Samantha (Elisabeth Moss) is an ageing actress whose psoriasis has derailed her career to the point where she turns to the titular anti-ageing company owned by renowned wellness guru Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson) to reclaim her skin health. This high-concept sci-fi horror flick teases deeper, more sinister secrets, but takes too long to lean into its sillier parts to fully capitalise on its gory potential, instead playing as a glossy bundle of pastiche masquerading as an homage to B-movies. Its close similarity to the recent festival favourite does not work in its favour.
A sharp shift from Max Minghella’s first feature, the earnest 2018 pop musical this swing in the genre space feels like a poor imitation of Paul Verhoeven and David Cronenberg’s more transgressive 1980s work. It’s also a film in which the usually sure-handed Moss feels wholly miscast. A Special Presentation in Toronto, aims to please midnight movie fans looking for popcorn fun, only to provide exhaustive plot turns instead.
It’s a shame because the pieces are all there. As with , this horror flick attempts to destabilise the unattainable feminine beauty standards that drive Hollywood by critiquing Tinseltown’s fear of ageing leading ladies. Samantha is one such actress.
She was once a star on the cheesy television series Now she’s competing against significantly younger actresses like Chloe Benson (Kaia Gerber), who she used to babysit. After a failed audition, Samantha’s agency tells her to either.