So happy I found your other channel! I didn't even know you did movies too! This movie really reminds me of the book the eyes are the best part. It's a body horror about girlhood and being an immigrant. Absolutely fantastic book highly recommend. Loved your analysis ❤
the monster looked like the elephant man and Elisabeth's bathroom reminded of the room from the first Saw movie which is the best movie in the Saw series
It was very noticeable that she had no friends, no family, no support network of any kind. She physically and literally disappeared and nobody showed up to look for her.
It really just broke my heart when Elisabeth was unable to leave the house and go on her date. She was just so much in her own head at the time. Crippled by her own thoughts.
That scene hurt me, been thinking about it ever since I saw the movie. I was basically screaming at her “no you look great, go have fun!” But then I realized I’ve done the exact same thing so many times. The anxiety of not being good enough, whether that be physically or otherwise, stops us from enjoying things we deserve.
She couldn't stop craving the larger masses that "loved her." As opposed to a nice schlub from homeroom - whose honest admiration of her might've made a difference. I also, upon reflection, think about how Sue was capable enough to do a DIY home building project, building the bathroom hidden room. And Elizabeth, once she started cooking, seemed pretty good at it. All the more tragic that this was a woman who had other talents, but got fatally focused on the superficial high of being "loved" for her looks and youth.
Fred in general was such a sad character for me. :(I feel like she truly truly appreciated his efforts and really did want to go but her mind just wouldn’t let her
Most women especially celebrities and pretty girls put themselves through the same type of mental agony. They accept what society tells them and get in their own way of a genuine connection with a man. Unnecessary preferences do it every time
I loved how her younger self cared less and less for her older self coz its so true to life, we don't really think that much about the effects our young habits are gonna have on our older bodies
@@hazeleyes0071 yess, the way the young girls antagonize older women, not realizing that the system is positioned against us and we're all discarded once our youth is lost.
@demonique I love that comment and it applies to both genders. When you are young and hot (generally speaking) you think you can stay young and hot forever!
This makes me think about how my mom would scold me to wear a jacket or more proper shoes( rather than ballet flats) on a cold day saying your body will thank you later in old age. I am not sure if she was right a I am blessed with a pretty good constitution at 60. I think if you are predisposed for something-cancer, arthritis-it doesn’t matter too much what you do outside. It does matter what you eat.
Who else thinks it’s SUPER badass of Demi Moore to play this role? Considering her experience with plastic surgeries/injections and all. Powerful stuff
Her performance is INCREDIBLE too. I can't think of another conventionally beautiful actress in her generation who would've dove into a modernized hagsploitation film like that.
I agree and I think they were clever casting her, because within the movie you instantly think "this woman had surgery before" and it adds to the story
If she loved herself more, she would've used The Substance more responsibly; but then again, if she loved herself more she wouldn't have taken The Substance to begin with.
She was very mentally disabled as well at that point and also her sweetest and most confident self in a way she still felt she wasn’t good enough hence why she put the mask on but had enough bravado to go to the show 😢
@@Uvvibes I don't think her putting the mask was because she didn't felt good enough, it was for them to remember who she is, like when a celeb is so different after getting old or going through too much plastic surgery and you have to look on google to see who that is, she embraced herself but she knew they wouldn't, that's why she was so happy at the end, she didn't had to please anyone anymore (not even herself)
@@eu_o_andy her last smile to herself hurts, Like she found her peace, but coulda found it sooner if she came to her own acceptance sooner. I felt her monster form at the end is more symbolism towards her inability to accept her body, so it being deformed is like as if someone were to be unrecognizable after so much surgery
@@eu_o_andy and also added lipstick to the mask? Ahh interesting take though I thought the major plot was that she never learned her lesson even until the very end and I remember thinking why and thinking it just keeps going and going
I don’t think that going out with that guy would have helped her. She wasn’t into him. She was ONLY going out with him to feel better about herself. It would lead her to feeling like she had to settle because she got old. She needed to find a genuine, MUTUAL connection. All she knows is being praised for her looks
I don’t disagree with you. But it’s more complicated than that. She called the guy after running into the older version of the nurse. The older version kept saying it gets lonelier and lonelier. We can have a life too.
I do disagree. To me it was the most upsetting part of the film. She had a flashback of him telling her she was the most beautiful woman in the world, then took the piece of paper with his number on it and held it close to her heart. Clearly meaningful to her. To me it wasn't about whether they were a good or the right match. Whether they would have a mutual connection or a successful relationship, chemistry or any relationship at all for that matter. It was about her desperate desire to feel appreciated, wanted and valued again - things he would have done to 'HELP' her ... that frankly I think would have changed her life and prevented her 'downfall' - if only she was able to get to the date. Sadly she couldn't. To feel that anxiety of not being able to leave to house, to not be able to be where you want to be or do what you want to do. To disable yourself like that. I just don't think their 'MUTAL connection' or future possible feelings of settling has anything to do with it.
Also I dont think that just because he was awkward, weird and starstruck simply means he couldn't be funny, have interesting hobbies, be caring and attentive, have a job he loves and is great at... basically have good and attractive qualities ... reasons she would want to be with him. sorry just watched it and have a lot to say xxx
@@Katy-ul3jj that’s part of the tragedy of the story. We the audience can speculate on the what if’s, but we sadly know the ending. By the time she agreed to go on the date she had already taken the substance. I would like to agree with the points that you made. Had she gone on the date could things have been different? I’d like to thinks so. Sadly Sue was already becoming the dominant personality. Part of the beauty of the message(at least what I took away from it). Self love is important. Had Elizabeth loved herself a little more she wouldn’t have taken the substance in the first place. Great movie. Provoked so many thoughts and mixed emotions.
I also feel like the stage scene at the end is a representation of what society pressures women to do to themselves and when they go too far, the very same society mocks them and calls them monsters.
@@arrownoir ridiculous comment, nobody is detached from society because everyone is literally living in it. bet you're the type of person who would be like "men's mental health issues are them not taking responsibility for their own actions", as if men live in a society that doesn't pressure them to act a certain way.
More like what women pressure themselves into doing. She was literally a MILF who was rich and famous. The most privileged person possible. Did you miss the moral of the story? It was her own inability to accept herself that led to her downfall, not society.
@@tomatoxfairy You can’t be pressured into doing anything. At the end of the day it’s always your choice. You can always say no, you just choose not to because you’d rather blame someone/something else.
I think it's implied that Elisabeth is incapable of change, as seen in her outdated aerobics concept and retro outfit. As we walk past her different "eras" in the hallway, marking the passage of time, it's clear she's been stuck in a loop...consistent, unchanging, holding on to the same image of herself. Even though she has a smartphone, she still keeps a landline, a subtle but telling sign that she clings to the past. Elisabeth's problem wasn’t something self-love could fix. In fact, I don’t think self-love is the main issue of the movie. If anything, Elisabeth has an abundance of love for herself and her body -- bordering on narcissism. She’s obsessed with her own appearance and success, which is why she was driven to take "The Substance" in the first place -- to stay relevant in show business and preserve that idealized version of herself. The real issue is that her life is devoid of genuine love from people who matter. She’s spent years chasing career success and outward validation, leaving her isolated, with no deep connections or support system (the large portrait in her home, devoid of family photos, says it all). Her career became her only identity, and by the time she needed to evolve, it was already too late. Even her decision not to destroy Sue, despite all the damage Sue caused, speaks to this. Sue, in many ways, represents the last part of herself that Elisabeth hasn’t let go of and is the closest thing she has to having a family. Sue refers to her as "Mother" twice, and "matrix" literally means mother in Latin. Sue, despite being a destructive entity, is Elisabeth’s only remaining connection. But even in this relationship, Elisabeth clings to the past (Sue) rather than allowing herself to evolve. Elisabeth’s incapacity to change becomes her downfall. She’s spent her life preserving her outward appearance and letting society's standards dictate her worth, ignoring the deeper, more meaningful parts of life. The hallway of "eras" is a reminder that she’s been the same person all along, stuck in the same superficial mindset. When Sue/Elisabeth transforms into Monstro Elisasue, it becomes clear that her obsession with maintaining relevance has devoured her, leaving her a distorted version of who she once was. She loses sight of her own identity, becoming a monstrous reflection of the superficial ideals she clung to. The moral of the story is: when you let society's standards define your worth and overlook the importance of real connections, you risk losing yourself entirely. The "real substance" of life comes from those genuine connections and experiences.
or the landline verses the cell phone is a reference to how society views the young vs the old. always updating. also, maybe it wasn't her inability to change with the timesbut adapting to what was available to her at the current time in her life. I don't think the movie overtly judged elizabeth- that somehow it was her fault she failed to adapt as she aged but more coming to a self acceptance that every season of her life, young, aging and even the end being a monster were all her.
@@colormebrave2231 The movie has a lot of metaphors so I love how different perspectives shine a different light on certain scenes. I've been doing a lot of analysis on the movie and these are the reasons why I've interpreted Elisabeth's character as old-fashioned, aside from the landline and the unchanging styles of her "seasons": She used a newspaper when she was looking at job posts instead of the internet; it's further implied she's not into digital technology by using a physical calendar; on her kitchen table you can see she still uses an analog radio but it's a radio specifically for the elderly, the radio brand and model is called Retekess TR626 Longwave AM/FM/SW/LW 4 Band Radio with Bluetooth for Elderly; her vacuum cleaner brand is a 1960's Hoover Senior model 652. It's interesting that the last two objects subtly mock her age. I'm planning to post my own video essay for this movie, though I'm still in the editing stage and I really hope I follow through haha
Honestly Demi Moore was the perfect actress to cast for this role bc it basically follows her life story. Demi used to be so popular and one of the ultimate $ex symbols of the 1980s and 1990s - one of the big “It Girls”. She was basically Sue and young Elisabeth. Truly she was one of the biggest actresses. Then she kinda fell off for a while as she got older and had kids and stopped acting as much in movies. Then when she was 40 years old, I believe she got into a very public and well known relationship with Ashton Kutcher and she lowkey kinda became a laughingstock and people kinda looked at her like a has been. the media constantly obsessed on her age bc she was so much older than Ashton (like IIRC - she was 15 years older than him and he was in his 20s - funny how no one cares when it’s a man dating someone 15 years younger than him). People were very cruel to her - they mocked her appearance and called her an old cougar and made jokes about her looking Ashton’s mom or grandma and things like that. Anyways after that, she went thru a terrible divorce that ended in Demi going to rehab to kick the alcoholism and drug addiction she had developed over the course of her relationship with Ashton after she had been sober for years. She wrote in her book how insecure she felt bc Ashton cheated on her often - she ended up comparing herself and her appearance a lot to younger women since Ashton loved cheating on her and sleeping with younger women than demi… now he’s married to Mila Kunis who is years younger than he is. Then a few years ago, Demi came out with a “new” face in a modeling show she did - basically she looked almost unrecognizable. She had gotten major surgery to her face and tbh, for a little while, it seemed like her surgeon had botched her face (really what happened is that the swelling in her face hadn’t gone down yet when she got photographed at that public event). The public suddenly turned on her for trying to look younger and getting so much plastic surgery now thah she was in her 50s and criticized her and obsessed over her and mocked her the way people and social media made fun of Madonna and all her fillers. Anyways, Demi Moore has really experienced Elisabeth’s life.
The perfect role for her and she was excellent in it because she can relate to her caracter. Very good film. Margaret Qualley excellent, Dennis Quaid on point.
Wow, thats so insightful you're right so many parts of the movie directly correlate with her life! She mentions in interviews that while she doesn't feel like she and Elizabeth are similar at this point in her life, she does resonate with her in younger years
See, I remember the time of Demi-Ashton as being a time when every older gal thought she could get a younger man- " Look at Demi and Ashton!" I don't recall her being put down because she's always been very pretty. And Ashton is a bigger creep than anyone knew, so she may have dodged a bullet.
All I see is despite Demi made a lot of bad decision in her life, she's still a good person. Like how she and Bruce Willis used to be married but they both are still good friends until these days even Bruce was worried when she decided to marry Ashton who is way younger than she is. Bruce is currently suffering earlier sign of dementia and has to retired from acting, she along with their kids and grandkids are accompany him and hanging out together. She's still supporting him even showing it on her Instagram. All I can see is they both raised their kids right as they look like happy family. Meanwhile, Ashton is currently gets his own karma. When his co-star from That 70's show, Danny Masterson got arrested for being a creep, he and Mila sent the letter to the judge to defend him and they both make weird apology video in social media. And then, he also got tied up with Diddy as he mostly being one of his "best boys" even in Hot Ones interviews, he admitted it. Also, Mila Kunis seems like is not a good person either as she was dating Macaulay Culkin (Kevin from Home Alone) before and also kinda responsible of him being a drug addict. Thankfully, Macaulay is getting better and marrying Brenda Song (London from The Suite Life of Zach and Cody) and has a kid together.
