chewed her up and spat her on the pavement. Also, the score was absolutely cracked.
People that say that this movie has something to say can't seem to articulate the message more than "ageism" and "male gaze". The movie is so vacuous that people are just projecting their own values to something that has none. You're _totally_ right that the entire foundation of the movie doesn't make sense, which then undermines _everything._ If they're not sharing a consciousness and Elisabeth Sparkle isn't enjoying anything about being young, why is she doing it? Not only is she not enjoying it, she's actively bitter from the get-go. This movie is the worst. But yeah, the body horror was fun, but god, it went on for like 30 minutes. It was exhausting in a bad way by the end. They spent almost as much time on the body horror as on Qualley's ass.
I was also so distracted by the fact that they were separate consciousnesses. It's not clear at the start but when it becomes clear, it's extremely frustrating and I kept thinking "this can't be true, she has to be experiencing the sue part or why would she do this?"
I just saw this movie and I’m confused about this too. I thought Demi Moore would be able to live through and experience the same things as her “better self” but that’s not the case at all. They are two different people. They don’t even share the same memories so what does Demi Moore’s character have to gain from this? This makes the substance completely pointless. Why would anyone do this?
No, they are definitely NOT two seperate consciouneses! There is a reason for the constant warnings 'Remember yo are one' throughout the film. it's not that they don't remember, but their memories are filtered through their respective stages of personality. The problem is that each incarnation resents the other and wants to see herself as seperate, especially the young version. That's even why she gives herself a diferent name, Sue. Only when Elizabeth resuscitates Sue do they actually split into 2 which then creates its own problems. I thgought the film laid it all out very clearly!
@@thorstonmanderlay5010 The problem I’m having is the “You are one” plot. Because they are not “one” we see that in the movie. Sue needs Elisabeth to live but Elisabeth doesn’t need Sue to live…so how are they connected? They don’t even share the same memories. Elisabeth only knew about Sue’s one night stand because the guy left a note and his motorcycle helmet at her apartment. We also see scenes where Sue is telling Elisabeth’s unconscious body about her success. So if they are connected why doesn’t Elisabeth already know all of this? Wouldn’t it make more sense if we actually saw Elisabeth waking up remembering and feeling all the things Sue did and for a while it makes her happy but slowly she stops wanting to switch back to her older self? To me it looks like Sue is just a parasite that feeds off of Elisabeth to maintain her youth and beauty but again what does Elisabeth gain from this?
Thank you for posting this as it’s so true to my viewing and there’s so much praise of this movie but it’s like ankle deep, and people are praising it without recognizing it’s more flash than substance (not intentional joke). Specifically I felt really bothered that it’s supposed to be a transgressive view of the main character being a real person rather than a media image but they literally barely explore what exactly she’s neurotic about, what led her to this...they don’t give her actual personhood in either “form” or work to praise older bodies. It runs very far with existing ideas without having any actual footing for it and also doesn’t end up saying anything with it, as you point out.
The film fails as satire (in my opinion), because it throws lots of female flesh in your face - both as titillation and to churn your stomach - in order to teach you to suck eggs (viz. tell me something that is ominously obvious to all humankind). I had the same problem with 'Revenge'. I know that SA is criminal. Who doesn't know that? Foraget uses that as a pretext for more titillation and gore. Foraget follows the same tiresome formula, exploited by all the critics' darlings: Gratuitous flesh and blood = backsides on $eats.
Thanks. Exactly my thought. She knew it would sell and as a feminist filmmaker she completely failed to make any good point on this. I believe this movie just got the hype due to its body horror. Shock value. Nothing more, nothing less,.
@@Leprutz Thank you for your intelligent response, Leprutz. Any filmmaker who loved women (and men), wouldn't dream of exploiting their natural appeal for the sake of profit. Although I am not a Star Wars fan, George Lucas refused to bow to Hollywood pressure, to show more of Carrie Fisher's beautiful form, in 1977, for profit's sake.
@moderngirl-g1x True. Fargeat is a sellout. She knows what she is doibg and I an sure she had many discussion with quite a few producers who told her what would sell well. I hope I get my break soon and not by showing women of sexualy but by pure good earned storytelling. The exact thing Fargeat has to show for yet.
@@Leprutz Go for it. Hollywood is not dying for want of technique or lack of pretentious anti-artists, but for master story-tellers who adore mankind (but God first).
@@Leprutz Are you kidding? Bizarre body horror isn't a sub genre that's a safe bet. Sexualization to the point of absurdity is part of the point. It's fine if it didn't work for you, but it hit home for enough people that it's silly to just assume audiences don't know what good storytelling is. Especially if this is an industry you're hoping to make it in.
I was excited in the beginning but when the rubber hit the road the film kinda chickened out and went “What? its not that serious” while grasping desperately for some grotesque image to become “iconic.” Threw the whole ass kitchen sink at the end and I was so bored. Memberberry copycat shots from better films constantly didn’t help. Most disappointed I been since… Longlegs. Meh.
Never believe Cannes or Oscar prizes and nominations. Cannes even sucks worse than the oscars. I haven't seen a single good Cannes Film since like always.
The movie pretends through out the whole time that being/ getting "old" might be something ugly - it actually uses this point and the male gaze as an attribute and vehicle to shock the audience. That's why the characters seem totally empty and somehow light. It's porn for people with body dysmorphophobia.
I came out this movie fuming because I am extremely disappointed when films that should be amazing miss the mark entirely. I had to write out my thoughts, and I rarely have to do that. So many topics that this movie just fails to bring up, Class, Botox (the actual current horrifying practices within the industry), how women perpetuate beauty standards to each other, and going off the previous point, the shocking lack of female characters at all? I can go on and on. I hope someone takes another stab at making beauty standards a horror, because the beauty industry is horrifying. I just felt watching this movie, more horrified that people found the basic depictions of aging horrifying, than the movie actually make me feel horrified. I swear, folks have never seen a naked granny. I wanted this movie to make me feel guilty for internalized ageism, and being grossed out by women's body as they age. But they never went there. Even the aged prosthetics didn't look like older women? There is absolutely a conversation to be had about how we hate looking at old women. But they hardly actually address it? I was eating popcorn and slurping coke the whole time. And I am an incredibly squeamish person. It's not gross. Are people that grossed out by demi moore's natural body? And the end creature looked like ET in a dress. Honestly kinda cute. My best review of this movie is summarized as so, if the Barbie movie was made into a horror, in a bad way.
Yea I think the thing that keeps tripping me is what seems to be the takeaway. The message is: "Be happy with what you have, because it could always be worse"... which isn't a 'fearless takedown of beauty standards'. It's a surrender being treated as a victory.
I mean beauty isn’t everything. It helps but overly focusing on it like Elizabeth was pressured to is harmful. This isn’t fully her fault because it’s clear that’s the main thing the producers are focusing on. Be happy with what you have is more about improve yourself but also know that there’s more to you than your looks.
There is no ideological message. its a cautionary tale of how repressed mental illness manifested as body dysmorphia along side cultural effects can make people fall into nasty procedures or really dark holes just to avoid their reality because its way too painful to accept. Its a cautionary tale about not being able to have Acceptance and moving on and instead doing everything and anything to avoid reality even at the cost of their own quality of life. It has a feminist message, sure, that society and culture values younger women to a depraved level. but thats about it, its not the core message at all.
It's a surrender to the natural process of aging, not the patriarchy. The male nurse character that gave her the phone number was experiencing the same thing (the younger version eating away at the old). It's not about young = pretty, old = ugly. The body is more than its appearance, it's about it's function. As she aged she became weaker, her joints were fragile, bones brittle (obvious exaggeration). When she was 50 she missed her 20 somethings body, when she was 80/90/super old, she definitely missed her 50 year old body for more than just being pretty. The point is disregard patriarchal views of yourself and appreciate your body what what is it. Our time is finite. Work on what you can control, which is always yourself. Elisabeth's own desire to stay in that disgusting industry is what prompted her to harm herself. Elisabeth had her star on carpet, she's filthy rich, she's made a name for herself. She could've called Fred and started a new chapter of her life where she has love. instead she takes the substance and runs back to try and please people who don't want her even though she no longer needs them.
im so glad someone agrees that this movie totally missed the mark. I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of raving reviews it got, it was so confusing and disturbing and NOT in a good way. also- maybe i'm just sensitive but the body horror/ gore was so extreme that I'm shocked how generally appealing this movie was to the masses... seems like everyone is crazy desensitized. idk🤷🤷🤷🤷
I took it as if they were always the same person (or at least sharing the same conscience/thoughts) but kinda in Dorian Gray fashion, the fascination of staying as the younger self just "took over" almost like a life of its own.
Have def seen a lot of Dorian gray comparisons, i think that story has some more freedom since it is more fantastical. The science fiction approach here is cool but introduces some logical issues
@@Brijandez One has no idea what the other one is doing. Which makes them totally different people. That's the biggest flaw. If the consciousness was switched from body to body then it would be one person and it would make sense, but the movie needs conflict between them so it disregards it's own plot rule. Demmi Moore's character would never sign up for that deal since ther is no change for her except for the worse.
(wrote this comment as its own thing first but I now realize this is discussed here better, and thankfully others see the same issues.) Clearly, Sue has a different consciousness than Elizabeth since they even fight in the film, and Elizabeth is literally killed by Sue. Elizabeth still cannot bring herself to stop the experiment despite this separation of personhood (cause Sue literally has "her beauty" now), which is why the theme is supposed to be powerful. Some people seem to be confused and think they are the same person from reading some comments on youtube. Yet at the same time, it does not make sense for Elizabeth to create a different person who would replace her if she herself does not get to experience any of it herself. So the film makes you think at the beginning that they are the same person (and emphasized by "switch" mechanism instead of a "sleep" mechanism) to allow suspension of disbelief in the first part of the film to justify the reasons for starting the experiment and then tells you otherwise to allow suspension of disbelief in the second part of the film to convince you they can fight each other...this is a frustrating film just for that alone... all I got was disbelief and I was just laughing at the end. It was just stupid.
The last 30 mins of this movie just didnt match the rest of the film. It turned campy with the over the top blood spewing out of her while people yelled "monster" like an old Frankenstein movie. The final scene of her blob face crawling to her Hollywood star was just comical. Its like the writers went on strike before they finished the film and someone just made up a last minute ending.
It was a well made film. Couple of questions. I know she turned 50, but what year was it? I kept seeing the contrast of older cars in mint condition and newer flashier cars beside them, always mustangs for some reason. Also, i thought this movie was going to end like 4 times before it actually ended.
I was really disappointed by this film as well. I am disappointed by most films I see, but don't think I've ever seen a film with this much of a discrepancy between the critical and public appraisal for it versus my own experience of it. So I guess people like us will remain in the minority here, but thanks for being honest about your views and not attempting to bend them towards the widespread consensus. I agree with everything you've said, except I interpreted Elisabeth and Sue to be the same psyche transferring between bodies - but Elisabeth is so full of self-loathing that once she enters Sue's body, she creates an alter-ego to go with Sue and completely disidentifies herself with Elisabeth. When she's forced to inhabit the Elisabeth-body again for the 7-day stretches, her inability to accept this as her original body fuels the loathing she holds towards herself, which she attempts to sublimate by redirecting it towards Sue, the symbol of everything she wants to be. I thought that was such a great idea, with so much depth for commentary, but unfortunately the movie didn't do a very good job of exploring it. So I'm not surprised that you viewed them as 2 different people, and I myself was questioning it at times - especially since they both become autonomous entities and fight eachother in the climax. I also think casting Margaret Qualley was not at all the right choice, since I firstly don't consider her to be physically attractive enough to represent "youthful beauty" (youthful yes, but not my idea of beautiful), and secondly don't think she is remotely passable as a younger version of Demi Moore. The lack of physical resemblance between Demi and Margaret further contributed to the lack of believability of the notion that these two characters consisted of a single psyche periodically transferring itself between two different bodies. This film had an interesting premise, and a clever meta-layer of commentary in choosing to cast Demi Moore, but the execution in all other areas was severely lacking. I read your _The Substance_ review on Letterboxd, then subscribed to you here. It's nice to find a Letterboxd-er/RUclipsr who is also somewhat of a black sheep when it comes to their opinions on films, at least for this one - but I'll have to check out more of your content to see how true that holds for other films.
@misslibitina77 Personally, I find her face to be rather plain - neither attractive or unattractive - and not possessing the striking, supermodel-esque beauty needed for a role like this. But if many other people find Qualley to be physically attractive, then I'll concede that my tastes may simply be different to theirs and that my viewpoint cannot be argued further. But I do maintain that casting an actress who actually resembled Moore, and could pass for a younger version of her, would have been more appropriate here.
