The core themes of writer/director Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance are not complex or hard to decipher. There is a cruelty in the world’s beauty standards for women, with multiple industries profiting off of that cruelty, and the film is an extreme satire exploring that reality. That straightforwardness also extends into in the minimalist scope and aesthetic, as there are really only three principal scene locations, and there is a heavy lean into symbolism leaving the broader details of the world vague.
Release Date: September 20, 2024 Directed By: Coralie Fargeat Written By: Coralie Fargeat Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid Rating: R for strong bloody violent content, gore, graphic nudity and language Runtime: 140 minutes There is an on-paper simplicity to the movie – but that’s not a proper reflection of what is one of the most audacious, engrossing, horrifying, hilarious and wild cinematic experiences of the year. It’s difficult to sum up The Substance because it is so deeply satisfying. Its feminist rage is rich and palpable, the story putting a body horror, female-centric spin on The Portrait Of Dorian Gray .
But it’s also an exceptional execution of craft – a reference to both the phenomenal performances by stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, as well as the stunning and disgusting special effects work. It’s intoxicating, riotous and, to date, the best film of 2024. Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle – an Oscar-winning actress and T.