My friend and I watched it last week, and we were def in shock afterward. We were silent for a few minutes, and we sensed some weird feeling in the air so we laughed but in a traumatized "wait- WTF did we just watch" way.
This takes many many of its cues from the Portrait of Dorian Gray - the story about a vain man who makes a deal with the Devil to obtain perpetual youth. The deal is that there is a painting of Dorian Gray that ages over time, while Dorian Gray remains young. The painting is locked away in an attic. The Substance "voice" could be the Devil, and the dark room she created in the bathroom takes the place of the room where there painting in the original story is kept. At first i thought this was a low-energy take on Death Becomes Her, but as I kept watching, it was clearly more of a re-telling of the Portrait of Dorian Gray.
FINALLY, as soon as I watched the movie I thought about Dorian Gray and Death Becomes Her!!! Just anybody I have discussed the movie knows those references 😅 I clearly see it, I'm very sure the director use those as inspiration and I love it
Well not to mention the giant portrait of Elizabeth that was smashed and then dragged back into the room as well!! I hadn’t even thought of that but you’re so spot on
It's interesting because the scene of Sue wanting to go out with that man was interpreted by my husband as an effort by Elizabeth to have fun and accept herself while I interpreted it as a desperate effort to find worth in herself yet again through outside (from herself) forces. Absolutely there is no way in my opinion that her going on that date would have helped her feel better at all. She was not into that man when they ran into each other.
I think if she did not have all the self-hatred, they could have both grown old together and had a great life. She already had everything a person could ask for. She was rich and she was famous. She found a man who considers her the most beautiful woman in the world. She was her own worse enemy. She could not love herself, therefore, she could not allow others to love her.
It's nice that your husband doesn't have to feel the same dystopian things we (women) do about this subject. Because I definitely agree with you. Nice that his life lens allows him to be optimistic about it. It would comfort me.
That first scene of them meeting... It works on a few levels. You could say that the superficial Sue would have disdain for this average, regular man, whereas the deeper, more sincere and less Narcissistic and healthier version of Elizabeth had a strong desire for a non-superficial human connection that was possible with this man. Sue derived so much of her personality, ego and self-worth from her looks that when those faded, so did her personality, ego and self-worth go with it. It was only 'okay' for Sue to have superficial relationships because her men were so attractive it gave her permission, but in the end, both Sue and Elizabeth actually wanted companionship and connection, but disconnected themselves from this for all the wrong reasons.
@@m.bird. As a man I thought the same. And even more pessimistic : the old class mate was obsessed mostly by her beauty. As Elisabeth, he was completely stuck in the past. If they formed a couple they would have been super toxics for each other lol
I think I’ll be one of those who remembers this movie forever. For me, it’s incredibly powerful, especially from the perspective of a former addict who used to inject. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone still fighting for sobriety-it has many graphic scenes involving infection that could be triggering. I made sure not to look, and I’m only one year sober myself. The idea of having a “better version” of myself-more intellectually attractive, confident, fun, vibrant, and outgoing-still lives inside my head. But now I don’t use substances to bring that version out. A big part of addiction is thoughts of relapse, and finally, after staying clean for longer than just weeks or months (this battle has been 10 years), I tend to forget some things about active addiction. This movie reminded me. One of the parts that resonated most was seeing her home fall into chaos-full of litter, dirty dishes, and chicken bones. That was me too, not liking myself when I was high and hating the weakness and miserable life that came with using. Thanks to this film, I remembered exactly what the “package deal” of addiction brings, and it makes my thoughts of relapse a lot less convincing. The movie reminded me of how ruthless my “perfect” version was toward my real self. Sobriety has given me a sense of unity I didn’t know I was grateful for-of not having to share my life with that other “me.” I don’t see that version everywhere I go (like in shameful memories tied to places, songs, and triggers that used to bring out the urge to use). This movie brought back memories that shouldn’t be forgotten, and the way it was depicted will help me hold on to them. When I imagine that miserable, real “me” tangled up in that messy house, looking on with disgust at my other self, I don’t want to feel that again. But it also makes me laugh-it shows the insanity of sacrificing everything to be a “perfect” self that you don’t even like, just for others to love. I’m glad I watched it, though I avoided the scenes of her first use (the triggers), but I did see her keep using, despite the horrible wound. I’m glad I saw that because it mirrored my own experience-this “perfect me” pushing to stay alive at any cost. It was a graphic but important reminder of why I don’t want this “me” to wake up again, and why don't want to relapse. One more thing I want to emphasize: the main character had a chance for a healthy relationship with the world, but once she knew what “perfection” felt like, she couldn’t settle for ordinary. I relate to that too; you miss real things because you’re chasing a fantasy. The part when she tried to create a “perfect self” on top of another “perfect self” really hit home. It’s the monster I was becoming when I used drugs on an already high version of myself. That madness-the messy monster in the dress, going out just to be seen, just to feel loved, despite who I was under that-was powerful to watch. An incredible movie.
One of the things I kept thinking about as I was watching this movie as a woman of a certain age is the way that myself and every other women I know are pretty much never happy with the way they look in the present, but as you get older and you look at old pictures of yourself you tend to think "why did I think I was so ugly back then? I would kill to look like that again" which is definitely something that crosses Elizabeth's mind as she goes through her journey with the substance. There's an added layer that definitely lines up metaphorically with some people who get more and more plastic surgery to the point where they barely look human anymore. I think these people know on some level that they’ve gone too far but they continue to dig themselves into this hole hoping that they will eventually get to a point of satisfaction, when the fact is that compared to now, they would probably like the way they look a lot more if they simply never started with the changes to begin with. This film is a cautionary tale if I ever saw one, and the lesson is that the only way to escape the trauma of the neverending race to stay "beautiful" is to gracefully bow out.
EXACTLY Value your youth, invest the time, and money in your talents and education bc beauty fades! So many older women are struggling with this concept and they abuse young women bc they did not love themselves they spent more time chasing men hoping he would pick her when these men cheat on them with young pretty women all the time bc men are visual creatures and misogynistic @55holes. THANK YOU
OMG. You encapsulated my thoughts exactly. I was never happy with my looks or body shape except for brief moments in time when I was young. Now that I'm in my 50s, I'm like, "C'mon, younger self!" Of course there will always be "someone prettier" but the ultimate goal is to find friends and lovers/partners who are smart enough to value more important things. Physical beauty eventually leaves any of us. The bowing out in my mind is to stop, as much as we can, worrying about how we look and hoping others value us even to the end of our days for how we ARE.
so happy to hear from a man who actually appreciated this movie. every review i've read on letterboxed by men has been "plot hole" this and "vapid, vain, karma" that. for anyone who has ever struggled with body dysmorphia, this felt less like a movie about a character, and more like a funhouse mirror being held up to my face. i absolutely loved it, i thought it was so beautifully executed to be able to seamlessly flow from tense body horror to comedic release with the most camp scene i've seen in recent history. i totally understand who people who don't know how intense this feeling is could see this as not making any sense (eg. "what did elizabeth get out of it" responses). but for those who unfortunately do, there's no question.
To be honest this ("what did Elizabeth get out of it") is the one thing in the movie that doesn't (or didn't) make sense to me as it's clear that they don't share a consciousness so she can't even experience the fame and love and praise that Sue is receiving. But I guess she still sees Sue as a part of her and therefor wants to see her (/self) "succeed" (be succesful) in life even if it gives her only a secondary form of achievement? Hence the "it's our big night" when she changes her mind about terminating Sue.
@@Niles7787 But the constant reminder that "you are one" is to drive home the fact that they ARE actually the same person. The "she´s stealing from me" phrase that Elizabeth keeps repeating over and over again is an attempt to not take responsibility for abusing the substance. And the hate that Sue feels for Elizabeth is supposed to symbolize the hate that we feel for ourselves when we overeat or are not productive and waste our days feeling sorry for ourselves. Anyone who struggles with self perception has this two conflicting sides. The one that makes you feel pretty one day, and ugly and fat the next. That´s why Monstro, the version that finally accepts themselves, is a merge of both sides.
Agreed. Was surprised by the low review scores out there. Thought this was one of the best horror movies in years, easily best of 2024, and couldn't imagine giving this less than an 8 out of 10 (and I'm a dude btw.) The 'plot holes' claimed in this movie are really inane to me, as this is obviously not a realistic movie, its a surreal, horror fantasy, more akin to a fairy tale than what passes for a standard horror movie, like Saw 9 or whatever.
I think the "there is no you and her, you are one" line is a really powerful one for the themes of the film. There is no "old you" and "young you". There is no "desirable you" and "gross you". There is no "problems for me as an old women" and "blissfulness of the pretty younger women" or vice versa. It's all One. The problems of old women, young women, fat women, skinny women, conventionally attractive women, supposedly unattractive women, etc etc... are all one. The problems reflect the way that women are viewed at treated as a whole. It can feel good to be the Sue. It can be great to reap the benefits of being one of the desirable ones, yet it is all at the beck and call of those who wield this worldview. Then eventually Elizabeth comes for her time and if you haven't made space for her in life and society then her problems are more acutely yours than ever.
For example I’m turning 35 in a month. The last few years I noticed the stark change in how often I’m looked at or hit on. I’m not even a person that enjoys attention, and yet it had me feeling really down for a minute. Thankfully I always did the mental work to know that time would come and I’m completely okay with it now. But it’s very jarring when it does happen, and I can see how a person who has always put way too much importance and value in their looks would start to become unhinged when they notice the difference as they gets older.
Exactly. She went to all that torment to be able to cater to expectations and wishes of others, up to and including literally throwing her actual self away. Thanks but no thanks. My wrinkles are my history, anyone who doesn't like them can eff off.
It’s about accepting what you can’t change. More you try to change it the worse it gets. If we were perfect we’d all be marble statues carved in one image.
I absolutely love this video. You did a great job adding quotes from the creators and not just sort of saying symbolism off the top of your head. Thank you!
Thanks. I'll always try to do a bit of research and go straight to the source for my videos, as I myself actually want to know what the artists behind the work had to say and were trying to do!
@@MadMorphMovieClubI was expecting you to mention The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Death Becomes Her, I haven't researched if the director mentioned it but those are clearly references or inspiration for the film. I haven't caught either the Fly reference but makes absolutely sense. For me at the beginning it was just as a bad omen.
I think an important part that you kinda left out was when she ran into the old guy at the diner, who was the other self of the young hot nurse who gave her the usb stick. He told her that it does get lonely and that she must learn to not give herself up (which leads her to set up the date with Fred). This idea is also shown by the reaction of Sue, when she sees how Elizabeth is using her 7 days, binge-watching and binge-eating/consuming. By birthing Sue, Elizabeth had already given herself up, she did not care about her own life anymore, her own goals or any kind of aspirations. I think later in the movie she said that Sue is the only valuable/lovable part of her. And that sentiment is also what makes her stop the termination process. She felt like Sue's life, who was beautiful, young and adored was worth more than her own.
Good take. This is confirmed every time some rude man uses such terms as "the wall" when referring to women. As if women should disappear because they've gotten older.
Two things I picked up on: I feel the part when she becomes Monstro and puts the picture of her old face over her, now hideous, face symbolises how people completely ruin their faces with cosmetic surgery. By trying to make themselves look younger and more beautiful, they end up looking quite deformed in some cases (Jocylyn Weinstein the 'cat lady' is a perfect example). As a result, they appreciate how beautiful they were before and wish they could go back to how they looked, hence why she places the old picture of herself over her face. I think the part where Sue is kicking Elizabeth to death on the living room floor symbolises how we beat ourselves up over our appearance. In seems we view ourselves as two entities. How many times have you thought or heard someone say "how did this happen. When did I get this old?". It's like we have our consciousness which is trapped inside this aging husk that we may not fully recognise or relate to as we age. In the worst cases some people may outright reject it and start hating it. In this instance, Elizabeth symbolises the aging body, and Sue symbolises the internal self. Sue is filled with so much disgust, hatred and anger that she just wants to kill it. I thought that was a very powerful scene.
I think the parts of the movie where Sue in particular is doing something outlandish such as building an entire door/room seemingly out of nowhere and doing super human kicks to her other body represents that in her younger and prettier form she is more “powerful” and capable/has more opportunity to do things in life compared to Elisabeth, who is usually found just sitting at home slowly going crazy
I was just thinking about that. It's almost like she views herself as a superhero when she's in her younger form, and she gets stronger the more she takes away from old elisabeth. In the end right when she was killing her old self it really did feel like I was watching an episode of the boys 😅
When I first saw it I was like "That is too silly, it kills the mood for me a bit". But then, after watching reviews it makes more sense. Because we are watching the world from Elizabeth exaggerated point of view, like how the billboards are all in her face and don´t even say anything about in what network you can watch the shows or phone numbers or anything. Everything is exaggerated.
