The Substance

A feminist horror? Purifyingly grotesque? The Substance, written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, feels like a modern nightmare where exaggerated flamboyance asserts itself in every frame. Demi Moore plays TV star Elisabeth Sparkle, who is let go from her job for being “too old.” Driven by the desperation to reclaim the youth and beauty she believes she has lost, Elisabeth finds herself in an anonymous, sci-fi body transformation program. Guided by the motto “You are one,” the program provides a series of instructions that ultimately lead her to create Sue, portrayed by Margaret Qualley. Sue is a vibrant, young woman—an example of “perfection” who embodies everything Elisabeth has lost and is here to reclaim. The two are expected to nourish each other both spiritually and physically, moving in sync through seven-day rotations as a single entity. Yet, any minor misalignment within this system will result in lasting damage. The system is clear: harmony brings perfection, deviation has a price. There’s a balance. There’s no “I” and “you.” You are one. This concept, emphasized continuously throughout the film, alongside its Kubrick-esque wide-angle shots and exploitation-free visual language, hints at the making of a new-generation “icon.”

We’ve all seen countless adaptations of the Jekyll and Hyde story, but Fargeat, with daring creativity, fuses it with Showgirls—and even that isn’t enough for her. She draws on the hallucinatory scene in The Shining, where Jack Torrance embraces a young woman in the bathtub, only to see her transform into a cackling old hag. Beyond that, Fargeat’s imagery evokes the bloody prom scene in Carrie and the haunting descent into addiction in Requiem for a Dream. What transforms all these references into such a unique tone is the film’s minimalist dialogue, typography that supports the narrative flow, and Fargeat’s simmering feminist rage. The flawless performances by Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley further enhance the experience, bringing moments of anger, horror, despair, and vengeance one after the other.

In the scenes where Sue positions herself as an “object,” perfectly giving people exactly what they want, the film’s satirical design stands out, opening a new perspective for The Substance around the idea of “giving people what they want.” The film can most clearly be summarized as a “duel of egos.” The battle between Elisabeth’s authentic self and her enhanced persona for dominance reveals the deformation of the soul on a physical level as well.

The Substance may be over, but it leaves us with many questions. While you search for answers, this playlist might accompany you.