Damn when a man doesn't like this film it's the most vicious hateful comments but when a woman doesn't like it it's all like "I respectfully disagree" 🤣🤣
Good satire isnt supposed to "solve the problems of the world" but simply to hold up a mirror to society. And yes the characters are very archetypal and basic, this is also a feature of the great satires of the 70s like NETWORK, The Holy Mountain, A Clockwork Orange.. Totally agree that the film was a bit long and the pacing was VERY odd.. but I think part of the problem people have with this movie comes from reading reviews and shit and expecting it to be some searing epiphany that shakes the world out of its complacency or whatever, which is maybe the fault of the movie for marketing itself as that, but its a bit like going into Hereditary expecting "the scariest movie ever" then being mad you didnt get so scared you threw your popcorn in the air... At the end of the day its just a film. and this is something that the Substance seems to be self aware of, much like the ending of The Holy Mountain mocks the audience for expecting enlightenment to come from a movie, and in all the aforementioned the world just sort of moves on in the logic of the film... None of the characters learn anything, because oftentimes people dont either.. I think what really bugs Americans is the lack of a strong authorial voice to condemn the evils depicted in the film or wrap it up in a nice neat bow, rather than simply be what it is, a stylized reflection of our reality.
Also as far as I know a ton of Americans like myself totally loved it. Also a lot of straight men like myself loved it. It's a great movie no need to little it down to essentialism to explain why someone didn't understand it 🤣
5:40: no, you didn't miss anything. The movie just doesn't make sense, there is simply no gain or advantage for Demi Moore's character using the substance. Also, Demi Moore is 61, and she looks better than me being 34, so I don't buy this "old is ugly" argument from this movie at all.
i think continually chipping away and killing yourself repeatedly to obtain this persona of yourself you wish to present to the world, can create an internal disassociative feeling, which i think is personified by Margaret and Demi being two separate characters. reconciling with which parts of ourselves we take ownership of and which parts are actually in control
You guys are trippin, the movie was phenomenal. Yes, there’s the “male gaze” aspect of the film, but WAKE UP AMERICA, that is exactly what Hollywood is all about. The movie itself was incredible, people are always gonna have something negative to say about things they don’t understand. I, for one, can relate to this movie a lot. We’ve all thought about how it would be to be younger, prettier, more vibrant, more appealing, more attractive. Or we’ve all asked ourselves what it would be like to be someone else, if even for a day. If you say you haven’t felt that way EVER then you’re a f - ing liar….
I 100% agree with you. I definitely recommend people to see the film, but i felt nothing for the characters and the film is not saying anything we didn't already know. Beauty and youth has been the number one priority in Hollywood for 100 years. The body horror elements were great though.
Finally a review that captures the problems I had with it. I saw it last night and I kept thinking of Titane which was uncomfortable to watch but had emotionally rich characters and executed the grotesque characterisations masterfully. Don't get me wrong, I loved the cinematography, sound design and ironically appreciated the male performances. The script did the women in this movie a great injustice
The movie got stupid and lazy as soon as the lady wanted to be younger ,but instead she just made a baby of sorts. She didn't experience anything in a younger body, which kinda kills the whole premise in the first place. I'm sorry yt people like crazy stuff. This was just gross trash
I watched the movie with no sense that it was about any feminist theme. I thought it was a philosophical movie about the dichotomy between inner and outer beauty which could be applied to both sexes. There's even a scene featuring the old version of the young doctor expressing his misery. In fact this theme came through so effectively for me that during the more nsfw scenes I felt a kind of disgust rather than arousal. The sense of shallowness was more repulsive than any of the films gore. There's an equal shallowness in the women who are addicted to the male gaze and the men who are addicted to gazing. We shouldn't judge though because these make perfect Darwinian sense and are just biological programming. I don't see the point of politicizing our evolved psychology. Our shallowness has kept our species from extinction.
[SPOILERS AHEAD] I feel like people might be getting this film wrong. And I don’t just mean the people who disliked it, I mainly think it’s those who loved it. I’m reading so many reviews that this is powerful for kind of the reasons that I don’t think Fargaet intended. Yes this is clearly covering the insane standards that society sets upon women, and the trailer quotes the producers chose are potentially what has fuelled the false ideology that this is the core meaning of this film. I was also one who was under this perception until I was halfway through my second watch last night. Asking myself a similar question to you. Why are they two different people? I read a little more into it, and it clicked. Now hear me out, Elizabeth choosing to take ‘The Substance’ is obviously a reflection on wanting to be rejuvenated with your youth. But thats not possible, there is no ‘The Substance’ in real life. So how would this film have any meaning at all? Well thats because ‘The Substance’ is just a manifestation of motherhood. Elizabeth begins to live through Sue, but she’s not *actually* Sue. The same way a mother dreams are crushed by the relentless debt of aging, might choose to ‘create a younger version of herself’ something that she can program and hardwire. Yet it’s not until later in the movie that she realises she can’t actually control. She realises that Sue is now starting to leave her nest so that she can become something more than what her mother was, she knows that she can’t stay under this control. Elizabeth’s anger begins to redirect at Sue, even though it’s only her fault. Sue’s response to this is by throwing child-like tantrums, like how she’s seen yelling on the phone after waking up to the result of her mother’s outburst over the guest appearance she made on a late night show. There’s even an extended scene where Sue is opening the door to Elizabeth, telling her about what’s going on her life before leaving to resume. This is what leads to Elizabeth’s ultimate decision to terminate. To let Sue leave so that she isn’t able to be jealous anymore. But you see that she almost immediately regrets this, yearning for her to come back. So she does. Yet Sue seeing her holding that syringe was like realising that her mother didn’t actually love her, and that she was a tool to her. Not a daughter. This is what evolves into the insane derived rage sequence that ends in her killing her mother. Or in real life this would be going ‘no contact’ something that many who go through a mentally abusive relationship with a parent will do. Erasing her mother from her life. Though the finale is the effects that her broken relationship with Elizabeth have on Sue. She’s quickly becoming fractured (her teeth fall out, her nails, her ears, etc.) because she’s not complete. She’s a front of her mother’s younger perfections and nothing more. Because she was never taught how to be a person. Just a successor; a product made without love. So she does exactly what her mother did by taking ‘The Substance’. But this doesn’t work because Sue was never much of a person in the first place, like I’ve said. That’s why it’s listed as ‘single use’. Because if such a relationship happens twice, then there will be nothing left to pass down. So what we end with is an amalgamation of genetical female trauma. All only fuelled by the initial mother’s goal. Everyone can see this and that is why they scream. They scream because this daughter (MONSTRO ELIZISUE) is an ugly person. In real life this would be how a lack of care becomes a hereditary trait that leads to the final outcome being an awful person who sees no wrong in her actions. That’s why she’s presented as being innocent, even though she’s clearly disgusting. A sloppy mess that all started with Elizabeth’s hunger for fame, and will end with it too. They’re both ‘one’ because Sue is the domino effect of an unhealthy desire. I could bring every plot point or detail in this movie back to the common themes of a broken mother and daughter relationship. I could write a novel about this movie. It’s insane and I hope you see it more the way I do after reading this, because I’m barely touching the surface with the allegories I’ve found in just a 2nd watch. Not to mention that Demi Moore is a celebrity who has faced scrutiny over her retired stardom due to her age, and Margret Qualley is a nepobaby herself who has had high expectations already placed upon to her from the moment she was born. Go figure.
This is a super interesting read on the idea of “being one” and it makes a lot of sense because of the way that cells form, the way that people are born. Meiosis and shit. Elisabeth literally splits herself into two the same way these cells would, and that shot of her eating two eggs after 1 week as Sue kinda emphasizes the nature of Elisabeth and Sue. A copy of the original cell, the same but individual. This also makes that TV scene with Sue’s made up story about her “mother” watching Elisabeth’s old show a lot more interesting. With your reading, it’s more than just a story to tell to a late night talk show and a simpler display of self-loathing and disgust regarding your past self. I do think that the disruption of balance can also just mean that the “two selves” is just Elisabeth dissociating and escaping into her identity as Sue, not wanting to hold one another accountable for the actions they take the same way an alcoholic would blame their drunk selves for the things that were said and done, or any kind of substance abuse for that matter. I think this idea of motherhood gives it a lot more depth beyond dealing with substance abuse (not that that’s something to be taken lightly) and makes it more relatable for people with that kind of generational trauma too. This movie is so cool, there’s just so much to talk about that even Coralie Fargeat might not have even intended. This movie is truly art worth discussing, even if you don’t like it.
This is such a fascinating and powerful take on the movie’s themes. It’s rare these days to find such insightful commentary just hanging around in a RUclips comment section, but this Philosophy teacher is very impressed by your thinking. Nice one. 😊
Thanks that’s a super cool response to my yabbering! I just naturally spend a lot of my time trying to understand the way that the world around me works because I’ve realised that I’m very different from it. So that’s what makes it interesting for me to watch films and evaluate the way that humans express their feelings and thoughts in this unique way..
I think the director was making an analogy to toxic mother/daughter relationships in which the mother tries to live vicariously through the daughter while the daughter starts to resent her aging mother. There was also definitely a psychic connection between them because when the older self goes on an eating binge, the younger self has a nightmare about finding a large chicken wing in her ass. So what one did caused a psychic disturbance to the other.
I think it's for same reason why if you've failed to achieve a lifelong dream, it gives you great satisfaction to see your child attempt the same path and actually succeeding.
Because they do change. They have the same memories, ellizabeth recognizes sue actions and people she met, like seriously, not only its painfully obvious, the movie reminds it like 5 times
@@ViDeTool There's no way this is true. She literally watches her on a talk show and doesn't know what she will say next. She actively refers to sue as "her" and says she isnt respecting the rules and overstaying. If she was controlling sue she couldn't possibly act like she had nothing to do with it. At one point both on awake at once. They cant be the same consciousness.
I just saw this movie and I’m confused about this too. I thought Demi Moore would be able to live through and experience the same things as her “better self” but that’s not the case at all. They are two different people. They don’t even share the same memories so what does Demi Moore’s character have to gain from this?
(Spoilers) Your inability to step outside of the idea everyone else has that it's supposed to be JUST a commentary on the standards women have set for them is not indicative of the movie actually being underwhelming. Everything in it serves a purpose. There is very much a lot of substance to it. Sue is meant to be a complete exaggeration of what Elisabeth (and in turn many women) believes she has to be in order to be accepted/make it. She shares no common traits with Elisabeth because Elisabeth has essentially hated herself into becoming an entirely different person. Even the substance advert is constantly talking about "becoming a better version of yourself", to some that's looking younger, being fitter, to Elisabeth it's becoming an entirely different human being, which is why her and Sue look so different too, unlike the other self in the beginning of the movie who shares very similar physical traits to his matrix like the blue eyes and the birthmark being in the same place (unlike Elisabeth's birthmark which on Sue moves from her stomach to her ribs), and just looks like a younger version of the matrix. While Elisabeth stuffs her face and watches TV, Sue has a fridge full of vegetables and drinks diet coke. While Elisabeth is alone at a bar, Sue is in relations with multiple attractive men. Even the scene where she's supposed to go on the date with Frank but ends up ditching him because she was spending so much time fixing her appearance, her trying to look good (in a way that is reminiscent of Sue) but then seeing the photo of Sue (the massive billboard symbolic for the constant internal comparison and reminders of what Elisabeth is not) which just further emphasizes the differences between her and Sue, so she tries to cover up and make herself look more matronly (the opposite of what Sue is). The other self who introduces her at the beginning to the substance is still "one" enough with the matrix to tell her that the substance changed his life (which a separate disconnected other self would not do as that other self is referring to himself and the matrix as one), and has clearly been using the substance for a long time, hasn't experienced that disconnect because he is a man. With Sue and Elisabeth they have a much larger disconnect because Elisabeth and Sue can't accept the fact that they are in fact one person, because doing so for Elisabeth would emphasize what she lacks as well as her secret/not so secret desire to be loved and viewed as attractive even if in a twisted manner, and for Sue it would emphasize that she came from someone like Elisabeth whom she does not in fact view as attractive or "up to standard", which is also commentary for many younger women hating older women and treating them like crap despite the fact that those women went through the same things/often worse and paved the way for younger women (hence Elisabeth constantly emphasizing that Sue came from her). That's just scratching the surface of the symbolism in the movie
Except that the male older guy IS suffering and when he reaches out to Elisabeth for connection and asks if her younger version is stealing from her like his younger is from him, she shuns him and refuses to see their shared experiences because then she would have to accept her reality and her choices.
One has no idea what the other one is doing. Which makes them totally different people. That's the biggest flaw. If the consciousness was switched from body to body then it would be one person and it would make sense, but the movie needs conflict between them so it disregards it's own plot rule. Demmi Moore's character would never sign up for that deal since ther is no change for her except for the worse.