The name Sue is also way shorter than Elisabeth - only one syllable compared to four -, and therefore fresher. The short name is quick to pronounce and could symbolize being young while the long name symbolizes being old, slow, taking too much time, boring... The casting director Harvey also quickly changes her assistant's name to Cindy (only two syllables) because "who could remember her boring long name", like "make it quicker, more funny, more fresh". For me this represents this cultural shift of media being shortened to 10 second videos etc, our attention span being decreased heavily. But that's just my interpretation :)
@@irenekay7934 It has to do with them lips 👄 I guess, how saying the name forms a kiss movement and we all saw how focused the cameras were on her lips, all the monitors showing her lips.
I feel like one of the other points is that Demi Moore IS super gorgeous at whatever age she is in this. It's a super powerful film, and also darkly hilarious in quite a few bits. I saw it at a film festival and the audience just loved it! Congrats to everyone involved.
That hit hard. Also the implication of her casting, as she is still freaking GORGEOUS but it's impossible to look like a 25 year old. The scene where she sabotages her date & aggressively destroys her makeup was devastating because she looked *incredible* but she still hates herself. Such a great way to portray how it's never enough & being a woman is a losing game if you are only values for beauty, because everyone ages and there will always be somebody younger. So even someone as beautiful as Demi Moore, looking as good as she did in that red dress, could hate her looks so much. We've all been there
That is the saddest part. She is a certified MILF who is rich, retired, and famous. Having all these things, she still destroyed herself :( We are truly our own most harsh critic in life.
It manages to quote Carpenter, Cronenberg, Kubrick, James Whale,De Palma and Ducourneau, and be totally original. Satire and comedy at its neon bleached darkest. Great review. Without exception,
I honestly thought The Substance was ok and it felt like an episode of Tales From The Crypt and the works of David Lynch through the use of colors and imagery (Twin Peaks and The Elephant Man respectively).
Ikr! I'm 30 and soo many aspects were relatable. The worst part was Sue's teeth were falling off and Harvey and his minions still tell her that pretty girls should always smile. I rolled my eyes so hard at that!
The Shining too with the long hallway scene/the end when the hallway is drenched in blood, same with the bathroom scene in the beginning, it reminded me of when Jack Torrance talks to the butler in the men’s room
@@MenesterHappyNappyMadgalene ya but also I hope they can resonate with it and learn from it because they’re kind of victims to this mentality that a lot of women are subjected to. I get that we feel they shouldn’t fall victim to it and be stronger than that but it’s not always that simple unfortunately.
Did anyone else notice only 2 of the lockers had numbers on them? Elizabeth and I'm assuming the man who was also using the substance. I wonder what the reasoning was .
@@sekoaibprobably not . As her number was over 500 . Most possible is there were more subjects . But their trial failed and died or terminated the younger self.
It's so sad that there are so many women that will relate to the movie and not in a good way. I am currently 61 and even though my looks have faded and my figure has expanded, I don't hate myself nor wish I was younger. It took me years to except myself and not feel the need to have men validate me. I'm a good person and a contributing member of society.
Agreed! I can't lie, it's hard to let go of whatever looks I had as I get older. And though my male partner is great, he can still be tempted by women being hot and young, although he tries not to go too far with that. He at least is self-aware. But it's rough. :(
@@acey9997 He's tempted by hot young women. And "tries" not to go "too" far with that. He sounds awful. Just awful. But you think you don't deserve better. You do.
The movie made me genuinely sad but also grateful I never had "pretty privilege" and my looks were never my best trait (I'm pretty but I knew young I never met beauty standards) because now that I'm 40 I feel ok with my body changes and my looks. I feel more comfortable now than I did 20 years ago but my god it's so hard being a woman in society
@@seannanana84 It is indeed good that we never had "pretty privilege" (nice term!) and thus were able to cultivate our other abilities, intellect, skills, etc. But you're still right, women still get judged pretty hard regardless. No matter how good I am at my job, I still sometimes get subconsciously or well-meaningly or otherwise judged less than male colleagues of lesser skill. Not always, and not as much, but it still happens.
@@acey9997 do you ever wonder if he feels the same?? From what i've seen in the comment's it's as if ageing only affects women.. Guy's don't like it either, going from abs to beer bellies, seeing wrinkles coming in and losing their hair.. Not getting the same attention they used too, slowing down and so on.. Ageing affects everyone and just like younger hot women tempting men (in general) well it's just the same for older guy's seeing the younger fitter guy's tempting women..
This is a great review and I respect the vision of the director. The movie resonated with me in a different way. It could also symbolize the relationship between a narcissistic mother and her daughter. The pressure to have a child and "continue the next generation" and the grotesque scene in the bathroom could symbolize childbirth and the permanent damage in many women's bodies. Then, although the mother is brainwashed by society that she will love her daughter, seeing her surpass her career or having better looks cuts deep. Many narcissistic mothers self destruct in middle age with binge eating and other addictions. Eventually, the daughter focuses more in her own life and the narcissistic mother feels that she has aged and lost her happiness after having a daughter and decides to destroy her. She asks other parents (the old guy in the movie who has created the young, handsome nurse) and they tell her that it doesn't get better. Both get permanent great damage from this enmeshment and abuse. Idk if anyone would agree with my review, but I grew up with a narcissistic mother (extremely low contact now) and she exhibited many of Elizabeth's behaviors and blamed me for "ruining her life", never taking accountability about the fact that she chose to get pregnant and stay pregnant, similarly to how Elizabeth chose to get the substance and not stop fast enough, despite the fact that no one forced her. Just my 2 cents.
I was thinking the same. That movie looks so much like my teenage years and my mother's middle age crisis. My mother only ceased when I no longer was "pretty" and then realized I didn't give a shit about what men thinking of me.
It also reminds me of my mother, how I saw her as she is aging, how my father sometimes acted around her no longer being thin as a needle, how much I loathed thinking I will be like her in the future and as of more recently a lot of sympathy and guilt. Mothers put up with a lot, aging women put up with a lot. It's a thankless job to be in that position and it's inevitable unless somehow you have the ridiculous luck of being only around people that are extremely self-aware, mindful and loving enough to recognise someone's worth beyong appearance. Most men will not love their partners and wives beyond fading looks and will fall into the traps of egocentric entitlement 'I deserve better and more now'.
I liked the scene where her star is covered in ketchup and at the end it is red again, but from blood, like a foreshadowing. Also the two eggs from the opening scene and then the two fried eggs on Elizabeth's frying pan. I love those kinds of subtle but powerful symbols.
This movie was so refreshing and original in an era of dreadful remakes. Also, as a man it really showed me some interesting problems women struggle with that is never really talked about amongst men. The movie had very "Black Mirror" vibes and I loved it. I also felt the body horror was a little over the top and Demi Moore did phenomenal.
to me the fly in the wine is a couple of things, first, a feminist reference of the alanis morrissette's song, ironic, "it's the black fly in the chardonnay..' but visually it resembles a prehistoric insect, stuck in amber, further, it's a repeating motif, with the yellow being transferred to liz's yellow, oversized coat, that she's practically swims in. she's trapped. in the cells spitting, the yellow in the substance's video. but back to the fly in the wine, like the fly, there's nothing left to drown.... her fate is sealed. i loved the orange hallway, which resembled the carpet in THE SHINING. lol... all of this from one shot in a movie i ultimately hated. liked your explainer tho. liked and sub'd.
WOW incredible! Thank you for opening my eyes more lol. I’ve been scratching my head all weekend just trying to think of what that scene could mean beneath its surface, but I couldn’t get past the idea of it foreshadowing her fate-much like the fly, she ended up drowning in the substance. I love the idea of the prehistoric insect stuck in amber & I can’t believe I missed the Ironic reference! It all makes so much more sense now! 👏🏼
I’m a woman struggling to accept her aging self. I won’t ever watch the movie because it’s so unsettling, but your video hit me hard. After that, I feel more scared of all the things women put themselves through to try to stay young. So thank you, I guess? 😂
I'm a middle aged woman starting the process of menopause, and curiously enough it's a relief. Women spend decades fending off randos and strangers that hit on them on the bus, or follow them down a city street, or refuse to take NO for an answer. The constant vigilance gets exhausting. But now that I'm older and growing out my gray hair, it's like an invisibility cloak: no one bothers me! The less sexualized I become, the more peaceful life is. There are some perks to getting older.
I 100% agree as soon as i saw the ending i immediately said to my friend that this is an instant classic, this will be a recommended watch every Halloween season to come
I've been to see it twice now, and I find it so intense and a horrific experience- but i also really enjoy it because of that. I've seen A LOT of films of varying quality/content, so it's rare now something hits me like this. It's the only time I've ever left a cinema had to sit down and cry for a minute. I think the first time, it was just so much more graphic, loud, intense, shocking than the trailer led on (props to them hiding most of the film), it was a total assault on my senses and I completely understood the characters and that world. The second time I was more prepared, but it is just so sad to me. From where both versions are alive at the same time they're just so hateful and desperate it hurts. So, my one disappointment with it, is I had a lot of family who wanted to see it based on the trailer and I know now they won't like it and I can't subject my grandma to this 😂🤦♂️ But overall, an amazing experience that actually hit me deep.
This is the second video that I've watched and I'm surprised that no one is talking about this story's reference to the experience of drug addiction. I mean the film is literally called "The Substance" and this a story about how a person abuses a substance that they believe can make them better, and they don't play by the rules and initially this drug which made everything better starts to make everything worse, and yet they cannot stop using it even to save their relationships, career or even life. The femanist message is really loud here, but the lack of notice of addiction behaviour is making me feel those messages are nought but dog whistles to people who have dealt with drug abuse.
i think because elisabeth had injected the termination into sue but then last minute elisabeth decided to swap anyway, i think that caused the substance to go out of sync and thats why she woke up a different person
I believe it happened because Elizabeth had already started to inject the termination liquid into Sue, but stopped halfway through. Leading to her consciousness not fully transferring and causing Sue's body to deteriorate rapidly (although this part could also be caused by the death of the matrix)
For me this symbolizes the critical moment when you decide whether your new identity will take over your entire life or if you will return to your old self. She decided that her new chaotic identity would live, and she ended up as a monster.
Sue had been 75% terminated when Elisabeth attempted to switch, it’s also why Sue wasn’t entirely human during the fight scene (with her animalistic growls and superhuman strength). It’s not until Elisabeth died that her consciousness returned to her
A superb analysis of a deeply troubling and surprisingly humorous variation on the masterpiece All about eve. The aging actress eventually supplanted by a younger talent. This grand guinol epic is tasteless, fearless and blessed with incredible performances. Nice touches using Bernard Herrman’s music from Vertigo when the earrings are inserted. Also the orange/red corridor with the distinctive patterned carpet is a tribute to The Shining reinforced when the hall is awash with blood as the monster explodes.
Fun fact, the Vertigo theme was meant to be a placeholder, to be replaced with something else, but it ended up just being so perfect that even when a composer came on board they (director and composer) decided to keep it!
9:29 I viewed that scene differently. To me it represented how you view people, especially partners differently when you’re young to old. When you’re young he’s confident and a bad boy. But the same guy is viewed as rude, agressive and arrogant by her older self. Just my opinion
This movie reminds me of when I was younger and used to love listening to Brittney Spears. I was listening to Brittney every day and was starting to memorize lyrics but my sister pulled me out of it. She told me to stop listening because Brittney Spear had a mental breakdown. She basically told me to toss a woman to the side because she was mentally ill.
My problem was: Why would Demi's character bother? They are told she is a younger/better version of her... but she seems to not share the memories of her younger counter-part so she is sacrificing her looks, her time and her life for seemingly someone completely different from her to enjoy their youth. It needed for Demi to be able to feed of memories she inherits when switching back...or the younger her is identical to her at that age. It felt more an allegory of Mother/Daughter relationships, but they seem to be two separate people and seeing Sue's success is in no way her success other than she gave birth to her
The thing is -- and this is a key message in the movie -- Elisabeth's self-hate has reached such a level that she'd rather sacrifice half of her remaining lifetime sleeping, but she's not literally suicidal, and holds onto the idea that something (in her own words) "lovable" can still come from her, even though she's "dead" to the world after turning 50. Sue is like the mask she wears while keeping her true self dormant, practically dead. It's a perfect metaphor for the feeling many women have while living under the pressure of beauty standards.
@@tangerine966 fair point, she does show self destructive behaviour. But she felt so self involved (even if self hate way) that I didn't buy her conceding to another having the limelight without seemingly her involvement. The movie was muddled with motivation for Demi's character imho... but I take your point
@armanimiller yeah that felt an important scene. But Demi seemed confused/disorientated by these flash of memories. It failed to show the experience shared for her enjoyment. The film went out of its way to show how Demi got the negative end of the body swap... but agreed to it because of her vanity....but failed to show how vanity would be fed by seeing Sue succeed
Excellent review! You're right, it's an Instant Classic. I'm not a fan of Body Horror either but it was impossible for me to stop watching the movie even if I wanted to. There are clear references to Lynch and "Sunset Boulevard", always appreciated by film buffs as well. Liked, Commented and Subscribed! Thanks for your work!
