Despite what the title suggests, The Substance is not a decades-later sequel to the cult masterpiece The Stuff. The film, written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, is a bit more like if Passion Of Mind was directed by David Cronenberg and written by Julia Ducournau. Is all that too much for the filmmaker’s sophomore outing, or does she successfully navigate the body horror, comedy, drama, and themes of aging, female identity, sex, and the perils of the entertainment industry?
Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, an Academy Award-winning actress who was once the toast of Tinseltown. Now, though, her fame is dwindling, and she’s reduced to hosting a fitness program. The show receives decent ratings but not enough for her to keep her job. That’s right, Elisabeth is fired by network president Harvey (Dennis Quaid) on her 50th birthday, no less. Driving while distressed and distracted means she gets into a car accident, though she comes out virtually unscathed. But the nurse lets Elisabeth in on a strange secret that “changed his life,” known as the Substance.
“ A moment after injecting herself with a green liquid, a version of Elisabeth emerges from her back. This entity is younger, hotter, and more energetic…”
Elisabeth looks into it and decides to enter the program. A moment after injecting herself with a green liquid, a new version of Elisabeth emerges from her back. This entity is younger, hotter, and more energetic, dubbing herself Sue (Margaret Qualley). Sue and Elisabeth must switch off every seven days, with no exceptions; otherwise, there will be terrible consequences. The two must also realize that they aren’t “she” and “her,” but they are both “me.” In her desire to remain relevant, Sue nabs Elisabeth’s old time slot, and her new show, Pump It Up, is an instant success. As her star rises, Sue contemplates not switching back, while Elisabeth feels more and more isolated and alone every day that she’s not Sue.
The Substance runs a hefty 2 hours and 20 minutes. The only scene that can be excised entirely is when Elisabeth, now appearing significantly older, encounters the “matrix” version of the nurse who started her on this journey at a diner. It comes after an especially tense moment and doesn’t really add anything. Beyond that, a number of scenes go on just a bit too long. The opening shot looks directly down at Elisabeth’s star on the Walk of Fame as fans mob it and then slowly is ignored. The lighting is excellent, and the time-lapse editing is brilliant. But the image sits there on screen well past the point at which the point is made. The same thing goes for the reveal of the overeating Elisabeth does before switching back to Sue. The production design and art direction of the blocked windows and thoroughly greased and filthy kitchen is a thing of beauty. But the camera lingers on it all for just a little longer than necessary.
The other issue is that of logic. It is repeated often that Elisabeth and Sue are one, but they don’t seem to know what the other is up to after switching. To be fair, Elisabeth and Sue’s refusal to accept or fully understand this drives much of the tension. However, it is inconsistent with what audiences are told about how the process works. But this is not a film about interpreting anything literally, as everything is a metaphor or making a thematic point. As such, this is not that big of a deal, but it is a noticeable plot hole that distracts after the first switch from Sue back to Elisabeth.
"…the real star of The Substance has to be the numerous practical effects."