@@JasonStrongFilm Men can relate to this film just as much as women can, even though yes it's from a female perspective and through the lens of what women go through. But ultimately the film is about self hate and failure to be happy and content with yourself, constantly craving more, and how incredibly dangerous and self destructive that mindset is. It's about being told you aren't good enough by society and hurting yourself in the pursuit of trying to be "better", and that "better" never being enough
I definitely agree. I think Fargeat is more interested in sensory, visceral horror films rooted in female fears, and pushing their worst, most stereotypical, shallow archetypes into vengeful self-combustion. And it can't help feeling like an opportunity to subvert instead indulges in the same sinful objectification, and enjoys it. Maybe there's meant to be more substance in how objectified it is--a sort of "You wanted this", a testing of how much is too much for us, and where the line is. Also, that Substance hat is SO COOL! May I ask where you got it? My sister loved the film and her birthday's coming up. I would love to surprise her with one...
The themes have been discussed to death elsewhere, but it hasn't been done in a horror movie context before. It feels really innovative. You know how it's going to end from the start, but you really don't want her to give up everything for people who will never like her for who she is. In a way, the ending did subvert the usual tropes albeit last minute. She stopped caring about others and learned to love herself before disintegrating, which could resemble her suffering ceasing. Prior to that she was hit by a coworker who called her a freak, but rather than just give up, she recovered and left that toxic environment.
The point is that the main character fragments herself so much to the point of not being recognizable. And at the end of that, who is she? The message is far more than just fuck beauty standards. It’s an exploration of our relationship to our bodies - they are not an extension of who we are at our core, no matter how much we try to make an identity out of it.
my wife took me to this movie today and I did not know one thing about. The scenes where the manager was stuffing is face and making a mess was probably more unsettling than the rest if the movie.
Ttrue. This movie depicts men as swine and assholes. Not surprising as Coralie is a feminist and as a true feminist has also nothing really interesting to tell.
I agree. It’s shallow. Unsettling and steals too many things and ideas to look avant garde or intellectual. Lynch’s ‘Mulholland Drive’ (!) Kubrick… and Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible’ in the scene where Sue slams Elizabeth’s face against the mirror. Also some mythology themes/cliches such as Medusa. Dr Jekyll Mr Hide, Frankenstein.. walking dead…… again nothing new under the same old sun. Too shallow . Also why would the younger version would choose to live as the older one did. Why Demi protects her alter ego while she watches tv the whole time.I don’t think the movie makes much sense to be honest . Thanks for your review. I hate when people clap in unison 😅
I keep seeing male reviewers raving about the film uncritically, I’ve been looking for a woman’s perspective as there was a lot I loved about the film, but I could have done with more depth to the plot and I was definitely ready for it to be over by the end. I loved the scene where Elizabeth is getting ready to go out and related hard to it. As a woman in her 50’s I was here for the themes but wanted less grotesque and more nuance. Maybe that’s too much ask from a body horror movie?
The nuance was definitely missing in this movie. It’s a shame. There’s actually a movie I like called “Private Lives” that tackles this theme in part through its surrounds a couple trying to have kids after waiting to long. That movie has a ton of nuance in it. It’s one of my favorites.
Haven’t seen it yet but your very insightful analysis meshes with what my gut is telling me from the clips and gushing reviews by others. I most likely will be referencing your perspective when I watch it.
I kept thinking of that line in Annihilation when Natalie Portman’s character said our cells are all programmed for senescence. Elisabeth is inevitably going to deteriorate but she’s ultimately betraying her own body by willingly participating and accelerating cell division. Just saw the film last night, I was sooooo pleased
While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I would like to chime in a bit, especially regarding what you call "muddled messaging". I believe this movie shows the embodiment of our inner "gaze". It is not "them" (e.g. "the movie", "the producers") sexualizing young bodies or "them" showing ageing as being repugnant, it is "us" doing it by ourselves, to ourselves. Round butt is round butt, and wrinkled skin is wrinkled skin, no matter the angle or the light. We are the ones that attribute other characteristics to these physical features, such as being "hot" or "atrocious". The movie reveals how toxic it can be to do this, and how such attitude can easily lead to disgust and hatred towards yourself just because of some physical features changing. It does not show "how it should be", it shows "how it is".
Whether it's the intention or not, I don't think the film has an objective stance on ageing, since it's already telling a story with the old vs young theme as its basis, and having the main character's repulsion to her own body as the main motivation. If the director would wanted to just show us "how it is", it would of not have even been made as a body horror film to begin with.
What this girl meant is there was no “hero” in the movie, Demi ended up destroying herself by not going through with the termination. I am not saying there has to be a happy ending, but the movie made us tear ourselves down even more, instead of feeling even 1 big of ever so slightly empowering.
No, that’s a cop out. If that was the intent they failed to convey it simply because we are forced to see it that way through the lighting, camera angles and even music. All of these things were manipulated. It wasn’t “us” it was the director.
The idea of them being the same yet separate bothered me too. Demi Moore's Elizabeth was getting the short end of the stick because she couldn't enjoy Sue's success
I completely disagree with your muddled messaging section; they’re also not two separate people - it’s made clear multiple times they are one. I will agree there’s not much on the page to Elizabeth, but I think casting Demi Moore fills in a lot for that lack.
@@mattsnyderARTIST Yes. The only interpretation I can come up with that makes any sense is that the filmmaker was trying to say something about the relationship between (or within)) a person and her younger/older self. *Muddled* !!!!
@@mattsnyderARTIST Taken literally, as presented in the film, they are two different consciousnesses. It's just they have similar desires re: fame, beauty etc.
@@mattsnyderARTIST Ellizabeth recognizes people that sue met, also she was aware of the contradictions and paradoxes of people finding out she is not sue in the moment. Seriously what kind of bad rettention its in this comment sections lmao What would be the point if she didn´t transfer her soul to her younger self, it would be just a dumb ass movie lmao
5:41 Exactly my thoughts. Im so grateful you made a video putting my thoughts into words. The movie is full of contradictions and it strays away from the plot halfway throughout the movie. Concept was good, execution was definitely not for me. The ending had nothing to do with 2/3 of the movie. They just started milking the body horror without having a solid build up for it, except maybe the absolute last minutes of the movie giving a very vague foreshadow of the ending. Couldve have been better.
So glad I found your channel. Some reviewers are calling this film a masterpiece, top ten of the year, etc. which prompted me to see the movie last night . To me, the substance plays more like an episode of black mirror. It wasn’t bad but I am blind to all the hype I heard about. There was just enough for me from being almost bored. That hallway is a direct reference to Stanley Kubricks clockwork orange and the shining which took me out of the movie as as a copy. The best scene was in the trailer in which Demi Moore was putting on her make up and becomes frustrated at her reflection. I might see this again in a few months if it continues to be a topic of conversation too films of 2024. This film is gory. However, I’m confused on what the aging character, Elisabeth Sparkle, benefits from taking the substance.
I mean yeah the movie tells us over and over again they are the same but they are totally different individuals and not only in the sense that their personalities are different but also none of them have any way of interfering with the other one’s actions or choices. Which makes you question what the point of the substance is if the only thing it does is create a younger “version” of yourself that does things on their own without the possibility of you experiencing life through that younger versions perspective again. Its not a body swap its just a clone of some sorts so whats the point
@@lightoflove6184 Elisabeth and Sue are the same person. Elisabeth is experiencing youth again whenever she's Sue. That's why she's using The Substance. She's clinging to youth, clinging to relevance.
@@gavinevans1687Absolutely not. One has no idea what the other one is doing. Which makes them totally different people. That's the biggest flaw. If the consciousness was switched from body to body then it would be one person and it would make sense, but the movie needs conflict between them so it disregards it's own plot rule. Demmi Moore's character would never sign up for that deal since ther is no change for her except for the worse.
@@svizac69 She acts like she’s two different people because she hates herself so deeply. She only likes herself when she's young and beautiful, but when she's Elisabeth, she can't stand herself. Every action she does as Sue and Elisabeth effects the other and creates a cycle of self hatred. She recognized the man on the motorcycle. The old man in the dinner recognized her. They are 100% the same person.
@@gavinevans1687 I get the general intent of the director but plot holes are evident and many. With all due respect what you're doing is basically fan fiction. At least to me. What nobody is talking about is director's misandry which is a major part of her movies. Every man in this movie is below average looking creep and wierdo. Yes that includes her 10th grade classmate/superfan.
I watched it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Demi Moore’s performance was outstanding. I think your points are very fair and valid though, when you put them that way.
In the second half of your review, you literally give away the fact that you didn't understand the film fully. The movie makes it very clear that they are not two different people living different lives. They are each playing parts of the same psyche. Sue is self obsessed and hates the idea of getting older. But the harder she works and parties Elizabeth represents the consequences of that self neglect. Through Sue, we get to see how Elizabeth lived and let herself fall into the glamor trap. Elizabeth represents the price she paid for living and perpetuating the sword of society. Food is made to look disgusting and yet it is the true sustenance of life. The third act is inviting is to two look at the two as one being and how impossible it is to reconcile the contradictions one lived by.
No i got it! Im saying the process of the substance itself doesn’t make sense from a character perspective, even if it has thematic value. She gains nothing from it
Did you watch the film? She doesn't know what sue says in a recorded interview. She wakes up surprised by what sue did to the apartment. She isn't awake as sue, its a totally different consciousness.
@@noahdavidson1343 Yes and she is complaining on the other one, angry for what she is doing. Hardly the same consciousness. But some people in comments just repeat that the film SAYS they are one and that´s enough. 🙄
Interesting take. The premise does sound flawed when you think about it. Somehow that didn't subtract from my enjoyment when watching it twice. The rest of the themes and performances are just so damn perfect!
Like you, I was really confused about how much of the same person do Sue and Elisabeth even share. Like, they seem to have the same ambitions, and they both know how the substance works, but then it doesn't seem like they share memories? Or do they because Elisabeth recognizes Sue's one night stand guy at one point? But then they're surprised by what the other is doing? But also we are repeatedly told they are "ONE"? Which is it?
It's a movie that predicates so much on its third act being really bold, really off the rails, and leaving you with a really impactful message, and I felt it hit that climax and left me feeling "oh, is that all?". It's a brilliantly directed film, and deserves so much acclaim for it's performances and technical craft, but just left me wanting so much more writing wise
The movie shows how a younger version of someone can be almost completely different of an older version of the same person. It shows how you can sabotage yourself. Too superficial thought to assume they are clones. It's a satirical and methaphorical movie, so don't keep yourself cought up in details. The movie tells you she is the same person so that you know that they are just different versions of the same person. And it shows how you can forget/ignore things that you do as your other version, like real cases of self sabotage. It's like you create a chatacter for the world and being yourself when you are alone. Yourself hate that character but you need it to be popular. That character also feels ashame of yourself when thinking about being with others. That's it.
@@SydneyVolpe i took it as an anology for addiction.the substance is called so because it is a symbol of substance abuse it does not matterr what it is.look into it as one who has addictions i could understand it.
The only thing about the film I enjoyed was Dennis Quaids character had suits that looked like they were made out of the lining from couches in the 1990s. Other then that....this movie was absolutely just terrible. Plot holes the size of the grand canyon. I will give Demi Moore a nod of respect as you could tell she was putting effort into the role and not mailing it in.
I almost walked out of the cinema by the time demi moore took waaaay too much time to go out on the date... I get it, she was insecure, sure... but it took too fucking long, it was already clear. Mess of a movie, boring as hell, demi moore character was as develped as the cutout of her face paated to the monster.
I really love this video. You said a lot of rhe same things I was thinking since watching this movie. Though I'd disagree that the movie presents them as two people. It's not even this internally consistant, as little sense it'd make for character motivations - instead it seems to change from scene to scene from them remembering what the other did (Elizabeth immidiately knowing Sue's name and renembering the motorcycle guy, for example) and being completely seperate people (the ending, obviously, the scenes when Elizabeth made a mess of the apartment, or the scene with her watching the interview) Also, as cool the body horror was, a lot of the horror just didnt work for me, and I know I'm not the only one, as I literally heard laughter in the cinema during some supposedly scary scenes I don't know, the ending just felt gross, and completely destroyed any hope this movie was actually saying something for me
Yes, I agree the message of the movie is shallow. Everyone is raving about The Substance but I believe the norwegian movie Sick of Myself is far more interesting in it's social commentary
The entire film is from Elisabeth's perspective(with a few exceptions) and so all the ogling the camera does is how she's perceiving herself and giving you insight to how she feels about her young self. It's a reflection of how women will internalize the male gaze to appeal to it and how it twists women's self worth. The movie challenges this by not ogling her body when she begins to resent her youthful self
I'll admit, I was curious about this film from all the publicity, but I was a bit confused by the trailers, as to the vast difference between the two female leads' appearance. I was also concerned that it might take a more shallow approach to its thesis, and was being applauded simply for its timeliness. Your review was well done, and now that I know more about the film, the more likely I am to wait for streaming.