I think she was experiencing what Sue was initially. However as time went by while using the substance her mind developed some sort of Bipolar disorder and her personality split into Sue and Elizabeth. She is still the same person but her my mind wasnt. I dont think it was the due to the effect of the drug but due to her own perception
@@oreomon If Elizabeth didnt experience what Sue did, she wouldnt have hesitated at terminating Sue. She didnt terminate her cause she still wanted Sue’s experience. If they were both different, than it wont benefit her at all to keep her around. I think you not feeling it means that the movie is that good at showcasing that Elizabeth is going through a mental disorder to make her think there is another when there were always only one
@maverickckj also not too dissimilar from how an addict feels when using vs. sober. Maybe. Different people who know the same things, have the same info, but different decisions happen.
I love this movie. I think that it's bleak, but it also has a very positive message. Be happy with who you are now don't wait for some skewed idea of perfection to happen it's not going to happen. You can always find a flaw, but many of those flaws are a source of strength, aging for example.
😂 coincidentally there's an ad displaying a picture of Shrimp attached to this video. Clearly the advertising team didn't see this flick or if they did, great gag on their end lol
This movie is what I live with everyday. However regardless of what they say, I feel like only those who are wealthy really get any useful help. The rest of us are still shamed or locked up in a nut house until our insurance runs out. Best way to deal is just pray that you see the best in yourself and know that this life is just a short journey❤ it's not a great fix BUT helps me function.
The crazy thing tho is the wealthy get the help, and yet it’s STILL never good enough. See those that overdo their procedures as they get procedure blindness, or still suffer substance (lol) abuse, loneliness, and loss of meaning. It’s never enough when you set your identity by other people’s expectations.
I couldn't help but notice the wide array of references that this film made: 1) The Fly, as rightly spotted out, symbolises one of the pioneering movies in the body horror genre by David Cronenberg. 2) KUBRIK. My god, the film takes so many inspirations from Stanley Kubrik's phenomenal projects. The orange hallway is no doubt a direct reference to the infamous hallway of the hotel shown in The Shining (I was sceptical at first, but the bloody hallway scene at the end of the movie definitely confirmed it). Then there's a direct reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey (the film's theme plays whilst ElisaSue is on the stage). 3) Again, you caught the King Kong reference quite rightly, was waiting for someone to point it out. 4) Finally, and I do not know WHY people are not talking about this enough - There's a TON of inspiration that's been taken from Rick and Morty. The cellular-splitting causing the character to de-age (Rick and Morty S5E10, where Morty goes back to get de-aged after purposely aging himself to convince Rick to come back to him) OR, S2E07, the episode where Tiny Rick takes over and does not allow the original Rick to come be back in his body. Finally, I think the appearance Mostro ElisaSue was strongly inspired by one of Rick and Morty's famous episodes - Rick Potion #9 (S1E06), where Rick accidentally ends up turning the whole world into "cronenbergs" (haha!) (After the episode's end credits roll, we see a cronenberged version of Rick and Morty which looks eerily similar to ElisaSue in the film).
I'm 60 and have never thought of myself as beautiful by any standard. To be honest I'd honestly give myself 5, nothing special. I think girls like me work on our personalities. My Mother had jet black hair and green/hazel eyes and was very disappointed I was so fair. I married at 16 and was married for 34yrs till he passed 8yrs ago. I've not dated since. It's so true as we age we become invisible and it's sad... Very lonely ❤ thank you for making this recap, I'm happy to be a New Subscriber
I don't usually have an emotional response to characters in film, but I was 100% engaged with Elizabeth and heartbroken. I am a couple of months away from turning 40 and resonating with this film on so many levels. Thankful I got to catch this visual feast in theater!
I'd like to think that the movie title also refers to her physical substance. Thats why I dig your way of concluding that the only relief the character experiences is when she is no longer physical. I love this movie for pointing that out, for its portrayal of female matter. I know I am not the only woman who regularly wishes to be invisible and this movie helped me to understand that wish better. It's not really about wanting to be gone/ dead etc. it's more about living under circumstances where you need to establish a seperate mind from a body, to then establish a relationship between those two that is instrumental, violent and unbearable. So the idea of not "having" any matter, not "having" any substance becomes possible and something to desire. I just came back from the theatre and I am so, so amazed.
You did this review so much justice. The way you talk empathically about the issues women face is very mindful, very demure. I loved this review - too scared to watch the movie because I am nervous of the visual body horror aspect so this spoiler review was awesome.
A very empathetic and reasoned video, I appreciated how you broke it down. It's such a challenging movie to watch and yes, probably a very different experience depending on gender.
Just saw it. So much to discuss. I’m still in shock and complete awe. So many themes. Ugh SO GOOD. But yea if gore is not your genre you might not like be it but see it anyways. There’s more to this movie, way more. ❤
For me, this movie speaks about addictions in general. The new identity and the old identity are initially separate but in balance. The old self is hidden from society, depressed, while the new self is out in the world. Then the new identity spirals out of control, with several moments of deciding to return to the old self, and the final choice to embrace the new identity until becoming a monster, ultimately ending its life.
It's nothing you can ever understand as a man, that you are correct. Even at 27 I can empathise with Elisabeth because this world has achieved making me feel the way she feels, but you will never be able to. And one more thing you will never understand is the way men who hate women and want women to feel the way Elisabeth feels throughput the movie will experience pure sadistic pleasure watching this movie.
Sad thing is, it's so common for girls to feel this way, the moment they enter their 20ties. There's so much value placed on youth, especially your teen years, and it feels like you're deteriorating the moment you get 2 before your age number.
What I liked about the movie the most was how they portrayed the concept of constant fighting yourself related to self-acceptance and that's why the movie's name is The Substance as it's about a sort of antidote that seeks keeping you young without going to plastic surgeries.
I swear I kept looking at this throughout like she died in car accident and this was all a dream , seemed the most logical explanation I mean she walks away from the car crash ? It looked pretty intense
I randomly decided to go through my subscribed channels and HOLY SHIT am I glad I subscribed to you?? This is such a good video and as another comment already pointed out, "the only moment of relief that the character gets is when she doesn't have a body" also made my jaw drop. You also captured this sensitive topic with such care and thought, thank you for that ♥
I don't know if things woud have been different if she would have gone out with Fred. Although lovely from him to still complement her, it is STILL about being beautiful. Not about her character, but still about her looks.
I see a lot of people defend Fred, saying he was the only one who accepted her and liked her older looks yadda yadda. But since he was introduced he always mention what a big "celebrity" she is, how famous she is. Even when she didn't show up to the date he messenges her how she is "probably very busy being a celebrity/star". I highly doubt Fred would care for Elizabeth if she wasn't a famous person, and I highly doubt Elizabeth actually cared about him either
She was not only a MILF, she was rich, famous, getting numbers from guys. It was her own perception of herself that was her downfall. All she needed to do was tell herself "that producer is an assh*le" and retire and do whatever she felt like in life.
2:53 the fly symbolizes her feeling. She’s trapped her life was the superficial glamour and adoration by all at that time she felt that life slowly drowning.
The desire to look younger as we age crosses the minds of everyone alive. In this case she wants to return to fame and fortune, not simply be able to do things she used to do and be rejuvenated. There is a catch.
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So happy I found your other channel! I didn't even know you did movies too! This movie really reminds me of the book the eyes are the best part. It's a body horror about girlhood and being an immigrant. Absolutely fantastic book highly recommend. Loved your analysis ❤
the monster looked like the elephant man and Elisabeth's bathroom reminded of the room from the first Saw movie which is the best movie in the Saw series
It was very noticeable that she had no friends, no family, no support network of any kind. She physically and literally disappeared and nobody showed up to look for her.
Except the old, male, friend.
im so sad she didn’t get with fred.
@@chickenandric3dude genuinely loves her😢
@@CandymantheRapper2 real
@@BogushCh he issn't even a friend, he was an old classmate she didn't remember and essentially a stranger
It really just broke my heart when Elisabeth was unable to leave the house and go on her date. She was just so much in her own head at the time. Crippled by her own thoughts.
First thing I said when she was getting ready. Oh no, please don't stand him up. My name was also his name.
That scene hurt me, been thinking about it ever since I saw the movie. I was basically screaming at her “no you look great, go have fun!” But then I realized I’ve done the exact same thing so many times. The anxiety of not being good enough, whether that be physically or otherwise, stops us from enjoying things we deserve.
She couldn't stop craving the larger masses that "loved her." As opposed to a nice schlub from homeroom - whose honest admiration of her might've made a difference. I also, upon reflection, think about how Sue was capable enough to do a DIY home building project, building the bathroom hidden room. And Elizabeth, once she started cooking, seemed pretty good at it. All the more tragic that this was a woman who had other talents, but got fatally focused on the superficial high of being "loved" for her looks and youth.
Fred in general was such a sad character for me. :(I feel like she truly truly appreciated his efforts and really did want to go but her mind just wouldn’t let her
Most women especially celebrities and pretty girls put themselves through the same type of mental agony. They accept what society tells them and get in their own way of a genuine connection with a man. Unnecessary preferences do it every time
I loved how her younger self cared less and less for her older self coz its so true to life, we don't really think that much about the effects our young habits are gonna have on our older bodies
or how we dont care about older women when we are young
Wow yes! We are one with our future, older self - so the better we take care of our younger selves now, the least our older selves will suffer!
@@hazeleyes0071 yess, the way the young girls antagonize older women, not realizing that the system is positioned against us and we're all discarded once our youth is lost.
@demonique
I love that comment and it applies to both genders. When you are young and hot (generally speaking) you think you can stay young and hot forever!
This makes me think about how my mom would scold me to wear a jacket or more proper shoes( rather than ballet flats) on a cold day saying your body will thank you later in old age. I am not sure if she was right a I am blessed with a pretty good constitution at 60. I think if you are predisposed for something-cancer, arthritis-it doesn’t matter too much what you do outside. It does matter what you eat.
Who else thinks it’s SUPER badass of Demi Moore to play this role? Considering her experience with plastic surgeries/injections and all. Powerful stuff
Her performance is INCREDIBLE too. I can't think of another conventionally beautiful actress in her generation who would've dove into a modernized hagsploitation film like that.
I agree and I think they were clever casting her, because within the movie you instantly think "this woman had surgery before" and it adds to the story
Demi was over-sexualized in the 90’s and I’m so happy she is back and has something to say about it. More of this please!
Perfect casting. She was amazing
I've always loved her, she's a Scorpio & we aren't afraid of confronting our baggage. She was the PERFECT actress to play this role.
"the only moment of relief that the character gets is when she doesn't have a body" my jaw dropped.
That wrapped everything up perfectly. There were a couple times I thought the movie was gonna end, and then it just. kept. GOING.
@@Darksoulsboy69 RIGHT? a perfect ending
@@Darksoulsboy69they made it tooling and it soon got boring and stupid, wish they made it shorter and more realistic
@@cindyraneri192 if you were going for realism you were watching the wrong film my guy 😂 it was meant to feel like a fever dream
Thats when i started crying 😂
If she loved herself more, she would've used The Substance more responsibly; but then again, if she loved herself more she wouldn't have taken The Substance to begin with.
It's like botox
THIS. Exactly.
Exactly, being yourself without self doubts is already a balanced state, no needs for the substance
@@ΑκριβήΤαράτσα I saw it more like an Steroid anology
Lit
At the end when she says to the crowd "It is still me.", is self-acceptance.
that part got me crying. her soul was the one speaking
She was very mentally disabled as well at that point and also her sweetest and most confident self in a way she still felt she wasn’t good enough hence why she put the mask on but had enough bravado to go to the show 😢
@@Uvvibes I don't think her putting the mask was because she didn't felt good enough, it was for them to remember who she is, like when a celeb is so different after getting old or going through too much plastic surgery and you have to look on google to see who that is, she embraced herself but she knew they wouldn't, that's why she was so happy at the end, she didn't had to please anyone anymore (not even herself)
@@eu_o_andy her last smile to herself hurts, Like she found her peace, but coulda found it sooner if she came to her own acceptance sooner. I felt her monster form at the end is more symbolism towards her inability to accept her body, so it being deformed is like as if someone were to be unrecognizable after so much surgery
@@eu_o_andy and also added lipstick to the mask? Ahh interesting take though I thought the major plot was that she never learned her lesson even until the very end and I remember thinking why and thinking it just keeps going and going
I don’t think that going out with that guy would have helped her. She wasn’t into him. She was ONLY going out with him to feel better about herself. It would lead her to feeling like she had to settle because she got old. She needed to find a genuine, MUTUAL connection. All she knows is being praised for her looks
I don’t disagree with you. But it’s more complicated than that. She called the guy after running into the older version of the nurse. The older version kept saying it gets lonelier and lonelier. We can have a life too.