Great review, Sydney! I’m seeing The Substance on Friday and I’m really curious to see what I think. Is there any advice you could offer regarding video reviews for film? I’ve been impressed by each and every RUclips/TikTok review I’ve seen from you and I was wondering if there was a method you stick to or something. Thank you!
I’m curious to see what you think too! And I’m flattered haha it’s taken me like 6 years to get here - all of my RUclips videos are scripted so I’m probably not as good at it as it seems😂 that said I’ve found a process of writing down notes of main points i want to discuss, deciding how i want to introduce my video, and then kind of filling in the structure from there. Then I’ll read it out to myself and notice things i want to add more detail to or take out :)
Regarding your point about Elisabeth not really getting any benefit because it seems like she's not even aware of what happens when Sue is awake, I think what the movie is doing is showing how addiction can fracture someone's psyche. When Sue first emerges from Elisabeth, it's clear that it's Elisabeth's conscious mind in Sue's body--she's not confused or horrified by what's going on; instead, she's admiring her new younger body. Sue is aware of all the things Elisabeth is aware of because they're the same. However, as the movie goes on and she becomes more addicted to the high of being Sue, that part of her mind takes over and the two fracture--very similar to how addiction works. An addict knows that what they're doing is ruining their body but they can't stop. Elisabeth knows she's destroying herself when she's Sue but she's addicted and can't stop--she can't even reconcile that she *is* Sue. She's given multiple opportunities to terminate the process but she can't do it. I know the movie is a takedown of beauty standards, etc, etc, but it's also a brilliant portrait of addiction and how our younger selves have zero regard for our older selves.
A note on saggy boobs, I'm 30 and my boobs have been saggy ever since they grew out of my chest when I was 11. Seeing saggy boobs = gross will always feel like a slap in the face, because I think in my entire life of watching media, and I watch a lot of media, I have seen less than 5 characters with saggy boobs that were not painted as this horribly grotesque disfiguration.
so i saw it and i loved it! but i definitely see what you’re saying and how the main concept puts the film a bit at odds with itself especially when it comes to them having separate consciousnesses
Sue enjoys the "male gaze" to a pretty excessive extent. To the point that it is all that defines her and she would do anything for it. It feels like a parody of itself, the whole thing. The gore did not shock me one bit, because we have seen so many of these things at this point. It is not shocking at all, like come on, this is not 1970. 2/5, not a good film, aside from novelty of this exact plot being new.
Interesting review as always (I’m adding hagsploitation to the lexicon 😂). The detail about the young woman did sound a little spoilery though. Hopefully there’s more to it 🤞🏽
Regarding inner worlds vs shallowness, I think that is the point. The silence on this is what plays to the trope we all know of women who focus on personality vs appearance are those who are not blessed with attractiveness, and those who rally against the system are just jealous. She doesn’t even try to fight it, because she already knows. She doesn’t speak to it, because it’s a losing battle on average, especially in the industry. In being older you are judged for it, in being young and attractive you profit from the current system and fighting it takes from that advantage. Her career is not about who she is, it’s about people wanting to look at her. Being desired is addictive, but an identify based on what draws a man’s gaze is a recipe for misery and emptiness. The film doesn’t focus on fighting the system, it’s surrender, resignation to the unrealistic expectations of that societal norm and poisonous place that leads to. And poisoning yourself, destroying yourself, the evolution of that destruction in terms of how you perceive yourself. That is how it empowers women, and that is the point in my view. Does any woman want to live like this, to be like this? Nope. So what are you chasing, what are you feeding, where are you spending your time? Are you participating? Saggy boobs and body horror is the focal point of fear in the film, as well as resentment towards those who are not dealing with those changes yet. Like the bitterness of loss. Aging is scary. When you are experiencing those changes first hand, slowly but surely becoming more and more aware of how people start treating you differently, and you start to feel invisible and like you can’t keep up, it is so jarring. I like that the film stayed shallow on the characters and got so ugly, as there is a lot of implied messaging to that. Idk I really enjoyed it.
this. This this this. I feel this reviewer sadly didn't grasp the true questions asked in this film, and decided to nitpick what wasn't fully understood
I haven’t finished your video yet, but as a queer person I’m SO exhausted by how ppl are calling this camp bc I’m SO exhausted by how camp has been used in pop culture ever since the Met Gala. Camp is not exaggeration or satire. It’s about celebrating poor taste, taking the tropes of a genre and turning it into play, not taking it or life seriously at all, like being a child again. This film is not camp because it takes itself too seriously-a cardinal sin in camp.I wouldn’t even call the blood spraying scene camp but expressionism a la Gialli or Kubrick’s films. One is leaning into emotions and surreality + auteurship. All the opposite of camp.
5:35 That's probably the weakest review i've seen regarding that movie. Spoiler alert Spoiler alert If they were two separate people Elisabeth would have decide to end the experience after one week. But however when she was asked through the phone if she wanted the experience to end she denied, because her consciousness clearly was transfered between two bodies. When she tried to switch after the trial of termination, the consciousness wasn't transfered, Sue was just woken up with memories she had in the moment of switching off.
@@gawel772 The movie makes it very clear, on numerous occasions, that there is no ‘consciousness transferral’. Elisabeth’s reaction to seeing Sue on the TV and billboard, both of their reactions to seeing the condition of the room when they’re revived, and explicit dialogue to that effect. Simply repeating “She does remember” isn’t supporting your claim. You would need specific examples from the movie, and there are none. (The scene with the chicken leg does suggest some kind of subconscious link, of course, but not a conscious one, and Sue’s reaction to all the chicken remnants upon waking highlights this.) The problem that you’re grappling with - “Why would she keep switching if she doesn’t remember and has nothing to gain from it?” - is precisely the point being made by this reviewer, and what you call “the weakest review”. It’s an apparent weakness in the movie’s logic which requires an explanation. For example, some people in the comments here suggest a ‘mother/daughter’ theme that might provide an answer. But the explanation can’t be “She does remember” if the movie goes out of its way to contradict that claim.
I’m right there with you. I thought that she knew when she was in her new younger body but in the movie it makes it seem like they are two different people so why would the older Demi Moore ever switch bodies?
Great review! Bummer that you didn't enjoy it more than you did because this movie looks like a lot of fun based on that trailer. Going to keep an open mind whenever I get around to it, though you do make a valid point on that runtime that I fear will drag it down.
i think most feminist would hate this movies cause it's not feminist enough. for me the message is really clear. the villains of this film is not the men, elizabeth's enemy is her own self(sue), so it's a great movie that both men and women with open minds would enjoy.
Great review, hopefully I get to see this on the weekend but unsure yet but this movie is on my radar. Have been meaning to check out Revenge for some time as well.
I fell asleep the first time. Thought it must be me. Almost fell asleep when I tried to watch it again on streaming. Joked it should’ve been called “the Style”
*Spoilers* Interesting take, totally see where you're coming from. While I agree that the utilization of the male gaze was gratuitous, I interpreted it as intentionally exaggerating the pervasion to such a degree that it loses any appeal. Specifically thinking of the initial dance routine with Sue and how the close ups on different body parts are so close that it makes the audience feel more uncomfortable than aroused...or at least that's how I felt. I felt in that exaggeration and discomfort came the challenge Fargeat had toward the male gaze trope and the hyper-sexualization of women in media. Also in terms of motivation of characters to keep going with the experiment, I still thought it made sense. Even though Elisabeth is disrespected by Sue and the two are technically separate, she's so desperate to latch onto any remaining youth/perfection she has. She's willing to make the sacrifices to be accepted by beauty standards, critiquing the societal pressures of maintaining peak form and the negative effects it has on society. While the body horror elements and "saggy boobs" can be interpreted as exploitative, I found it to be an effective metaphor for how society treats older women and how it conditions us to view ourselves once we're past our prime. As Elisabeth continues to try grasping onto her youth, it's inevitable for aging to catch up to her and she views herself as a monster since that's how society is conditioned to view older women. It uses the mask of body horror to bring out those internal struggles in a disgustingly beautiful way...in my opinion at least! Just my take...great review!
I think this movie's largest intent was to be a cinematic experience. To do that you have to balance the story and I think the director did just that. This movie took us into a specific world and didn't explain or justify much of anything which was an incredibly smart choice. I would be interested to see your review of it if you watched it again but went in with a mindset of just having a cinematic experience rather than trying to uncover some huge deep story
Bc it’s cell division in order to make the younger self, it basically split the two entities into all the positives and negatives that Elisabeth sees in herself. The self hate festers from there. Sue has to take cerebral spinal fluid to stabilize so when she stabilizes herself she gains some consciousness. Sue is so unwilling to switch back because why would she want to go back to all the things she hates about herself? It’s also why Elisabeth does not feel good about herself the rest of the movie, why she falls into an eating disorder, why she can’t go out on a date, and why she ultimately can’t stop using the substance because all of her joy and will is still in Sue
The male characters, specifically, are the film’s critique of the male gaze. All the butt shots and the like are not. This is a critique of the female gaze. A female obsession, and she does it to herself
I saw it as ending up old and damaged was her worst fear and her not facing that and trying to find a way to hide behind it only made it worse. In the end I take the campiness of everything being that was her worst nightmare that she ended up creating and everyone (everything) had to bathe in the consequences of that..😂💀 I would love to talk more on spoilers fr I loved this
Just saw the film and regret I have to 100% agree with you. I found many of the scenes went waaaay too long and took away from the power of the message of the film-dancing scenes of Qualley were waaay overindulgent-like softcore porn. Showing the monster at the end and the spraying of blood over the audience just lost their impact. I agree the film was disappointingly shallow in this respect. And I agree the characters were caricatures, nothing to identify with or empathize with
The short story by Kit Reed, "The New You," explores the same theme as The Substance but better. Like with many modern films by writer/directors, The Substance goes on for too long and lacks restraint for no real reason. Most of the movie works well -- nice choice to be visually inspired by the Shining, great casting/acting, excellent restrained sequences like the weathered Walk of Fame star and Elisabeth struggling to prepare for a date -- but the movie needed other voices to help refine/edit, especially the last half hour.
As a body horror fan, I went into this with undoubtedly unfair and unrealistically high standards based on all the praise this movie got. I was bored and disappointed by the end. The ending struck me as more comedy than anything (especially the Evil Dead blood spray had me cackling). To each their own, though. There's definitely a lot to digest with this one, and I wouldn't say don't watch it. It's definitely an experience to say the least, but still disappointing
yep, thought it was predictable, over the top, and didn't stick the landing thematically. Stylistically it was pretty impressive. I liked the sound design, lots of little ASMR moments.
I definitely took it as the pursuit of perfection is a lose/lose. And the most tragic part for me was when gifted with this “perfect” version of herself she just decided to go back to the horrific producer who fired her in the first place. Going right back to system that chewed her up and spat her on the pavement. Also, the score was absolutely cracked.
People that say that this movie has something to say can't seem to articulate the message more than "ageism" and "male gaze". The movie is so vacuous that people are just projecting their own values to something that has none.
You're _totally_ right that the entire foundation of the movie doesn't make sense, which then undermines _everything._ If they're not sharing a consciousness and Elisabeth Sparkle isn't enjoying anything about being young, why is she doing it? Not only is she not enjoying it, she's actively bitter from the get-go.
This movie is the worst.
But yeah, the body horror was fun, but god, it went on for like 30 minutes. It was exhausting in a bad way by the end. They spent almost as much time on the body horror as on Qualley's ass.
I'm noticing a correlation between people who don't like the film and who also don't believe they're the same consciousness
I was also so distracted by the fact that they were separate consciousnesses. It's not clear at the start but when it becomes clear, it's extremely frustrating and I kept thinking "this can't be true, she has to be experiencing the sue part or why would she do this?"
I just saw this movie and I’m confused about this too. I thought Demi Moore would be able to live through and experience the same things as her “better self” but that’s not the case at all. They are two different people. They don’t even share the same memories so what does Demi Moore’s character have to gain from this? This makes the substance completely pointless. Why would anyone do this?
No, they are definitely NOT two seperate consciouneses! There is a reason for the constant warnings 'Remember yo are one' throughout the film. it's not that they don't remember, but their memories are filtered through their respective stages of personality. The problem is that each incarnation resents the other and wants to see herself as seperate, especially the young version. That's even why she gives herself a diferent name, Sue. Only when Elizabeth resuscitates Sue do they actually split into 2 which then creates its own problems. I thgought the film laid it all out very clearly!
@@thorstonmanderlay5010 The problem I’m having is the “You are one” plot. Because they are not “one” we see that in the movie. Sue needs Elisabeth to live but Elisabeth doesn’t need Sue to live…so how are they connected? They don’t even share the same memories. Elisabeth only knew about Sue’s one night stand because the guy left a note and his motorcycle helmet at her apartment. We also see scenes where Sue is telling Elisabeth’s unconscious body about her success. So if they are connected why doesn’t Elisabeth already know all of this? Wouldn’t it make more sense if we actually saw Elisabeth waking up remembering and feeling all the things Sue did and for a while it makes her happy but slowly she stops wanting to switch back to her older self? To me it looks like Sue is just a parasite that feeds off of Elisabeth to maintain her youth and beauty but again what does Elisabeth gain from this?
one of the many reasons this film flaws. Coralie Fargeat ist not a good screenwriter. She is a good director but should the writing leave to others.
@@s.w.d4010 Well Coralie Fargeat is one big Joke for sure.
Thank you for posting this as it’s so true to my viewing and there’s so much praise of this movie but it’s like ankle deep, and people are praising it without recognizing it’s more flash than substance (not intentional joke). Specifically I felt really bothered that it’s supposed to be a transgressive view of the main character being a real person rather than a media image but they literally barely explore what exactly she’s neurotic about, what led her to this...they don’t give her actual personhood in either “form” or work to praise older bodies. It runs very far with existing ideas without having any actual footing for it and also doesn’t end up saying anything with it, as you point out.
The film fails as satire (in my opinion), because it throws lots of female flesh in your face - both as titillation and to churn your stomach - in order to teach you to suck eggs (viz. tell me something that is ominously obvious to all humankind). I had the same problem with 'Revenge'. I know that SA is criminal. Who doesn't know that? Foraget uses that as a pretext for more titillation and gore. Foraget follows the same tiresome formula, exploited by all the critics' darlings: Gratuitous flesh and blood = backsides on $eats.
Thanks. Exactly my thought. She knew it would sell and as a feminist filmmaker she completely failed to make any good point on this. I believe this movie just got the hype due to its body horror. Shock value. Nothing more, nothing less,.
@@Leprutz Thank you for your intelligent response, Leprutz. Any filmmaker who loved women (and men), wouldn't dream of exploiting their natural appeal for the sake of profit. Although I am not a Star Wars fan, George Lucas refused to bow to Hollywood pressure, to show more of Carrie Fisher's beautiful form, in 1977, for profit's sake.
@moderngirl-g1x True. Fargeat is a sellout. She knows what she is doibg and I an sure she had many discussion with quite a few producers who told her what would sell well.
I hope I get my break soon and not by showing women of sexualy but by pure good earned storytelling. The exact thing Fargeat has to show for yet.
@@Leprutz Go for it. Hollywood is not dying for want of technique or lack of pretentious anti-artists, but for master story-tellers who adore mankind (but God first).
@@Leprutz Are you kidding? Bizarre body horror isn't a sub genre that's a safe bet. Sexualization to the point of absurdity is part of the point. It's fine if it didn't work for you, but it hit home for enough people that it's silly to just assume audiences don't know what good storytelling is. Especially if this is an industry you're hoping to make it in.
I was excited in the beginning but when the rubber hit the road the film kinda chickened out and went “What? its not that serious” while grasping desperately for some grotesque image to become “iconic.” Threw the whole ass kitchen sink at the end and I was so bored. Memberberry copycat shots from better films constantly didn’t help. Most disappointed I been since… Longlegs. Meh.
@@RiderOfKarma ha, right there with you. Didn’t love either of them.
God thank you, I thought I was going insane..best screenplay at Cannes?? Excellent review!
Haha, nope you’re not alone! Thanks for watching!
you are
Never believe Cannes or Oscar prizes and nominations. Cannes even sucks worse than the oscars. I haven't seen a single good Cannes Film since like always.
I got Requiem for a Dream more than anything else.
bit of Carrie at the end and The Thing.
The movie pretends through out the whole time that being/ getting "old" might be something ugly - it actually uses this point and the male gaze as an attribute and vehicle to shock the audience. That's why the characters seem totally empty and somehow light. It's porn for people with body dysmorphophobia.
Very interesting way to put it
Its porn nonetheless and as such, completely substanceless.
I came out this movie fuming because I am extremely disappointed when films that should be amazing miss the mark entirely. I had to write out my thoughts, and I rarely have to do that. So many topics that this movie just fails to bring up, Class, Botox (the actual current horrifying practices within the industry), how women perpetuate beauty standards to each other, and going off the previous point, the shocking lack of female characters at all? I can go on and on. I hope someone takes another stab at making beauty standards a horror, because the beauty industry is horrifying. I just felt watching this movie, more horrified that people found the basic depictions of aging horrifying, than the movie actually make me feel horrified. I swear, folks have never seen a naked granny. I wanted this movie to make me feel guilty for internalized ageism, and being grossed out by women's body as they age. But they never went there. Even the aged prosthetics didn't look like older women? There is absolutely a conversation to be had about how we hate looking at old women. But they hardly actually address it? I was eating popcorn and slurping coke the whole time. And I am an incredibly squeamish person. It's not gross. Are people that grossed out by demi moore's natural body? And the end creature looked like ET in a dress. Honestly kinda cute.
My best review of this movie is summarized as so, if the Barbie movie was made into a horror, in a bad way.
I found it deep and incredibly profound. Remember, this is all subjective. What goes over ones head is deep and impactful for another.
@@Jonny-wt3rg how was it deep? i felt it had nothing to say except "beauty standards = bad"
We are all split into 2 selves in real life from time to time. It's genius.
Yea I think the thing that keeps tripping me is what seems to be the takeaway. The message is: "Be happy with what you have, because it could always be worse"... which isn't a 'fearless takedown of beauty standards'. It's a surrender being treated as a victory.
very true
I mean beauty isn’t everything. It helps but overly focusing on it like Elizabeth was pressured to is harmful. This isn’t fully her fault because it’s clear that’s the main thing the producers are focusing on. Be happy with what you have is more about improve yourself but also know that there’s more to you than your looks.
There is no ideological message. its a cautionary tale of how repressed mental illness manifested as body dysmorphia along side cultural effects can make people fall into nasty procedures or really dark holes just to avoid their reality because its way too painful to accept.
Its a cautionary tale about not being able to have Acceptance and moving on and instead doing everything and anything to avoid reality even at the cost of their own quality of life.
It has a feminist message, sure, that society and culture values younger women to a depraved level. but thats about it, its not the core message at all.
It's a surrender to the natural process of aging, not the patriarchy. The male nurse character that gave her the phone number was experiencing the same thing (the younger version eating away at the old). It's not about young = pretty, old = ugly. The body is more than its appearance, it's about it's function. As she aged she became weaker, her joints were fragile, bones brittle (obvious exaggeration). When she was 50 she missed her 20 somethings body, when she was 80/90/super old, she definitely missed her 50 year old body for more than just being pretty. The point is disregard patriarchal views of yourself and appreciate your body what what is it. Our time is finite. Work on what you can control, which is always yourself. Elisabeth's own desire to stay in that disgusting industry is what prompted her to harm herself. Elisabeth had her star on carpet, she's filthy rich, she's made a name for herself. She could've called Fred and started a new chapter of her life where she has love. instead she takes the substance and runs back to try and please people who don't want her even though she no longer needs them.
I don’t see how surrender is a negative here. Sounds like a peaceful life outside of the “beauty standard” rat race.
im so glad someone agrees that this movie totally missed the mark. I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of raving reviews it got, it was so confusing and disturbing and NOT in a good way. also- maybe i'm just sensitive but the body horror/ gore was so extreme that I'm shocked how generally appealing this movie was to the masses... seems like everyone is crazy desensitized. idk🤷🤷🤷🤷
I took it as if they were always the same person (or at least sharing the same conscience/thoughts) but kinda in Dorian Gray fashion, the fascination of staying as the younger self just "took over" almost like a life of its own.
Have def seen a lot of Dorian gray comparisons, i think that story has some more freedom since it is more fantastical. The science fiction approach here is cool but introduces some logical issues
Yeah, I can see the issue from it not being entirely fantastic or completely science fiction - or maybe just a deranged 2hrs+ pop music video
@@Brijandez One has no idea what the other one is doing. Which makes them totally different people. That's the biggest flaw. If the consciousness was switched from body to body then it would be one person and it would make sense, but the movie needs conflict between them so it disregards it's own plot rule. Demmi Moore's character would never sign up for that deal since ther is no change for her except for the worse.
@@svizac69 Exactly, the main plot makes no sense. There was nothing good for her from that deal.
(wrote this comment as its own thing first but I now realize this is discussed here better, and thankfully others see the same issues.)
Clearly, Sue has a different consciousness than Elizabeth since they even fight in the film, and Elizabeth is literally killed by Sue. Elizabeth still cannot bring herself to stop the experiment despite this separation of personhood (cause Sue literally has "her beauty" now), which is why the theme is supposed to be powerful. Some people seem to be confused and think they are the same person from reading some comments on youtube.
Yet at the same time, it does not make sense for Elizabeth to create a different person who would replace her if she herself does not get to experience any of it herself. So the film makes you think at the beginning that they are the same person (and emphasized by "switch" mechanism instead of a "sleep" mechanism) to allow suspension of disbelief in the first part of the film to justify the reasons for starting the experiment and then tells you otherwise to allow suspension of disbelief in the second part of the film to convince you they can fight each other...this is a frustrating film just for that alone...
all I got was disbelief and I was just laughing at the end. It was just stupid.
The last 30 mins of this movie just didnt match the rest of the film. It turned campy with the over the top blood spewing out of her while people yelled "monster" like an old Frankenstein movie. The final scene of her blob face crawling to her Hollywood star was just comical. Its like the writers went on strike before they finished the film and someone just made up a last minute ending.
It was a well made film. Couple of questions. I know she turned 50, but what year was it? I kept seeing the contrast of older cars in mint condition and newer flashier cars beside them, always mustangs for some reason. Also, i thought this movie was going to end like 4 times before it actually ended.
4:24 THANK YOU! It’s almost hypocritical!
I was really disappointed by this film as well. I am disappointed by most films I see, but don't think I've ever seen a film with this much of a discrepancy between the critical and public appraisal for it versus my own experience of it. So I guess people like us will remain in the minority here, but thanks for being honest about your views and not attempting to bend them towards the widespread consensus.
I agree with everything you've said, except I interpreted Elisabeth and Sue to be the same psyche transferring between bodies - but Elisabeth is so full of self-loathing that once she enters Sue's body, she creates an alter-ego to go with Sue and completely disidentifies herself with Elisabeth. When she's forced to inhabit the Elisabeth-body again for the 7-day stretches, her inability to accept this as her original body fuels the loathing she holds towards herself, which she attempts to sublimate by redirecting it towards Sue, the symbol of everything she wants to be. I thought that was such a great idea, with so much depth for commentary, but unfortunately the movie didn't do a very good job of exploring it. So I'm not surprised that you viewed them as 2 different people, and I myself was questioning it at times - especially since they both become autonomous entities and fight eachother in the climax. I also think casting Margaret Qualley was not at all the right choice, since I firstly don't consider her to be physically attractive enough to represent "youthful beauty" (youthful yes, but not my idea of beautiful), and secondly don't think she is remotely passable as a younger version of Demi Moore. The lack of physical resemblance between Demi and Margaret further contributed to the lack of believability of the notion that these two characters consisted of a single psyche periodically transferring itself between two different bodies. This film had an interesting premise, and a clever meta-layer of commentary in choosing to cast Demi Moore, but the execution in all other areas was severely lacking.
I read your _The Substance_ review on Letterboxd, then subscribed to you here. It's nice to find a Letterboxd-er/RUclipsr who is also somewhat of a black sheep when it comes to their opinions on films, at least for this one - but I'll have to check out more of your content to see how true that holds for other films.
If you don’t consider Margaret as youthfull beauty I don’t know what to say. Should they casted a 14 year old??
@misslibitina77
Personally, I find her face to be rather plain - neither attractive or unattractive - and not possessing the striking, supermodel-esque beauty needed for a role like this. But if many other people find Qualley to be physically attractive, then I'll concede that my tastes may simply be different to theirs and that my viewpoint cannot be argued further.
But I do maintain that casting an actress who actually resembled Moore, and could pass for a younger version of her, would have been more appropriate here.
@@Keralite29 I agree on Qualley’s casting. I would’ve expected a Victoria’s Secret model type beauty instead.
I feel you on critical acclaim vs the actual movie. Even most of the RUclipsrs I’ve watched loved it!
Damn when a man doesn't like this film it's the most vicious hateful comments but when a woman doesn't like it it's all like "I respectfully disagree" 🤣🤣
Good satire isnt supposed to "solve the problems of the world" but simply to hold up a mirror to society. And yes the characters are very archetypal and basic, this is also a feature of the great satires of the 70s like NETWORK, The Holy Mountain, A Clockwork Orange..
Totally agree that the film was a bit long and the pacing was VERY odd.. but I think part of the problem people have with this movie comes from reading reviews and shit and expecting it to be some searing epiphany that shakes the world out of its complacency or whatever, which is maybe the fault of the movie for marketing itself as that, but its a bit like going into Hereditary expecting "the scariest movie ever" then being mad you didnt get so scared you threw your popcorn in the air...