So much speculation, but both plausible outcomes.
I do disagree. To me it was the most upsetting part of the film. She had a flashback of him telling her she was the most beautiful woman in the world, then took the piece of paper with his number on it and held it close to her heart. Clearly meaningful to her.
To me it wasn't about whether they were a good or the right match. Whether they would have a mutual connection or a successful relationship, chemistry or any relationship at all for that matter. It was about her desperate desire to feel appreciated, wanted and valued again - things he would have done to 'HELP' her ... that frankly I think would have changed her life and prevented her 'downfall' - if only she was able to get to the date.
Sadly she couldn't. To feel that anxiety of not being able to leave to house, to not be able to be where you want to be or do what you want to do. To disable yourself like that. I just don't think their 'MUTAL connection' or future possible feelings of settling has anything to do with it.
Also I dont think that just because he was awkward, weird and starstruck simply means he couldn't be funny, have interesting hobbies, be caring and attentive, have a job he loves and is great at... basically have good and attractive qualities ... reasons she would want to be with him.
sorry just watched it and have a lot to say xxx
@@Katy-ul3jj that’s part of the tragedy of the story.
We the audience can speculate on the what if’s, but we sadly know the ending.
By the time she agreed to go on the date she had already taken the substance.
I would like to agree with the points that you made. Had she gone on the date could things have been different? I’d like to thinks so.
Sadly Sue was already becoming the dominant personality.
Part of the beauty of the message(at least what I took away from it). Self love is important. Had Elizabeth loved herself a little more she wouldn’t have taken the substance in the first place.
Great movie. Provoked so many thoughts and mixed emotions.
“Birth a booby,” is such a polite way of describing the worst thing I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes.
I can't remember the last time I was so repulsed by something in a movie! Gag worthy
I also feel like the stage scene at the end is a representation of what society pressures women to do to themselves and when they go too far, the very same society mocks them and calls them monsters.
Yes
That’s just passing the blame and not taking responsibility for one’s own actions.
@@arrownoir ridiculous comment, nobody is detached from society because everyone is literally living in it. bet you're the type of person who would be like "men's mental health issues are them not taking responsibility for their own actions", as if men live in a society that doesn't pressure them to act a certain way.
More like what women pressure themselves into doing. She was literally a MILF who was rich and famous. The most privileged person possible. Did you miss the moral of the story? It was her own inability to accept herself that led to her downfall, not society.
@@tomatoxfairy You can’t be pressured into doing anything. At the end of the day it’s always your choice. You can always say no, you just choose not to because you’d rather blame someone/something else.
I thought maybe the character was named Sue because it rhymes with you, and lip reading its the same.
"Im Sue" looks like "Im You."
Great movie!
creative
I thought it was Sue because in Spanish “su” means “theirs” and Sue is hers in a way because it is herself lol.
I saw somewhere.. sue = use .
I thought U as in You, and the E and S as in the initials from Elisabeth Sparkle
BRILLIANT! Good catch!
I think it's implied that Elisabeth is incapable of change, as seen in her outdated aerobics concept and retro outfit. As we walk past her different "eras" in the hallway, marking the passage of time, it's clear she's been stuck in a loop...consistent, unchanging, holding on to the same image of herself. Even though she has a smartphone, she still keeps a landline, a subtle but telling sign that she clings to the past.
Elisabeth's problem wasn’t something self-love could fix. In fact, I don’t think self-love is the main issue of the movie. If anything, Elisabeth has an abundance of love for herself and her body -- bordering on narcissism. She’s obsessed with her own appearance and success, which is why she was driven to take "The Substance" in the first place -- to stay relevant in show business and preserve that idealized version of herself. The real issue is that her life is devoid of genuine love from people who matter. She’s spent years chasing career success and outward validation, leaving her isolated, with no deep connections or support system (the large portrait in her home, devoid of family photos, says it all). Her career became her only identity, and by the time she needed to evolve, it was already too late.
Even her decision not to destroy Sue, despite all the damage Sue caused, speaks to this. Sue, in many ways, represents the last part of herself that Elisabeth hasn’t let go of and is the closest thing she has to having a family. Sue refers to her as "Mother" twice, and "matrix" literally means mother in Latin. Sue, despite being a destructive entity, is Elisabeth’s only remaining connection. But even in this relationship, Elisabeth clings to the past (Sue) rather than allowing herself to evolve.
Elisabeth’s incapacity to change becomes her downfall. She’s spent her life preserving her outward appearance and letting society's standards dictate her worth, ignoring the deeper, more meaningful parts of life. The hallway of "eras" is a reminder that she’s been the same person all along, stuck in the same superficial mindset. When Sue/Elisabeth transforms into Monstro Elisasue, it becomes clear that her obsession with maintaining relevance has devoured her, leaving her a distorted version of who she once was. She loses sight of her own identity, becoming a monstrous reflection of the superficial ideals she clung to.
The moral of the story is: when you let society's standards define your worth and overlook the importance of real connections, you risk losing yourself entirely. The "real substance" of life comes from those genuine connections and experiences.
I came here for this.
Narcissism < Having kids, friends and family
or the landline verses the cell phone is a reference to how society views the young vs the old. always updating. also, maybe it wasn't her inability to change with the timesbut adapting to what was available to her at the current time in her life. I don't think the movie overtly judged elizabeth- that somehow it was her fault she failed to adapt as she aged but more coming to a self acceptance that every season of her life, young, aging and even the end being a monster were all her.
@@colormebrave2231 The movie has a lot of metaphors so I love how different perspectives shine a different light on certain scenes. I've been doing a lot of analysis on the movie and these are the reasons why I've interpreted Elisabeth's character as old-fashioned, aside from the landline and the unchanging styles of her "seasons": She used a newspaper when she was looking at job posts instead of the internet; it's further implied she's not into digital technology by using a physical calendar; on her kitchen table you can see she still uses an analog radio but it's a radio specifically for the elderly, the radio brand and model is called Retekess TR626 Longwave AM/FM/SW/LW 4 Band Radio with Bluetooth for Elderly; her vacuum cleaner brand is a 1960's Hoover Senior model 652. It's interesting that the last two objects subtly mock her age.
I'm planning to post my own video essay for this movie, though I'm still in the editing stage and I really hope I follow through haha
What an excellent analysis.
Honestly Demi Moore was the perfect actress to cast for this role bc it basically follows her life story.
Demi used to be so popular and one of the ultimate $ex symbols of the 1980s and 1990s - one of the big “It Girls”. She was basically Sue and young Elisabeth. Truly she was one of the biggest actresses.
Then she kinda fell off for a while as she got older and had kids and stopped acting as much in movies.
Then when she was 40 years old, I believe she got into a very public and well known relationship with Ashton Kutcher and she lowkey kinda became a laughingstock and people kinda looked at her like a has been. the media constantly obsessed on her age bc she was so much older than Ashton (like IIRC - she was 15 years older than him and he was in his 20s - funny how no one cares when it’s a man dating someone 15 years younger than him).
People were very cruel to her - they mocked her appearance and called her an old cougar and made jokes about her looking Ashton’s mom or grandma and things like that.
Anyways after that, she went thru a terrible divorce that ended in Demi going to rehab to kick the alcoholism and drug addiction she had developed over the course of her relationship with Ashton after she had been sober for years. She wrote in her book how insecure she felt bc Ashton cheated on her often - she ended up comparing herself and her appearance a lot to younger women since Ashton loved cheating on her and sleeping with younger women than demi… now he’s married to Mila Kunis who is years younger than he is.
Then a few years ago, Demi came out with a “new” face in a modeling show she did - basically she looked almost unrecognizable. She had gotten major surgery to her face and tbh, for a little while, it seemed like her surgeon had botched her face (really what happened is that the swelling in her face hadn’t gone down yet when she got photographed at that public event). The public suddenly turned on her for trying to look younger and getting so much plastic surgery now thah she was in her 50s and criticized her and obsessed over her and mocked her the way people and social media made fun of Madonna and all her fillers.
Anyways, Demi Moore has really experienced Elisabeth’s life.
The perfect role for her and she was excellent in it because she can relate to her caracter. Very good film. Margaret Qualley excellent, Dennis Quaid on point.
Perfect explanation. Thank you
Wow, thats so insightful you're right so many parts of the movie directly correlate with her life! She mentions in interviews that while she doesn't feel like she and Elizabeth are similar at this point in her life, she does resonate with her in younger years
See, I remember the time of Demi-Ashton as being a time when every older gal thought she could get a younger man- " Look at Demi and Ashton!"
I don't recall her being put down because she's always been very pretty. And Ashton is a bigger creep than anyone knew, so she may have dodged a bullet.
All I see is despite Demi made a lot of bad decision in her life, she's still a good person. Like how she and Bruce Willis used to be married but they both are still good friends until these days even Bruce was worried when she decided to marry Ashton who is way younger than she is. Bruce is currently suffering earlier sign of dementia and has to retired from acting, she along with their kids and grandkids are accompany him and hanging out together. She's still supporting him even showing it on her Instagram. All I can see is they both raised their kids right as they look like happy family.
Meanwhile, Ashton is currently gets his own karma. When his co-star from That 70's show, Danny Masterson got arrested for being a creep, he and Mila sent the letter to the judge to defend him and they both make weird apology video in social media. And then, he also got tied up with Diddy as he mostly being one of his "best boys" even in Hot Ones interviews, he admitted it. Also, Mila Kunis seems like is not a good person either as she was dating Macaulay Culkin (Kevin from Home Alone) before and also kinda responsible of him being a drug addict. Thankfully, Macaulay is getting better and marrying Brenda Song (London from The Suite Life of Zach and Cody) and has a kid together.
As an 80s teen it's nice to see Demi Moore again.
Yes, she is still one of the most beautiful ladies, ever.
As a black and homosexual transgender African American muslim, orange man bad
The type of movie that stays with you and makes you think long after you’ve left the cinema. Loved it
My friend and I watched it last week, and we were def in shock afterward. We were silent for a few minutes, and we sensed some weird feeling in the air so we laughed but in a traumatized "wait- WTF did we just watch" way.
This takes many many of its cues from the Portrait of Dorian Gray - the story about a vain man who makes a deal with the Devil to obtain perpetual youth. The deal is that there is a painting of Dorian Gray that ages over time, while Dorian Gray remains young. The painting is locked away in an attic. The Substance "voice" could be the Devil, and the dark room she created in the bathroom takes the place of the room where there painting in the original story is kept. At first i thought this was a low-energy take on Death Becomes Her, but as I kept watching, it was clearly more of a re-telling of the Portrait of Dorian Gray.
I have a journal and all the lines in it are actually extremely tiny text of that book.
FINALLY, as soon as I watched the movie I thought about Dorian Gray and Death Becomes Her!!! Just anybody I have discussed the movie knows those references 😅 I clearly see it, I'm very sure the director use those as inspiration and I love it
Well not to mention the giant portrait of Elizabeth that was smashed and then dragged back into the room as well!! I hadn’t even thought of that but you’re so spot on
Perfect Blue + Dorian Gray + The Fly = The Substance (2024)
Absolutely!! I thought this was a great take on "What if the painting was sentient?"
It's interesting because the scene of Sue wanting to go out with that man was interpreted by my husband as an effort by Elizabeth to have fun and accept herself while I interpreted it as a desperate effort to find worth in herself yet again through outside (from herself) forces. Absolutely there is no way in my opinion that her going on that date would have helped her feel better at all. She was not into that man when they ran into each other.
I think if she did not have all the self-hatred, they could have both grown old together and had a great life. She already had everything a person could ask for. She was rich and she was famous. She found a man who considers her the most beautiful woman in the world. She was her own worse enemy. She could not love herself, therefore, she could not allow others to love her.
It's nice that your husband doesn't have to feel the same dystopian things we (women) do about this subject. Because I definitely agree with you. Nice that his life lens allows him to be optimistic about it. It would comfort me.
That first scene of them meeting... It works on a few levels. You could say that the superficial Sue would have disdain for this average, regular man, whereas the deeper, more sincere and less Narcissistic and healthier version of Elizabeth had a strong desire for a non-superficial human connection that was possible with this man. Sue derived so much of her personality, ego and self-worth from her looks that when those faded, so did her personality, ego and self-worth go with it. It was only 'okay' for Sue to have superficial relationships because her men were so attractive it gave her permission, but in the end, both Sue and Elizabeth actually wanted companionship and connection, but disconnected themselves from this for all the wrong reasons.
@@m.bird. As a man I thought the same. And even more pessimistic : the old class mate was obsessed mostly by her beauty. As Elisabeth, he was completely stuck in the past. If they formed a couple they would have been super toxics for each other lol
I think I’ll be one of those who remembers this movie forever. For me, it’s incredibly powerful, especially from the perspective of a former addict who used to inject. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone still fighting for sobriety-it has many graphic scenes involving infection that could be triggering. I made sure not to look, and I’m only one year sober myself.