At the end of the day its just a film. and this is something that the Substance seems to be self aware of, much like the ending of The Holy Mountain mocks the audience for expecting enlightenment to come from a movie, and in all the aforementioned the world just sort of moves on in the logic of the film... None of the characters learn anything, because oftentimes people dont either.. I think what really bugs Americans is the lack of a strong authorial voice to condemn the evils depicted in the film or wrap it up in a nice neat bow, rather than simply be what it is, a stylized reflection of our reality.
As an American I agree with your sentiment.
Big difference between this and hereditary is that this movie is badass and hereditary is cringe
Also as far as I know a ton of Americans like myself totally loved it. Also a lot of straight men like myself loved it. It's a great movie no need to little it down to essentialism to explain why someone didn't understand it 🤣
5:40: no, you didn't miss anything. The movie just doesn't make sense, there is simply no gain or advantage for Demi Moore's character using the substance. Also, Demi Moore is 61, and she looks better than me being 34, so I don't buy this "old is ugly" argument from this movie at all.
i think continually chipping away and killing yourself repeatedly to obtain this persona of yourself you wish to present to the world, can create an internal disassociative feeling, which i think is personified by Margaret and Demi being two separate characters. reconciling with which parts of ourselves we take ownership of and which parts are actually in control
Never heard of the term "hagsploitation" until this movie
You guys are trippin, the movie was phenomenal. Yes, there’s the “male gaze” aspect of the film, but WAKE UP AMERICA, that is exactly what Hollywood is all about. The movie itself was incredible, people are always gonna have something negative to say about things they don’t understand. I, for one, can relate to this movie a lot.
We’ve all thought about how it would be to be younger, prettier, more vibrant, more appealing, more attractive. Or we’ve all asked ourselves what it would be like to be someone else, if even for a day. If you say you haven’t felt that way EVER then you’re a f - ing liar….
I 100% agree with you. I definitely recommend people to see the film, but i felt nothing for the characters and the film is not saying anything we didn't already know. Beauty and youth has been the number one priority in Hollywood for 100 years. The body horror elements were great though.
It's not about women in Hollywood. Its about women
Says a man…
Finally a review that captures the problems I had with it. I saw it last night and I kept thinking of Titane which was uncomfortable to watch but had emotionally rich characters and executed the grotesque characterisations masterfully.
Don't get me wrong, I loved the cinematography, sound design and ironically appreciated the male performances. The script did the women in this movie a great injustice
Totally agree! Titane is so fantastic
The script did both genders a disservice really. It just didn’t pretend to empower the men. 😂
The movie got stupid and lazy as soon as the lady wanted to be younger ,but instead she just made a baby of sorts. She didn't experience anything in a younger body, which kinda kills the whole premise in the first place. I'm sorry yt people like crazy stuff. This was just gross trash
I watched the movie with no sense that it was about any feminist theme. I thought it was a philosophical movie about the dichotomy between inner and outer beauty which could be applied to both sexes. There's even a scene featuring the old version of the young doctor expressing his misery. In fact this theme came through so effectively for me that during the more nsfw scenes I felt a kind of disgust rather than arousal. The sense of shallowness was more repulsive than any of the films gore. There's an equal shallowness in the women who are addicted to the male gaze and the men who are addicted to gazing. We shouldn't judge though because these make perfect Darwinian sense and are just biological programming. I don't see the point of politicizing our evolved psychology. Our shallowness has kept our species from extinction.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
I feel like people might be getting this film wrong. And I don’t just mean the people who disliked it, I mainly think it’s those who loved it. I’m reading so many reviews that this is powerful for kind of the reasons that I don’t think Fargaet intended.
Yes this is clearly covering the insane standards that society sets upon women, and the trailer quotes the producers chose are potentially what has fuelled the false ideology that this is the core meaning of this film. I was also one who was under this perception until I was halfway through my second watch last night. Asking myself a similar question to you. Why are they two different people? I read a little more into it, and it clicked.
Now hear me out, Elizabeth choosing to take ‘The Substance’ is obviously a reflection on wanting to be rejuvenated with your youth. But thats not possible, there is no ‘The Substance’ in real life. So how would this film have any meaning at all? Well thats because ‘The Substance’ is just a manifestation of motherhood. Elizabeth begins to live through Sue, but she’s not *actually* Sue. The same way a mother dreams are crushed by the relentless debt of aging, might choose to ‘create a younger version of herself’ something that she can program and hardwire. Yet it’s not until later in the movie that she realises she can’t actually control.
She realises that Sue is now starting to leave her nest so that she can become something more than what her mother was, she knows that she can’t stay under this control. Elizabeth’s anger begins to redirect at Sue, even though it’s only her fault. Sue’s response to this is by throwing child-like tantrums, like how she’s seen yelling on the phone after waking up to the result of her mother’s outburst over the guest appearance she made on a late night show. There’s even an extended scene where Sue is opening the door to Elizabeth, telling her about what’s going on her life before leaving to resume. This is what leads to Elizabeth’s ultimate decision to terminate. To let Sue leave so that she isn’t able to be jealous anymore. But you see that she almost immediately regrets this, yearning for her to come back. So she does. Yet Sue seeing her holding that syringe was like realising that her mother didn’t actually love her, and that she was a tool to her. Not a daughter. This is what evolves into the insane derived rage sequence that ends in her killing her mother. Or in real life this would be going ‘no contact’ something that many who go through a mentally abusive relationship with a parent will do. Erasing her mother from her life.
Though the finale is the effects that her broken relationship with Elizabeth have on Sue. She’s quickly becoming fractured (her teeth fall out, her nails, her ears, etc.) because she’s not complete. She’s a front of her mother’s younger perfections and nothing more. Because she was never taught how to be a person. Just a successor; a product made without love. So she does exactly what her mother did by taking ‘The Substance’. But this doesn’t work because Sue was never much of a person in the first place, like I’ve said. That’s why it’s listed as ‘single use’. Because if such a relationship happens twice, then there will be nothing left to pass down. So what we end with is an amalgamation of genetical female trauma. All only fuelled by the initial mother’s goal. Everyone can see this and that is why they scream. They scream because this daughter (MONSTRO ELIZISUE) is an ugly person. In real life this would be how a lack of care becomes a hereditary trait that leads to the final outcome being an awful person who sees no wrong in her actions. That’s why she’s presented as being innocent, even though she’s clearly disgusting. A sloppy mess that all started with Elizabeth’s hunger for fame, and will end with it too. They’re both ‘one’ because Sue is the domino effect of an unhealthy desire.
I could bring every plot point or detail in this movie back to the common themes of a broken mother and daughter relationship. I could write a novel about this movie. It’s insane and I hope you see it more the way I do after reading this, because I’m barely touching the surface with the allegories I’ve found in just a 2nd watch.
Not to mention that Demi Moore is a celebrity who has faced scrutiny over her retired stardom due to her age, and Margret Qualley is a nepobaby herself who has had high expectations already placed upon to her from the moment she was born.
Go figure.
This is a super interesting read on the idea of “being one” and it makes a lot of sense because of the way that cells form, the way that people are born. Meiosis and shit. Elisabeth literally splits herself into two the same way these cells would, and that shot of her eating two eggs after 1 week as Sue kinda emphasizes the nature of Elisabeth and Sue. A copy of the original cell, the same but individual.
This also makes that TV scene with Sue’s made up story about her “mother” watching Elisabeth’s old show a lot more interesting. With your reading, it’s more than just a story to tell to a late night talk show and a simpler display of self-loathing and disgust regarding your past self.
I do think that the disruption of balance can also just mean that the “two selves” is just Elisabeth dissociating and escaping into her identity as Sue, not wanting to hold one another accountable for the actions they take the same way an alcoholic would blame their drunk selves for the things that were said and done, or any kind of substance abuse for that matter. I think this idea of motherhood gives it a lot more depth beyond dealing with substance abuse (not that that’s something to be taken lightly) and makes it more relatable for people with that kind of generational trauma too.
This movie is so cool, there’s just so much to talk about that even Coralie Fargeat might not have even intended. This movie is truly art worth discussing, even if you don’t like it.
This is such a fascinating and powerful take on the movie’s themes. It’s rare these days to find such insightful commentary just hanging around in a RUclips comment section, but this Philosophy teacher is very impressed by your thinking. Nice one. 😊
Thanks that’s a super cool response to my yabbering! I just naturally spend a lot of my time trying to understand the way that the world around me works because I’ve realised that I’m very different from it. So that’s what makes it interesting for me to watch films and evaluate the way that humans express their feelings and thoughts in this unique way..
You cooked here
I think your theory is incorrect but it’s more interesting than the actual movie. I wish this was what it was about.
Yeah whats the point if she doesn't experience being young again in the mind and body
I think the director was making an analogy to toxic mother/daughter relationships in which the mother tries to live vicariously through the daughter while the daughter starts to resent her aging mother.
There was also definitely a psychic connection between them because when the older self goes on an eating binge, the younger self has a nightmare about finding a large chicken wing in her ass. So what one did caused a psychic disturbance to the other.
I think it's for same reason why if you've failed to achieve a lifelong dream, it gives you great satisfaction to see your child attempt the same path and actually succeeding.
Because they do change. They have the same memories, ellizabeth recognizes sue actions and people she met, like seriously, not only its painfully obvious, the movie reminds it like 5 times
@@ViDeTool There's no way this is true. She literally watches her on a talk show and doesn't know what she will say next. She actively refers to sue as "her" and says she isnt respecting the rules and overstaying. If she was controlling sue she couldn't possibly act like she had nothing to do with it. At one point both on awake at once. They cant be the same consciousness.
I just saw this movie and I’m confused about this too. I thought Demi Moore would be able to live through and experience the same things as her “better self” but that’s not the case at all. They are two different people. They don’t even share the same memories so what does Demi Moore’s character have to gain from this?
Its not empty at all
The symbolism and depth is 100% subjective. Looks like it went over your head. Some found it deep and profound
Great movie. Loved that it was abstract without giving the audience what they think they're supposed to get out of it. How boring would that be?
(Spoilers) Your inability to step outside of the idea everyone else has that it's supposed to be JUST a commentary on the standards women have set for them is not indicative of the movie actually being underwhelming. Everything in it serves a purpose. There is very much a lot of substance to it. Sue is meant to be a complete exaggeration of what Elisabeth (and in turn many women) believes she has to be in order to be accepted/make it. She shares no common traits with Elisabeth because Elisabeth has essentially hated herself into becoming an entirely different person. Even the substance advert is constantly talking about "becoming a better version of yourself", to some that's looking younger, being fitter, to Elisabeth it's becoming an entirely different human being, which is why her and Sue look so different too, unlike the other self in the beginning of the movie who shares very similar physical traits to his matrix like the blue eyes and the birthmark being in the same place (unlike Elisabeth's birthmark which on Sue moves from her stomach to her ribs), and just looks like a younger version of the matrix. While Elisabeth stuffs her face and watches TV, Sue has a fridge full of vegetables and drinks diet coke. While Elisabeth is alone at a bar, Sue is in relations with multiple attractive men. Even the scene where she's supposed to go on the date with Frank but ends up ditching him because she was spending so much time fixing her appearance, her trying to look good (in a way that is reminiscent of Sue) but then seeing the photo of Sue (the massive billboard symbolic for the constant internal comparison and reminders of what Elisabeth is not) which just further emphasizes the differences between her and Sue, so she tries to cover up and make herself look more matronly (the opposite of what Sue is). The other self who introduces her at the beginning to the substance is still "one" enough with the matrix to tell her that the substance changed his life (which a separate disconnected other self would not do as that other self is referring to himself and the matrix as one), and has clearly been using the substance for a long time, hasn't experienced that disconnect because he is a man. With Sue and Elisabeth they have a much larger disconnect because Elisabeth and Sue can't accept the fact that they are in fact one person, because doing so for Elisabeth would emphasize what she lacks as well as her secret/not so secret desire to be loved and viewed as attractive even if in a twisted manner, and for Sue it would emphasize that she came from someone like Elisabeth whom she does not in fact view as attractive or "up to standard", which is also commentary for many younger women hating older women and treating them like crap despite the fact that those women went through the same things/often worse and paved the way for younger women (hence Elisabeth constantly emphasizing that Sue came from her). That's just scratching the surface of the symbolism in the movie
you ate that. great take
Except that the male older guy IS suffering and when he reaches out to Elisabeth for connection and asks if her younger version is stealing from her like his younger is from him, she shuns him and refuses to see their shared experiences because then she would have to accept her reality and her choices.
One has no idea what the other one is doing. Which makes them totally different people. That's the biggest flaw. If the consciousness was switched from body to body then it would be one person and it would make sense, but the movie needs conflict between them so it disregards it's own plot rule. Demmi Moore's character would never sign up for that deal since ther is no change for her except for the worse.
Blah blah blah..it was bad and this movie is overhyped
@@JasonStrongFilm Men can relate to this film just as much as women can, even though yes it's from a female perspective and through the lens of what women go through. But ultimately the film is about self hate and failure to be happy and content with yourself, constantly craving more, and how incredibly dangerous and self destructive that mindset is. It's about being told you aren't good enough by society and hurting yourself in the pursuit of trying to be "better", and that "better" never being enough
I definitely agree. I think Fargeat is more interested in sensory, visceral horror films rooted in female fears, and pushing their worst, most stereotypical, shallow archetypes into vengeful self-combustion. And it can't help feeling like an opportunity to subvert instead indulges in the same sinful objectification, and enjoys it. Maybe there's meant to be more substance in how objectified it is--a sort of "You wanted this", a testing of how much is too much for us, and where the line is.
Also, that Substance hat is SO COOL! May I ask where you got it? My sister loved the film and her birthday's coming up. I would love to surprise her with one...
There’s a lot of truth in your analysis here.
The themes have been discussed to death elsewhere, but it hasn't been done in a horror movie context before. It feels really innovative. You know how it's going to end from the start, but you really don't want her to give up everything for people who will never like her for who she is.
In a way, the ending did subvert the usual tropes albeit last minute. She stopped caring about others and learned to love herself before disintegrating, which could resemble her suffering ceasing. Prior to that she was hit by a coworker who called her a freak, but rather than just give up, she recovered and left that toxic environment.
I don’t understand what you mean by the “muddled messaging”. The ending explains it all. Did you even watch the whole thing?
The point is that the main character fragments herself so much to the point of not being recognizable. And at the end of that, who is she? The message is far more than just fuck beauty standards. It’s an exploration of our relationship to our bodies - they are not an extension of who we are at our core, no matter how much we try to make an identity out of it.
my wife took me to this movie today and I did not know one thing about. The scenes where the manager was stuffing is face and making a mess was probably more unsettling than the rest if the movie.
Ttrue. This movie depicts men as swine and assholes. Not surprising as Coralie is a feminist and as a true feminist has also nothing really interesting to tell.
The movie is by a French director. You should watch more French movies. It’ll help you appreciate this movie more.
I agree. It’s shallow. Unsettling and steals too many things and ideas to look avant garde or intellectual. Lynch’s ‘Mulholland Drive’ (!) Kubrick… and Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible’ in the scene where Sue slams Elizabeth’s face against the mirror. Also some mythology themes/cliches such as Medusa. Dr Jekyll Mr Hide, Frankenstein.. walking dead…… again nothing new under the same old sun. Too shallow . Also why would the younger version would choose to live as the older one did. Why Demi protects her alter ego while she watches tv the whole time.I don’t think the movie makes much sense to be honest . Thanks for your review. I hate when people clap in unison 😅
I keep seeing male reviewers raving about the film uncritically, I’ve been looking for a woman’s perspective as there was a lot I loved about the film, but I could have done with more depth to the plot and I was definitely ready for it to be over by the end. I loved the scene where Elizabeth is getting ready to go out and related hard to it. As a woman in her 50’s I was here for the themes but wanted less grotesque and more nuance. Maybe that’s too much ask from a body horror movie?
The nuance was definitely missing in this movie. It’s a shame. There’s actually a movie I like called “Private Lives” that tackles this theme in part through its surrounds
a couple trying to have kids after waiting to long. That movie has a ton of nuance in it. It’s one of my favorites.
You are not alone with all the negative feelings about the movie.
Haven’t seen it yet but your very insightful analysis meshes with what my gut is telling me from the clips and gushing reviews by others. I most likely will be referencing your perspective when I watch it.
I kept thinking of that line in Annihilation when Natalie Portman’s character said our cells are all programmed for senescence. Elisabeth is inevitably going to deteriorate but she’s ultimately betraying her own body by willingly participating and accelerating cell division. Just saw the film
last night, I was sooooo pleased
Glad you loved it, that’s a great comparison!!
Annihilation was great!
While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I would like to chime in a bit, especially regarding what you call "muddled messaging". I believe this movie shows the embodiment of our inner "gaze". It is not "them" (e.g. "the movie", "the producers") sexualizing young bodies or "them" showing ageing as being repugnant, it is "us" doing it by ourselves, to ourselves. Round butt is round butt, and wrinkled skin is wrinkled skin, no matter the angle or the light. We are the ones that attribute other characteristics to these physical features, such as being "hot" or "atrocious". The movie reveals how toxic it can be to do this, and how such attitude can easily lead to disgust and hatred towards yourself just because of some physical features changing. It does not show "how it should be", it shows "how it is".
Whether it's the intention or not, I don't think the film has an objective stance on ageing, since it's already telling a story with the old vs young theme as its basis, and having the main character's repulsion to her own body as the main motivation. If the director would wanted to just show us "how it is", it would of not have even been made as a body horror film to begin with.
What this girl meant is there was no “hero” in the movie, Demi ended up destroying herself by not going through with the termination. I am not saying there has to be a happy ending, but the movie made us tear ourselves down even more, instead of feeling even 1 big of ever so slightly empowering.
No, that’s a cop out. If that was the intent they failed to convey it simply because we are forced to see it that way through the lighting, camera angles and even music. All of these things were manipulated. It wasn’t “us” it was the director.
@@ab-gailthank you!
The idea of them being the same yet separate bothered me too. Demi Moore's Elizabeth was getting the short end of the stick because she couldn't enjoy Sue's success
Congrats another dumbass contrarian take
I completely disagree with your muddled messaging section; they’re also not two separate people - it’s made clear multiple times they are one.
I will agree there’s not much on the page to Elizabeth, but I think casting Demi Moore fills in a lot for that lack.
It was *said* multiple times that they are one. It was not *shown* multiple times if at all!
@@mattgilbert7347 i agree. Despite the voice on the phone telling both they are one, I never once got the impression they were the same.
@@mattsnyderARTIST Yes. The only interpretation I can come up with that makes any sense is that the filmmaker was trying to say something about the relationship between (or within)) a person and her younger/older self. *Muddled* !!!!
@@mattsnyderARTIST Taken literally, as presented in the film, they are two different consciousnesses. It's just they have similar desires re: fame, beauty etc.
@@mattsnyderARTIST Ellizabeth recognizes people that sue met, also she was aware of the contradictions and paradoxes of people finding out she is not sue in the moment.
Seriously what kind of bad rettention its in this comment sections lmao
What would be the point if she didn´t transfer her soul to her younger self, it would be just a dumb ass movie lmao
5:41 Exactly my thoughts. Im so grateful you made a video putting my thoughts into words. The movie is full of contradictions and it strays away from the plot halfway throughout the movie.
Concept was good, execution was definitely not for me. The ending had nothing to do with 2/3 of the movie. They just started milking the body horror without having a solid build up for it, except maybe the absolute last minutes of the movie giving a very vague foreshadow of the ending.
Couldve have been better.
So glad I found your channel. Some reviewers are calling this film a masterpiece, top ten of the year, etc. which prompted me to see the movie last night . To me, the substance plays more like an episode of black mirror. It wasn’t bad but I am blind to all the hype I heard about. There was just enough for me from being almost bored. That hallway is a direct reference to Stanley Kubricks clockwork orange and the shining which took me out of the movie as as a copy. The best scene was in the trailer in which Demi Moore was putting on her make up and becomes frustrated at her reflection. I might see this again in a few months if it continues to be a topic of conversation too films of 2024. This film is gory. However, I’m confused on what the aging character, Elisabeth Sparkle, benefits from taking the substance.
Elisabeth and Sue are the same person. The movie literally tells you over and over again that they are one.
I mean yeah the movie tells us over and over again they are the same but they are totally different individuals and not only in the sense that their personalities are different but also none of them have any way of interfering with the other one’s actions or choices.
Which makes you question what the point of the substance is if the only thing it does is create a younger “version” of yourself that does things on their own without the possibility of you experiencing life through that younger versions perspective again. Its not a body swap its just a clone of some sorts so whats the point
@@lightoflove6184 Elisabeth and Sue are the same person. Elisabeth is experiencing youth again whenever she's Sue. That's why she's using The Substance. She's clinging to youth, clinging to relevance.
@@gavinevans1687Absolutely not. One has no idea what the other one is doing. Which makes them totally different people. That's the biggest flaw. If the consciousness was switched from body to body then it would be one person and it would make sense, but the movie needs conflict between them so it disregards it's own plot rule. Demmi Moore's character would never sign up for that deal since ther is no change for her except for the worse.
@@svizac69 She acts like she’s two different people because she hates herself so deeply. She only likes herself when she's young and beautiful, but when she's Elisabeth, she can't stand herself. Every action she does as Sue and Elisabeth effects the other and creates a cycle of self hatred.
She recognized the man on the motorcycle. The old man in the dinner recognized her. They are 100% the same person.
@@gavinevans1687 I get the general intent of the director but plot holes are evident and many. With all due respect what you're doing is basically fan fiction. At least to me. What nobody is talking about is director's misandry which is a major part of her movies. Every man in this movie is below average looking creep and wierdo. Yes that includes her 10th grade classmate/superfan.
I liked it a lot but I’m not surprised people would be polarized by it. I think the director is going to be a major force in filmmaking.
I watched it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Demi Moore’s performance was outstanding. I think your points are very fair and valid though, when you put them that way.
In the second half of your review, you literally give away the fact that you didn't understand the film fully. The movie makes it very clear that they are not two different people living different lives. They are each playing parts of the same psyche. Sue is self obsessed and hates the idea of getting older. But the harder she works and parties Elizabeth represents the consequences of that self neglect. Through Sue, we get to see how Elizabeth lived and let herself fall into the glamor trap. Elizabeth represents the price she paid for living and perpetuating the sword of society. Food is made to look disgusting and yet it is the true sustenance of life. The third act is inviting is to two look at the two as one being and how impossible it is to reconcile the contradictions one lived by.
No i got it! Im saying the process of the substance itself doesn’t make sense from a character perspective, even if it has thematic value. She gains nothing from it
Did you watch the film? She doesn't know what sue says in a recorded interview. She wakes up surprised by what sue did to the apartment. She isn't awake as sue, its a totally different consciousness.
@@noahdavidson1343 Yes and she is complaining on the other one, angry for what she is doing. Hardly the same consciousness. But some people in comments just repeat that the film SAYS they are one and that´s enough. 🙄
i completely agree with your take, but i still had a good time with this movie
Interesting take. The premise does sound flawed when you think about it. Somehow that didn't subtract from my enjoyment when watching it twice. The rest of the themes and performances are just so damn perfect!
Like you, I was really confused about how much of the same person do Sue and Elisabeth even share. Like, they seem to have the same ambitions, and they both know how the substance works, but then it doesn't seem like they share memories? Or do they because Elisabeth recognizes Sue's one night stand guy at one point? But then they're surprised by what the other is doing? But also we are repeatedly told they are "ONE"? Which is it?
It's a movie that predicates so much on its third act being really bold, really off the rails, and leaving you with a really impactful message, and I felt it hit that climax and left me feeling "oh, is that all?". It's a brilliantly directed film, and deserves so much acclaim for it's performances and technical craft, but just left me wanting so much more writing wise
The movie shows how a younger version of someone can be almost completely different of an older version of the same person. It shows how you can sabotage yourself. Too superficial thought to assume they are clones. It's a satirical and methaphorical movie, so don't keep yourself cought up in details. The movie tells you she is the same person so that you know that they are just different versions of the same person. And it shows how you can forget/ignore things that you do as your other version, like real cases of self sabotage. It's like you create a chatacter for the world and being yourself when you are alone. Yourself hate that character but you need it to be popular. That character also feels ashame of yourself when thinking about being with others. That's it.
The Substance has no substance?
Go figure
Lot of style though
@@SydneyVolpe i took it as an anology for addiction.the substance is called so because it is a symbol of substance abuse it does not matterr what it is.look into it as one who has addictions i could understand it.
It is a bit overhyped and a bit long but a good addition to the horror movies we’ve had this year.
The only thing about the film I enjoyed was Dennis Quaids character had suits that looked like they were made out of the lining from couches in the 1990s.
Other then that....this movie was absolutely just terrible. Plot holes the size of the grand canyon.
I will give Demi Moore a nod of respect as you could tell she was putting effort into the role and not mailing it in.
I almost walked out of the cinema by the time demi moore took waaaay too much time to go out on the date... I get it, she was insecure, sure... but it took too fucking long, it was already clear.
Mess of a movie, boring as hell, demi moore character was as develped as the cutout of her face paated to the monster.
I really love this video. You said a lot of rhe same things I was thinking since watching this movie.