The idea of having a “better version” of myself-more intellectually attractive, confident, fun, vibrant, and outgoing-still lives inside my head. But now I don’t use substances to bring that version out. A big part of addiction is thoughts of relapse, and finally, after staying clean for longer than just weeks or months (this battle has been 10 years), I tend to forget some things about active addiction. This movie reminded me.
One of the parts that resonated most was seeing her home fall into chaos-full of litter, dirty dishes, and chicken bones. That was me too, not liking myself when I was high and hating the weakness and miserable life that came with using. Thanks to this film, I remembered exactly what the “package deal” of addiction brings, and it makes my thoughts of relapse a lot less convincing.
The movie reminded me of how ruthless my “perfect” version was toward my real self. Sobriety has given me a sense of unity I didn’t know I was grateful for-of not having to share my life with that other “me.” I don’t see that version everywhere I go (like in shameful memories tied to places, songs, and triggers that used to bring out the urge to use). This movie brought back memories that shouldn’t be forgotten, and the way it was depicted will help me hold on to them. When I imagine that miserable, real “me” tangled up in that messy house, looking on with disgust at my other self, I don’t want to feel that again. But it also makes me laugh-it shows the insanity of sacrificing everything to be a “perfect” self that you don’t even like, just for others to love.
I’m glad I watched it, though I avoided the scenes of her first use (the triggers), but I did see her keep using, despite the horrible wound. I’m glad I saw that because it mirrored my own experience-this “perfect me” pushing to stay alive at any cost. It was a graphic but important reminder of why I don’t want this “me” to wake up again, and why don't want to relapse.
One more thing I want to emphasize: the main character had a chance for a healthy relationship with the world, but once she knew what “perfection” felt like, she couldn’t settle for ordinary. I relate to that too; you miss real things because you’re chasing a fantasy. The part when she tried to create a “perfect self” on top of another “perfect self” really hit home. It’s the monster I was becoming when I used drugs on an already high version of myself. That madness-the messy monster in the dress, going out just to be seen, just to feel loved, despite who I was under that-was powerful to watch. An incredible movie.
Thanks for sharing this. It was incredibly deep and honest and healing to read. Been sober for 7 years ❤
One of the things I kept thinking about as I was watching this movie as a woman of a certain age is the way that myself and every other women I know are pretty much never happy with the way they look in the present, but as you get older and you look at old pictures of yourself you tend to think "why did I think I was so ugly back then? I would kill to look like that again" which is definitely something that crosses Elizabeth's mind as she goes through her journey with the substance. There's an added layer that definitely lines up metaphorically with some people who get more and more plastic surgery to the point where they barely look human anymore. I think these people know on some level that they’ve gone too far but they continue to dig themselves into this hole hoping that they will eventually get to a point of satisfaction, when the fact is that compared to now, they would probably like the way they look a lot more if they simply never started with the changes to begin with. This film is a cautionary tale if I ever saw one, and the lesson is that the only way to escape the trauma of the neverending race to stay "beautiful" is to gracefully bow out.
EXACTLY Value your youth, invest the time, and money in your talents and education bc beauty fades! So many older women are struggling with this concept and they abuse young women bc they did not love themselves they spent more time chasing men hoping he would pick her when these men cheat on them with young pretty women all the time bc men are visual creatures and misogynistic @55holes. THANK YOU
OMG. You encapsulated my thoughts exactly. I was never happy with my looks or body shape except for brief moments in time when I was young. Now that I'm in my 50s, I'm like, "C'mon, younger self!" Of course there will always be "someone prettier" but the ultimate goal is to find friends and lovers/partners who are smart enough to value more important things. Physical beauty eventually leaves any of us. The bowing out in my mind is to stop, as much as we can, worrying about how we look and hoping others value us even to the end of our days for how we ARE.
This is so insightful
Priscilla Presley comes to mind.
💯🎯
so happy to hear from a man who actually appreciated this movie. every review i've read on letterboxed by men has been "plot hole" this and "vapid, vain, karma" that. for anyone who has ever struggled with body dysmorphia, this felt less like a movie about a character, and more like a funhouse mirror being held up to my face. i absolutely loved it, i thought it was so beautifully executed to be able to seamlessly flow from tense body horror to comedic release with the most camp scene i've seen in recent history. i totally understand who people who don't know how intense this feeling is could see this as not making any sense (eg. "what did elizabeth get out of it" responses). but for those who unfortunately do, there's no question.
To be honest this ("what did Elizabeth get out of it") is the one thing in the movie that doesn't (or didn't) make sense to me as it's clear that they don't share a consciousness so she can't even experience the fame and love and praise that Sue is receiving. But I guess she still sees Sue as a part of her and therefor wants to see her (/self) "succeed" (be succesful) in life even if it gives her only a secondary form of achievement? Hence the "it's our big night" when she changes her mind about terminating Sue.
@@Niles7787 But the constant reminder that "you are one" is to drive home the fact that they ARE actually the same person. The "she´s stealing from me" phrase that Elizabeth keeps repeating over and over again is an attempt to not take responsibility for abusing the substance. And the hate that Sue feels for Elizabeth is supposed to symbolize the hate that we feel for ourselves when we overeat or are not productive and waste our days feeling sorry for ourselves.
Anyone who struggles with self perception has this two conflicting sides. The one that makes you feel pretty one day, and ugly and fat the next. That´s why Monstro, the version that finally accepts themselves, is a merge of both sides.
Thank you!
Agreed. Was surprised by the low review scores out there. Thought this was one of the best horror movies in years, easily best of 2024, and couldn't imagine giving this less than an 8 out of 10 (and I'm a dude btw.) The 'plot holes' claimed in this movie are really inane to me, as this is obviously not a realistic movie, its a surreal, horror fantasy, more akin to a fairy tale than what passes for a standard horror movie, like Saw 9 or whatever.
I think the "there is no you and her, you are one" line is a really powerful one for the themes of the film.
There is no "old you" and "young you". There is no "desirable you" and "gross you". There is no "problems for me as an old women" and "blissfulness of the pretty younger women" or vice versa.
It's all One. The problems of old women, young women, fat women, skinny women, conventionally attractive women, supposedly unattractive women, etc etc... are all one. The problems reflect the way that women are viewed at treated as a whole.
It can feel good to be the Sue. It can be great to reap the benefits of being one of the desirable ones, yet it is all at the beck and call of those who wield this worldview. Then eventually Elizabeth comes for her time and if you haven't made space for her in life and society then her problems are more acutely yours than ever.
That’s actually a very insightful and intelligent take on that. I agree with you completely.
For example I’m turning 35 in a month. The last few years I noticed the stark change in how often I’m looked at or hit on. I’m not even a person that enjoys attention, and yet it had me feeling really down for a minute.
Thankfully I always did the mental work to know that time would come and I’m completely okay with it now. But it’s very jarring when it does happen, and I can see how a person who has always put way too much importance and value in their looks would start to become unhinged when they notice the difference as they gets older.
brilliant 💥
Exactly. She went to all that torment to be able to cater to expectations and wishes of others, up to and including literally throwing her actual self away.
Thanks but no thanks. My wrinkles are my history, anyone who doesn't like them can eff off.
Such nice expression of words
It’s about accepting what you can’t change. More you try to change it the worse it gets. If we were perfect we’d all be marble statues carved in one image.
This is beautiful
That's part of the point. That's how women get treated, as if women are marble statues that others project their beliefs on to.
The shrimp eating scene was gross, but it also made me want to get a seafood boil
that scene made me so hungry 😭
I do love shrimp scampi
You’re diffirent from me lol I will never eat shrimp the same way
😂😭🤣
Yeah close up on people eating is always gross! 🤢🤮
The fly in the drink symbolizes death, rot, decay. It's used a lot in classical European paintings
Could also be a reference to a classic body horror film, The Fly
I absolutely love this video. You did a great job adding quotes from the creators and not just sort of saying symbolism off the top of your head. Thank you!
Thanks. I'll always try to do a bit of research and go straight to the source for my videos, as I myself actually want to know what the artists behind the work had to say and were trying to do!
@@MadMorphMovieClubI was expecting you to mention The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Death Becomes Her, I haven't researched if the director mentioned it but those are clearly references or inspiration for the film. I haven't caught either the Fly reference but makes absolutely sense. For me at the beginning it was just as a bad omen.
I think an important part that you kinda left out was when she ran into the old guy at the diner, who was the other self of the young hot nurse who gave her the usb stick. He told her that it does get lonely and that she must learn to not give herself up (which leads her to set up the date with Fred). This idea is also shown by the reaction of Sue, when she sees how Elizabeth is using her 7 days, binge-watching and binge-eating/consuming. By birthing Sue, Elizabeth had already given herself up, she did not care about her own life anymore, her own goals or any kind of aspirations. I think later in the movie she said that Sue is the only valuable/lovable part of her. And that sentiment is also what makes her stop the termination process. She felt like Sue's life, who was beautiful, young and adored was worth more than her own.
Good take. This is confirmed every time some rude man uses such terms as "the wall" when referring to women. As if women should disappear because they've gotten older.
Nice !!
Two things I picked up on:
I feel the part when she becomes Monstro and puts the picture of her old face over her, now hideous, face symbolises how people completely ruin their faces with cosmetic surgery. By trying to make themselves look younger and more beautiful, they end up looking quite deformed in some cases (Jocylyn Weinstein the 'cat lady' is a perfect example). As a result, they appreciate how beautiful they were before and wish they could go back to how they looked, hence why she places the old picture of herself over her face.
I think the part where Sue is kicking Elizabeth to death on the living room floor symbolises how we beat ourselves up over our appearance. In seems we view ourselves as two entities. How many times have you thought or heard someone say "how did this happen. When did I get this old?". It's like we have our consciousness which is trapped inside this aging husk that we may not fully recognise or relate to as we age. In the worst cases some people may outright reject it and start hating it. In this instance, Elizabeth symbolises the aging body, and Sue symbolises the internal self. Sue is filled with so much disgust, hatred and anger that she just wants to kill it. I thought that was a very powerful scene.
My thoughts exactly, you articulated this so well!
I think the parts of the movie where Sue in particular is doing something outlandish such as building an entire door/room seemingly out of nowhere and doing super human kicks to her other body represents that in her younger and prettier form she is more “powerful” and capable/has more opportunity to do things in life compared to Elisabeth, who is usually found just sitting at home slowly going crazy
She was throwing kicks like a Avenger god damn
@@marcelalopez9053I bet she would be excellent in kickboxing
I was just thinking about that. It's almost like she views herself as a superhero when she's in her younger form, and she gets stronger the more she takes away from old elisabeth. In the end right when she was killing her old self it really did feel like I was watching an episode of the boys 😅
When I first saw it I was like "That is too silly, it kills the mood for me a bit". But then, after watching reviews it makes more sense. Because we are watching the world from Elizabeth exaggerated point of view, like how the billboards are all in her face and don´t even say anything about in what network you can watch the shows or phone numbers or anything. Everything is exaggerated.
The name Sue is also way shorter than Elisabeth - only one syllable compared to four -, and therefore fresher. The short name is quick to pronounce and could symbolize being young while the long name symbolizes being old, slow, taking too much time, boring... The casting director Harvey also quickly changes her assistant's name to Cindy (only two syllables) because "who could remember her boring long name", like "make it quicker, more funny, more fresh". For me this represents this cultural shift of media being shortened to 10 second videos etc, our attention span being decreased heavily. But that's just my interpretation :)
Isn't Sue the actual short form of Susan? I don't think that they put meaning in the names. Elisabeth is a pretty old name though.
@@silverwolf2643yes they did put meaning in the name Sue!
@@irenekay7934 It has to do with them lips 👄 I guess, how saying the name forms a kiss movement and we all saw how focused the cameras were on her lips, all the monitors showing her lips.
This film gave me the same feeling as when i watched requiem for a dream the first time
100% the same
I can totally see that. Definitely of the same cloth. Both are such SUPERB films!
Exactly!
Yep Same!
Mmmm ditto
I feel like one of the other points is that Demi Moore IS super gorgeous at whatever age she is in this. It's a super powerful film, and also darkly hilarious in quite a few bits. I saw it at a film festival and the audience just loved it! Congrats to everyone involved.
That hit hard. Also the implication of her casting, as she is still freaking GORGEOUS but it's impossible to look like a 25 year old. The scene where she sabotages her date & aggressively destroys her makeup was devastating because she looked *incredible* but she still hates herself.
Such a great way to portray how it's never enough & being a woman is a losing game if you are only values for beauty, because everyone ages and there will always be somebody younger. So even someone as beautiful as Demi Moore, looking as good as she did in that red dress, could hate her looks so much.