Though I'd disagree that the movie presents them as two people. It's not even this internally consistant, as little sense it'd make for character motivations - instead it seems to change from scene to scene from them remembering what the other did (Elizabeth immidiately knowing Sue's name and renembering the motorcycle guy, for example) and being completely seperate people (the ending, obviously, the scenes when Elizabeth made a mess of the apartment, or the scene with her watching the interview)
Also, as cool the body horror was, a lot of the horror just didnt work for me, and I know I'm not the only one, as I literally heard laughter in the cinema during some supposedly scary scenes
I don't know, the ending just felt gross, and completely destroyed any hope this movie was actually saying something for me
👏🏼👏🏼thanks for watching!!
Yes, I agree the message of the movie is shallow. Everyone is raving about The Substance but I believe the norwegian movie Sick of Myself is far more interesting in it's social commentary
The entire film is from Elisabeth's perspective(with a few exceptions) and so all the ogling the camera does is how she's perceiving herself and giving you insight to how she feels about her young self. It's a reflection of how women will internalize the male gaze to appeal to it and how it twists women's self worth. The movie challenges this by not ogling her body when she begins to resent her youthful self
This movie was a massive gift to men. A pretty young actress served on a golden tray for the male gaze. And this was directed by a woman.
I'll admit, I was curious about this film from all the publicity, but I was a bit confused by the trailers, as to the vast difference between the two female leads' appearance. I was also concerned that it might take a more shallow approach to its thesis, and was being applauded simply for its timeliness. Your review was well done, and now that I know more about the film, the more likely I am to wait for streaming.
Great review, Sydney! I’m seeing The Substance on Friday and I’m really curious to see what I think. Is there any advice you could offer regarding video reviews for film? I’ve been impressed by each and every RUclips/TikTok review I’ve seen from you and I was wondering if there was a method you stick to or something. Thank you!
I’m curious to see what you think too! And I’m flattered haha it’s taken me like 6 years to get here - all of my RUclips videos are scripted so I’m probably not as good at it as it seems😂 that said I’ve found a process of writing down notes of main points i want to discuss, deciding how i want to introduce my video, and then kind of filling in the structure from there. Then I’ll read it out to myself and notice things i want to add more detail to or take out :)
@@SydneyVolpe thank you so much!
Great review!! I also just did mine, highly enjoyed the movie- but found it limited in scope as well.
Completely agree (but I had fun)
Regarding your point about Elisabeth not really getting any benefit because it seems like she's not even aware of what happens when Sue is awake, I think what the movie is doing is showing how addiction can fracture someone's psyche. When Sue first emerges from Elisabeth, it's clear that it's Elisabeth's conscious mind in Sue's body--she's not confused or horrified by what's going on; instead, she's admiring her new younger body. Sue is aware of all the things Elisabeth is aware of because they're the same. However, as the movie goes on and she becomes more addicted to the high of being Sue, that part of her mind takes over and the two fracture--very similar to how addiction works. An addict knows that what they're doing is ruining their body but they can't stop. Elisabeth knows she's destroying herself when she's Sue but she's addicted and can't stop--she can't even reconcile that she *is* Sue. She's given multiple opportunities to terminate the process but she can't do it. I know the movie is a takedown of beauty standards, etc, etc, but it's also a brilliant portrait of addiction and how our younger selves have zero regard for our older selves.
A note on saggy boobs, I'm 30 and my boobs have been saggy ever since they grew out of my chest when I was 11. Seeing saggy boobs = gross will always feel like a slap in the face, because I think in my entire life of watching media, and I watch a lot of media, I have seen less than 5 characters with saggy boobs that were not painted as this horribly grotesque disfiguration.
so i saw it and i loved it! but i definitely see what you’re saying and how the main concept puts the film a bit at odds with itself especially when it comes to them having separate consciousnesses
Sue enjoys the "male gaze" to a pretty excessive extent. To the point that it is all that defines her and she would do anything for it. It feels like a parody of itself, the whole thing. The gore did not shock me one bit, because we have seen so many of these things at this point. It is not shocking at all, like come on, this is not 1970. 2/5, not a good film, aside from novelty of this exact plot being new.
seeing this tonight!!
Have fun gotta know your thoughts!!
I like the way you review and analyze film, it’s thought provoking and you make me feel smarter after listening to you lol.
That’s so kind haha thanks for watching!
Shit movie, so predictable since you see the instructions of the substance.
Interesting review as always (I’m adding hagsploitation to the lexicon 😂). The detail about the young woman did sound a little spoilery though. Hopefully there’s more to it 🤞🏽
Regarding inner worlds vs shallowness, I think that is the point. The silence on this is what plays to the trope we all know of women who focus on personality vs appearance are those who are not blessed with attractiveness, and those who rally against the system are just jealous. She doesn’t even try to fight it, because she already knows. She doesn’t speak to it, because it’s a losing battle on average, especially in the industry. In being older you are judged for it, in being young and attractive you profit from the current system and fighting it takes from that advantage.
Her career is not about who she is, it’s about people wanting to look at her. Being desired is addictive, but an identify based on what draws a man’s gaze is a recipe for misery and emptiness. The film doesn’t focus on fighting the system, it’s surrender, resignation to the unrealistic expectations of that societal norm and poisonous place that leads to. And poisoning yourself, destroying yourself, the evolution of that destruction in terms of how you perceive yourself. That is how it empowers women, and that is the point in my view. Does any woman want to live like this, to be like this? Nope. So what are you chasing, what are you feeding, where are you spending your time? Are you participating?
Saggy boobs and body horror is the focal point of fear in the film, as well as resentment towards those who are not dealing with those changes yet. Like the bitterness of loss. Aging is scary. When you are experiencing those changes first hand, slowly but surely becoming more and more aware of how people start treating you differently, and you start to feel invisible and like you can’t keep up, it is so jarring. I like that the film stayed shallow on the characters and got so ugly, as there is a lot of implied messaging to that. Idk I really enjoyed it.
this. This this this. I feel this reviewer sadly didn't grasp the true questions asked in this film, and decided to nitpick what wasn't fully understood
Where did you get that Substance hat in the background? I want one!
I haven’t finished your video yet, but as a queer person I’m SO exhausted by how ppl are calling this camp bc I’m SO exhausted by how camp has been used in pop culture ever since the Met Gala. Camp is not exaggeration or satire. It’s about celebrating poor taste, taking the tropes of a genre and turning it into play, not taking it or life seriously at all, like being a child again.
This film is not camp because it takes itself too seriously-a cardinal sin in camp.I wouldn’t even call the blood spraying scene camp but expressionism a la Gialli or Kubrick’s films. One is leaning into emotions and surreality + auteurship. All the opposite of camp.
5:35 That's probably the weakest review i've seen regarding that movie.
Spoiler alert
Spoiler alert
If they were two separate people Elisabeth would have decide to end the experience after one week. But however when she was asked through the phone if she wanted the experience to end she denied, because her
consciousness clearly was transfered between two bodies.
When she tried to switch after the trial of termination, the consciousness wasn't transfered, Sue was just woken up with memories she had in the moment of switching off.
No there was no consciousness transfer….
@@wa-bu3ke of course there was, if there was not Elisabeth would end the experience after 1 week, because she wouldnt remember anything
@@gawel772 Obviously she wouldn’t, because she didn’t
@@wa-bu3ke xDDD And she would end the experience, because whats the point of switching again if she doesnt remember?
But she remembers
@@gawel772 The movie makes it very clear, on numerous occasions, that there is no ‘consciousness transferral’. Elisabeth’s reaction to seeing Sue on the TV and billboard, both of their reactions to seeing the condition of the room when they’re revived, and explicit dialogue to that effect. Simply repeating “She does remember” isn’t supporting your claim. You would need specific examples from the movie, and there are none. (The scene with the chicken leg does suggest some kind of subconscious link, of course, but not a conscious one, and Sue’s reaction to all the chicken remnants upon waking highlights this.) The problem that you’re grappling with - “Why would she keep switching if she doesn’t remember and has nothing to gain from it?” - is precisely the point being made by this reviewer, and what you call “the weakest review”.
It’s an apparent weakness in the movie’s logic which requires an explanation. For example, some people in the comments here suggest a ‘mother/daughter’ theme that might provide an answer. But the explanation can’t be “She does remember” if the movie goes out of its way to contradict that claim.
I’m right there with you. I thought that she knew when she was in her new younger body but in the movie it makes it seem like they are two different people so why would the older Demi Moore ever switch bodies?
I felt the exact same way about this movie.
Great review! Bummer that you didn't enjoy it more than you did because this movie looks like a lot of fun based on that trailer. Going to keep an open mind whenever I get around to it, though you do make a valid point on that runtime that I fear will drag it down.
i think most feminist would hate this movies cause it's not feminist enough. for me the message is really clear. the villains of this film is not the men, elizabeth's enemy is her own self(sue), so it's a great movie that both men and women with open minds would enjoy.
Thanks for the review. I am glad you could critique the story and themes and still praise the positive parts
Great review, hopefully I get to see this on the weekend but unsure yet but this movie is on my radar. Have been meaning to check out Revenge for some time as well.
I fell asleep the first time. Thought it must be me. Almost fell asleep when I tried to watch it again on streaming. Joked it should’ve been called “the Style”
*Spoilers*
Interesting take, totally see where you're coming from. While I agree that the utilization of the male gaze was gratuitous, I interpreted it as intentionally exaggerating the pervasion to such a degree that it loses any appeal. Specifically thinking of the initial dance routine with Sue and how the close ups on different body parts are so close that it makes the audience feel more uncomfortable than aroused...or at least that's how I felt. I felt in that exaggeration and discomfort came the challenge Fargeat had toward the male gaze trope and the hyper-sexualization of women in media.
Also in terms of motivation of characters to keep going with the experiment, I still thought it made sense. Even though Elisabeth is disrespected by Sue and the two are technically separate, she's so desperate to latch onto any remaining youth/perfection she has. She's willing to make the sacrifices to be accepted by beauty standards, critiquing the societal pressures of maintaining peak form and the negative effects it has on society. While the body horror elements and "saggy boobs" can be interpreted as exploitative, I found it to be an effective metaphor for how society treats older women and how it conditions us to view ourselves once we're past our prime. As Elisabeth continues to try grasping onto her youth, it's inevitable for aging to catch up to her and she views herself as a monster since that's how society is conditioned to view older women. It uses the mask of body horror to bring out those internal struggles in a disgustingly beautiful way...in my opinion at least!
Just my take...great review!
I think this movie's largest intent was to be a cinematic experience. To do that you have to balance the story and I think the director did just that. This movie took us into a specific world and didn't explain or justify much of anything which was an incredibly smart choice. I would be interested to see your review of it if you watched it again but went in with a mindset of just having a cinematic experience rather than trying to uncover some huge deep story
It’s possible to have a great cinematic experience and a great story. The recent Dune films are a good example. No need to settle for less.
Bc it’s cell division in order to make the younger self, it basically split the two entities into all the positives and negatives that Elisabeth sees in herself. The self hate festers from there. Sue has to take cerebral spinal fluid to stabilize so when she stabilizes herself she gains some consciousness. Sue is so unwilling to switch back because why would she want to go back to all the things she hates about herself? It’s also why Elisabeth does not feel good about herself the rest of the movie, why she falls into an eating disorder, why she can’t go out on a date, and why she ultimately can’t stop using the substance because all of her joy and will is still in Sue
The male characters, specifically, are the film’s critique of the male gaze. All the butt shots and the like are not. This is a critique of the female gaze. A female obsession, and she does it to herself
I saw it as ending up old and damaged was her worst fear and her not facing that and trying to find a way to hide behind it only made it worse. In the end I take the campiness of everything being that was her worst nightmare that she ended up creating and everyone (everything) had to bathe in the consequences of that..😂💀 I would love to talk more on spoilers fr I loved this
Just saw the film and regret I have to 100% agree with you. I found many of the scenes went waaaay too long and took away from the power of the message of the film-dancing scenes of Qualley were waaay overindulgent-like softcore porn. Showing the monster at the end and the spraying of blood over the audience just lost their impact. I agree the film was disappointingly shallow in this respect. And I agree the characters were caricatures, nothing to identify with or empathize with
Thank you. I was really struggling to find a review that saw things as I did. I am glad this is talked about
The short story by Kit Reed, "The New You," explores the same theme as The Substance but better. Like with many modern films by writer/directors, The Substance goes on for too long and lacks restraint for no real reason. Most of the movie works well -- nice choice to be visually inspired by the Shining, great casting/acting, excellent restrained sequences like the weathered Walk of Fame star and Elisabeth struggling to prepare for a date -- but the movie needed other voices to help refine/edit, especially the last half hour.
Good review. The ending was redicolous and too much lose ends
As a body horror fan, I went into this with undoubtedly unfair and unrealistically high standards based on all the praise this movie got. I was bored and disappointed by the end. The ending struck me as more comedy than anything (especially the Evil Dead blood spray had me cackling). To each their own, though. There's definitely a lot to digest with this one, and I wouldn't say don't watch it. It's definitely an experience to say the least, but still disappointing