We've all been there
That is the saddest part. She is a certified MILF who is rich, retired, and famous. Having all these things, she still destroyed herself :(
We are truly our own most harsh critic in life.
the only thing that didn't make sense was HOW TF did elizabeth build that secret room all by herself?! ;)
Yeh totally. I mean they make her 50 in the film and she's 61 and looks PHENOMENAL
@@interdimensionalsteve8172 Ha! Yes I wondered that too. Maybe the Sue character had Elizabeths DIY experience.....
It manages to quote Carpenter, Cronenberg, Kubrick, James Whale,De Palma and Ducourneau, and be totally original.
Satire and comedy at its neon bleached darkest.
Great review.
Without exception,
In some ways I think Neon Demon did this better, but this movie is fun and Neon Demon is not
@@lauralouwhooo I don't think Neon Demon is body horror at all
It also reminded me afronosky with black swan and requiem for a dream.
@@felipefreire2182aronofsky! Absolutely !
I honestly thought The Substance was ok and it felt like an episode of Tales From The Crypt and the works of David Lynch through the use of colors and imagery (Twin Peaks and The Elephant Man respectively).
At 29, I’m already feeling like this,
Your explanation is brilliant.
Ikr! I'm 30 and soo many aspects were relatable. The worst part was Sue's teeth were falling off and Harvey and his minions still tell her that pretty girls should always smile. I rolled my eyes so hard at that!
25 i feel like this
I'm 20 and i feel like this. Society's obsession with youth got to me.
Anyone else got carrie prom scene vibes in the new years scene?
Literally what I was thinking during that scene!
When I see this movie this looks like a mix between Carrie, Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fly.
Definitely
The Shining too with the long hallway scene/the end when the hallway is drenched in blood, same with the bathroom scene in the beginning, it reminded me of when Jack Torrance talks to the butler in the men’s room
she wanted to be chosen when she should’ve chose herself
RIGHT this is a old pickme-mammies nightmare! They wouldn’t be able to handle the truth in this movie.
ew when you say it like that lol so true
Waow
@@MenesterHappyNappyMadgalene
ya but also I hope they can resonate with it and learn from it because they’re kind of victims to this mentality that a lot of women are subjected to. I get that we feel they shouldn’t fall victim to it and be stronger than that but it’s not always that simple unfortunately.
Did anyone else notice only 2 of the lockers had numbers on them? Elizabeth and I'm assuming the man who was also using the substance. I wonder what the reasoning was .
I noticed this as well. And it was definitely his. In the diner, when he drops his I.D. and everything. The 207 key card is a long with them.
Maybe the rest are not currently alive. Based on what the man in the diner says, it seems like the younger selves like to eat up the old ones
Maybe the serum was at the experimental stage and Lizzy and that other man were the only people who was using it 🤷🏽♀️
@@sekoaibprobably not . As her number was over 500 . Most possible is there were more subjects . But their trial failed and died or terminated the younger self.
yes, in the beginning it was like an Amazon locker then near the end it was just two.
It's so sad that there are so many women that will relate to the movie and not in a good way. I am currently 61 and even though my looks have faded and my figure has expanded, I don't hate myself nor wish I was younger. It took me years to except myself and not feel the need to have men validate me. I'm a good person and a contributing member of society.
Agreed! I can't lie, it's hard to let go of whatever looks I had as I get older. And though my male partner is great, he can still be tempted by women being hot and young, although he tries not to go too far with that. He at least is self-aware. But it's rough. :(
@@acey9997 He's tempted by hot young women. And "tries" not to go "too" far with that. He sounds awful. Just awful. But you think you don't deserve better. You do.
The movie made me genuinely sad but also grateful I never had "pretty privilege" and my looks were never my best trait (I'm pretty but I knew young I never met beauty standards) because now that I'm 40 I feel ok with my body changes and my looks. I feel more comfortable now than I did 20 years ago but my god it's so hard being a woman in society
@@seannanana84 It is indeed good that we never had "pretty privilege" (nice term!) and thus were able to cultivate our other abilities, intellect, skills, etc. But you're still right, women still get judged pretty hard regardless. No matter how good I am at my job, I still sometimes get subconsciously or well-meaningly or otherwise judged less than male colleagues of lesser skill. Not always, and not as much, but it still happens.
@@acey9997 do you ever wonder if he feels the same?? From what i've seen in the comment's it's as if ageing only affects women..
Guy's don't like it either, going from abs to beer bellies, seeing wrinkles coming in and losing their hair.. Not getting the same attention they used too, slowing down and so on.. Ageing affects everyone and just like younger hot women tempting men (in general) well it's just the same for older guy's seeing the younger fitter guy's tempting women..
This could be an interesting tv series. Exploring different characters. That could bend or live life different
Yeah it's called black mirror
This is a great review and I respect the vision of the director. The movie resonated with me in a different way. It could also symbolize the relationship between a narcissistic mother and her daughter. The pressure to have a child and "continue the next generation" and the grotesque scene in the bathroom could symbolize childbirth and the permanent damage in many women's bodies. Then, although the mother is brainwashed by society that she will love her daughter, seeing her surpass her career or having better looks cuts deep. Many narcissistic mothers self destruct in middle age with binge eating and other addictions. Eventually, the daughter focuses more in her own life and the narcissistic mother feels that she has aged and lost her happiness after having a daughter and decides to destroy her. She asks other parents (the old guy in the movie who has created the young, handsome nurse) and they tell her that it doesn't get better. Both get permanent great damage from this enmeshment and abuse. Idk if anyone would agree with my review, but I grew up with a narcissistic mother (extremely low contact now) and she exhibited many of Elizabeth's behaviors and blamed me for "ruining her life", never taking accountability about the fact that she chose to get pregnant and stay pregnant, similarly to how Elizabeth chose to get the substance and not stop fast enough, despite the fact that no one forced her. Just my 2 cents.
I was thinking the same. That movie looks so much like my teenage years and my mother's middle age crisis. My mother only ceased when I no longer was "pretty" and then realized I didn't give a shit about what men thinking of me.
It also reminds me of my mother, how I saw her as she is aging, how my father sometimes acted around her no longer being thin as a needle, how much I loathed thinking I will be like her in the future and as of more recently a lot of sympathy and guilt. Mothers put up with a lot, aging women put up with a lot. It's a thankless job to be in that position and it's inevitable unless somehow you have the ridiculous luck of being only around people that are extremely self-aware, mindful and loving enough to recognise someone's worth beyong appearance. Most men will not love their partners and wives beyond fading looks and will fall into the traps of egocentric entitlement 'I deserve better and more now'.
yes, my dad told me most men can't be attracted to women over 25 so I don't really see the point in getting married anymore.
Motherhood is a thankless job when you have a*hole husbands and a*hole children. Quite common in 'Murica. 😂😂😂
@florence2720 your dad is Based and told no lies in that regard. 😂
I liked the scene where her star is covered in ketchup and at the end it is red again, but from blood, like a foreshadowing. Also the two eggs from the opening scene and then the two fried eggs on Elizabeth's frying pan. I love those kinds of subtle but powerful symbols.
This movie was so refreshing and original in an era of dreadful remakes. Also, as a man it really showed me some interesting problems women struggle with that is never really talked about amongst men. The movie had very "Black Mirror" vibes and I loved it. I also felt the body horror was a little over the top and Demi Moore did phenomenal.
The fly drowning is a foreshadow of what will happen to her when she gets so deep into using The Substance.
to me the fly in the wine is a couple of things, first, a feminist reference of the alanis morrissette's song, ironic, "it's the black fly in the chardonnay..' but visually it resembles a prehistoric insect, stuck in amber, further, it's a repeating motif, with the yellow being transferred to liz's yellow, oversized coat, that she's practically swims in. she's trapped. in the cells spitting, the yellow in the substance's video. but back to the fly in the wine, like the fly, there's nothing left to drown.... her fate is sealed. i loved the orange hallway, which resembled the carpet in THE SHINING. lol... all of this from one shot in a movie i ultimately hated. liked your explainer tho. liked and sub'd.
WOW incredible! Thank you for opening my eyes more lol. I’ve been scratching my head all weekend just trying to think of what that scene could mean beneath its surface, but I couldn’t get past the idea of it foreshadowing her fate-much like the fly, she ended up drowning in the substance. I love the idea of the prehistoric insect stuck in amber & I can’t believe I missed the Ironic reference! It all makes so much more sense now! 👏🏼
OMG, you're SO good at narrating and explaining things. One of the BEST reviews I have watched so far. Thank you!
Thanks!
I’m a woman struggling to accept her aging self. I won’t ever watch the movie because it’s so unsettling, but your video hit me hard. After that, I feel more scared of all the things women put themselves through to try to stay young. So thank you, I guess? 😂
I watched it, & my worst thought as I watched was how many women would still do this, knowing everything about the pain & trauma, if it worked. A lot.
@@lauralouwhoooI’m a 32 year old gay man and I’d do it 😂
I'm a middle aged woman starting the process of menopause, and curiously enough it's a relief. Women spend decades fending off randos and strangers that hit on them on the bus, or follow them down a city street, or refuse to take NO for an answer. The constant vigilance gets exhausting. But now that I'm older and growing out my gray hair, it's like an invisibility cloak: no one bothers me! The less sexualized I become, the more peaceful life is. There are some perks to getting older.
@@magzdilluhnot sure why you felt the need to make stuff up but get a grip
@@malikakaas 😂😂😂
I 100% agree as soon as i saw the ending i immediately said to my friend that this is an instant classic, this will be a recommended watch every Halloween season to come
I've been to see it twice now, and I find it so intense and a horrific experience- but i also really enjoy it because of that. I've seen A LOT of films of varying quality/content, so it's rare now something hits me like this.
It's the only time I've ever left a cinema had to sit down and cry for a minute. I think the first time, it was just so much more graphic, loud, intense, shocking than the trailer led on (props to them hiding most of the film), it was a total assault on my senses and I completely understood the characters and that world.
The second time I was more prepared, but it is just so sad to me. From where both versions are alive at the same time they're just so hateful and desperate it hurts.
So, my one disappointment with it, is I had a lot of family who wanted to see it based on the trailer and I know now they won't like it and I can't subject my grandma to this 😂🤦♂️
But overall, an amazing experience that actually hit me deep.
@rickhensen3278 Yeah, I was getting Requiem vibes throughout the whole movie. Loved it.
@rickhensen3278 I've also seen vibes that its similar to "Perfect Blue" and that adult animated movie is equally as terrifying
This is the second video that I've watched and I'm surprised that no one is talking about this story's reference to the experience of drug addiction. I mean the film is literally called "The Substance" and this a story about how a person abuses a substance that they believe can make them better, and they don't play by the rules and initially this drug which made everything better starts to make everything worse, and yet they cannot stop using it even to save their relationships, career or even life. The femanist message is really loud here, but the lack of notice of addiction behaviour is making me feel those messages are nought but dog whistles to people who have dealt with drug abuse.
Very good movie it exposes the toxicity of Hollywood expectations
Why does Hollywood have those expectations in the first place? I think it goes a lot deeper than Hollywood. 🤔
I still don’t get how both were conscious at the same time
i think because elisabeth had injected the termination into sue but then last minute elisabeth decided to swap anyway, i think that caused the substance to go out of sync and thats why she woke up a different person
I believe it happened because Elizabeth had already started to inject the termination liquid into Sue, but stopped halfway through. Leading to her consciousness not fully transferring and causing Sue's body to deteriorate rapidly (although this part could also be caused by the death of the matrix)
For me this symbolizes the critical moment when you decide whether your new identity will take over your entire life or if you will return to your old self. She decided that her new chaotic identity would live, and she ended up as a monster.
Sue had been 75% terminated when Elisabeth attempted to switch, it’s also why Sue wasn’t entirely human during the fight scene (with her animalistic growls and superhuman strength). It’s not until Elisabeth died that her consciousness returned to her
She put her own blood in the younger versions heart.
I loved this movie. I also LOVED hearing your perspectives on it… well done, Sir! ❤
A superb analysis of a deeply troubling and surprisingly humorous variation on the masterpiece All about eve. The aging actress eventually supplanted by a younger talent. This grand guinol epic is tasteless, fearless and blessed with incredible performances. Nice touches using Bernard Herrman’s music from Vertigo when the earrings are inserted. Also the orange/red corridor with the distinctive patterned carpet is a tribute to The Shining reinforced when the hall is awash with blood as the monster explodes.
Fun fact, the Vertigo theme was meant to be a placeholder, to be replaced with something else, but it ended up just being so perfect that even when a composer came on board they (director and composer) decided to keep it!
My first thought was Death Becomes Her 2.0. One of my favorites movies! Enjoyed this movie a lot. Good video!
9:29 I viewed that scene differently. To me it represented how you view people, especially partners differently when you’re young to old. When you’re young he’s confident and a bad boy. But the same guy is viewed as rude, agressive and arrogant by her older self. Just my opinion
I like your view, I think both our opinions can co-exist.
@@MadMorphMovieClub absolutely there’s no right or wrong, just interpretation
It’s about self hatred…u will beat and destroy urself and u soul to look good..
I didn't walk out, but I did have to look away with the teeth and nails scene.
The ending was too much. Kind of destroyed the whole movie.
This movie reminds me of when I was younger and used to love listening to Brittney Spears. I was listening to Brittney every day and was starting to memorize lyrics but my sister pulled me out of it. She told me to stop listening because Brittney Spear had a mental breakdown. She basically told me to toss a woman to the side because she was mentally ill.
I still listen to Britney, and I don't think she is crazy, she was just so bad treaded by the Industry... I love her, and I still listen to her ❤
My problem was: Why would Demi's character bother? They are told she is a younger/better version of her... but she seems to not share the memories of her younger counter-part so she is sacrificing her looks, her time and her life for seemingly someone completely different from her to enjoy their youth. It needed for Demi to be able to feed of memories she inherits when switching back...or the younger her is identical to her at that age. It felt more an allegory of Mother/Daughter relationships, but they seem to be two separate people and seeing Sue's success is in no way her success other than she gave birth to her
The thing is -- and this is a key message in the movie -- Elisabeth's self-hate has reached such a level that she'd rather sacrifice half of her remaining lifetime sleeping, but she's not literally suicidal, and holds onto the idea that something (in her own words) "lovable" can still come from her, even though she's "dead" to the world after turning 50. Sue is like the mask she wears while keeping her true self dormant, practically dead. It's a perfect metaphor for the feeling many women have while living under the pressure of beauty standards.
@@tangerine966 fair point, she does show self destructive behaviour. But she felt so self involved (even if self hate way) that I didn't buy her conceding to another having the limelight without seemingly her involvement. The movie was muddled with motivation for Demi's character imho... but I take your point
I'm pretty sure her and Sue still share memories, like when Elisabeth bumped into the biker guy who she hooked up with as Sue
@armanimiller yeah that felt an important scene. But Demi seemed confused/disorientated by these flash of memories. It failed to show the experience shared for her enjoyment. The film went out of its way to show how Demi got the negative end of the body swap... but agreed to it because of her vanity....but failed to show how vanity would be fed by seeing Sue succeed
Wow you did such an amazing job explaining this movie and symbolism. So nice to hear such understanding and compassion from a man too. Mad respect.
Excellent review!
You're right, it's an Instant Classic.
I'm not a fan of Body Horror either but it was impossible for me to stop watching the movie even if I wanted to.
There are clear references to Lynch and "Sunset Boulevard", always appreciated by film buffs as well.
Liked, Commented and Subscribed!
Thanks for your work!
Agreed on all accounts 👌
I don’t understand what Elisabeth got out of it if she wasn’t experiencing what Sue was.
I think she was experiencing what Sue was initially. However as time went by while using the substance her mind developed some sort of Bipolar disorder and her personality split into Sue and Elizabeth. She is still the same person but her my mind wasnt. I dont think it was the due to the effect of the drug but due to her own perception
@@maverickckj I didn’t get that vibe at all. It’s a huge hole in the story.
Yea I didn’t get that either. I get they were “one” but I saw so implication that Elizabeth experienced what Sue did.
@@oreomon If Elizabeth didnt experience what Sue did, she wouldnt have hesitated at terminating Sue. She didnt terminate her cause she still wanted Sue’s experience. If they were both different, than it wont benefit her at all to keep her around. I think you not feeling it means that the movie is that good at showcasing that Elizabeth is going through a mental disorder to make her think there is another when there were always only one
@maverickckj also not too dissimilar from how an addict feels when using vs. sober. Maybe. Different people who know the same things, have the same info, but different decisions happen.
It’s been a long time since I was in a cinema and saw the audience too stunned to move when the credits rolled. Amazing movie.
I love this movie. I think that it's bleak, but it also has a very positive message. Be happy with who you are now don't wait for some skewed idea of perfection to happen it's not going to happen. You can always find a flaw, but many of those flaws are a source of strength, aging for example.
There’s no strength in aging. It’s a detrimental function of your cells undergoing apoptosis. Aging sucks, don’t fall for the fairytales.
😂 coincidentally there's an ad displaying a picture of Shrimp attached to this video. Clearly the advertising team didn't see this flick or if they did, great gag on their end lol
Watched this yesterday and my skin was crawling the entire time
This movie is what I live with everyday. However regardless of what they say, I feel like only those who are wealthy really get any useful help. The rest of us are still shamed or locked up in a nut house until our insurance runs out. Best way to deal is just pray that you see the best in yourself and know that this life is just a short journey❤ it's not a great fix BUT helps me function.
So true queen. I don’t need to see you to know you’re beautiful
The crazy thing tho is the wealthy get the help, and yet it’s STILL never good enough. See those that overdo their procedures as they get procedure blindness, or still suffer substance (lol) abuse, loneliness, and loss of meaning. It’s never enough when you set your identity by other people’s expectations.
I couldn't help but notice the wide array of references that this film made:
1) The Fly, as rightly spotted out, symbolises one of the pioneering movies in the body horror genre by David Cronenberg.
2) KUBRIK. My god, the film takes so many inspirations from Stanley Kubrik's phenomenal projects. The orange hallway is no doubt a direct reference to the infamous hallway of the hotel shown in The Shining (I was sceptical at first, but the bloody hallway scene at the end of the movie definitely confirmed it). Then there's a direct reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey (the film's theme plays whilst ElisaSue is on the stage).
3) Again, you caught the King Kong reference quite rightly, was waiting for someone to point it out.
4) Finally, and I do not know WHY people are not talking about this enough - There's a TON of inspiration that's been taken from Rick and Morty. The cellular-splitting causing the character to de-age (Rick and Morty S5E10, where Morty goes back to get de-aged after purposely aging himself to convince Rick to come back to him) OR, S2E07, the episode where Tiny Rick takes over and does not allow the original Rick to come be back in his body. Finally, I think the appearance Mostro ElisaSue was strongly inspired by one of Rick and Morty's famous episodes - Rick Potion #9 (S1E06), where Rick accidentally ends up turning the whole world into "cronenbergs" (haha!) (After the episode's end credits roll, we see a cronenberged version of Rick and Morty which looks eerily similar to ElisaSue in the film).
I'm 60 and have never thought of myself as beautiful by any standard. To be honest I'd honestly give myself 5, nothing special. I think girls like me work on our personalities. My Mother had jet black hair and green/hazel eyes and was very disappointed I was so fair. I married at 16 and was married for 34yrs till he passed 8yrs ago. I've not dated since. It's so true as we age we become invisible and it's sad... Very lonely ❤ thank you for making this recap, I'm happy to be a New Subscriber
Is that you on your profile picture? Cause If that’s the case, damn you’re so beautiful
@MaidagulNurlankyzy Thank you, it's very kind of you to say. I was 57 in the pic on here🌻
you look 45, aged like wine.
I immediately thought of the outsized outrage over Lena Dunham for the "temerity" to simply show a not-slender body in a drama.
Matt - I’m so please you made this video. Men generally seem to not get this film, but you have it bang on. ✨👍
I don't usually have an emotional response to characters in film, but I was 100% engaged with Elizabeth and heartbroken. I am a couple of months away from turning 40 and resonating with this film on so many levels. Thankful I got to catch this visual feast in theater!
I'd like to think that the movie title also refers to her physical substance. Thats why I dig your way of concluding that the only relief the character experiences is when she is no longer physical. I love this movie for pointing that out, for its portrayal of female matter. I know I am not the only woman who regularly wishes to be invisible and this movie helped me to understand that wish better. It's not really about wanting to be gone/ dead etc. it's more about living under circumstances where you need to establish a seperate mind from a body, to then establish a relationship between those two that is instrumental, violent and unbearable. So the idea of not "having" any matter, not "having" any substance becomes possible and something to desire. I just came back from the theatre and I am so, so amazed.
You did this review so much justice. The way you talk empathically about the issues women face is very mindful, very demure. I loved this review - too scared to watch the movie because I am nervous of the visual body horror aspect so this spoiler review was awesome.
very mindful, very demi moore
Please stop saying the phrase 😫
A very empathetic and reasoned video, I appreciated how you broke it down. It's such a challenging movie to watch and yes, probably a very different experience depending on gender.
The termination scene felt like a suicide to me especially with the voices in her head
Just saw it. So much to discuss. I’m still in shock and complete awe. So many themes. Ugh SO GOOD. But yea if gore is not your genre you might not like be it but see it anyways. There’s more to this movie, way more. ❤
For me, this movie speaks about addictions in general. The new identity and the old identity are initially separate but in balance. The old self is hidden from society, depressed, while the new self is out in the world. Then the new identity spirals out of control, with several moments of deciding to return to the old self, and the final choice to embrace the new identity until becoming a monster, ultimately ending its life.
It's nothing you can ever understand as a man, that you are correct. Even at 27 I can empathise with Elisabeth because this world has achieved making me feel the way she feels, but you will never be able to. And one more thing you will never understand is the way men who hate women and want women to feel the way Elisabeth feels throughput the movie will experience pure sadistic pleasure watching this movie.
Same
Sad thing is, it's so common for girls to feel this way, the moment they enter their 20ties. There's so much value placed on youth, especially your teen years, and it feels like you're deteriorating the moment you get 2 before your age number.
beautifully and compassionately explained. don't think i could ever watch it, but you broke it down so well.
Thanks!
Her blood splatter in the star was similar to the dropped hamburger on the star. Both got nonchalantly swept away
What I liked about the movie the most was how they portrayed the concept of constant fighting yourself related to self-acceptance and that's why the movie's name is The Substance as it's about a sort of antidote that seeks keeping you young without going to plastic surgeries.
Yeah I'd agree. It sounds like the so called Elixir of Life (O.R.M.U.S.) and Adrenochrome meets the Philosopher's Stone or something. LOL.
I swear I kept looking at this throughout like she died in car accident and this was all a dream , seemed the most logical explanation I mean she walks away from the car crash ? It looked pretty intense
There’s so much going on in this movie, that there’s no time to mention it has the most horrific car accident scene ever!
you really knocked this video out of the park, fantastic job. you've made a fan out of me and i look forward to so many more videos!
I randomly decided to go through my subscribed channels and HOLY SHIT am I glad I subscribed to you?? This is such a good video and as another comment already pointed out, "the only moment of relief that the character gets is when she doesn't have a body" also made my jaw drop. You also captured this sensitive topic with such care and thought, thank you for that ♥
bless you. I wanted to see the movie but I absolutely hate body horror. you did a great job of summarizing and drawing out great analysis!
Movie does a great job highlighting Self Hatred
I don't know if things woud have been different if she would have gone out with Fred. Although lovely from him to still complement her, it is STILL about being beautiful. Not about her character, but still about her looks.
And if you think about it, him complimenting her only for her looks could be one of the reasons she didn't feel good enough to go out
People who are unable to love themselves always push away other people who love them.
What he loves about her other that she is pretty and that now he has a chance with her because she is older.
I see a lot of people defend Fred, saying he was the only one who accepted her and liked her older looks yadda yadda. But since he was introduced he always mention what a big "celebrity" she is, how famous she is. Even when she didn't show up to the date he messenges her how she is "probably very busy being a celebrity/star". I highly doubt Fred would care for Elizabeth if she wasn't a famous person, and I highly doubt Elizabeth actually cared about him either
For me, the " black fly in your chardonnay " was a direct reference to Alanis Morisette's "Ironic" lyrics, as that day was her birthday too.
HIGHLY recommend the book The Eyes Are The Best Part. It's a body horror book about girlhood and being an immigrant. FANTASTIC
Elizabeth wasn’t even that bad contrast to that is when her body has withered and she becomes that old woman
That's the whole point, she was just fine, but wasn't allowed to feel like it
She was not only a MILF, she was rich, famous, getting numbers from guys. It was her own perception of herself that was her downfall. All she needed to do was tell herself "that producer is an assh*le" and retire and do whatever she felt like in life.
2:53 the fly symbolizes her feeling. She’s trapped her life was the superficial glamour and adoration by all at that time she felt that life slowly drowning.
Why that man wanted to regenerate and still become a doctor with the gruesome long hours is just ironic.
The desire to look younger as we age crosses the minds of everyone alive. In this case she wants to return to fame and fortune, not simply be able to do things she used to do and be rejuvenated. There is a catch.
Very good one, saw it last week. The end was a little ghost buster ish, but the movie deserves a solid 7.8/10 imho.
I was so grossed out by Quaid eating; just ew! Also, how gorgeous was Demi in her leotard? This woman is in her 60s. Let that sink in.
22:35 RedRum Danny’s corridor in The Shining. ‘come play with us danny, come play with us forever…. and forever… and forever… ‘
I hate visually grotesque movies but I still like ur commentary 😔👍
This movie was best horror of the last 5 years