"Assessment of the material"
In the gripping new film, "The Substance," directed by Coralie Fargeat, beauty and age are not just physical traits but facets deeply intertwined with control, obsession, and self-destruction in a society that equates value with youth and appearance.
The film, set in a superficial and idolatrous version of Los Angeles, centres around Elisabeth Sparkle, a middle-aged LA personality and celebrity turned fitness icon, played by Demi Moore. Facing a life devoid of purpose, Elisabeth is willing to preserve her existence by committing to a solution that may destroy her.
Elisabeth stumbles upon a secret drug that can restore her youth, known as "The Substance." This leads to a duality between the aging original and the youthful doppelgänger, symbolising society’s obsession with maintaining an impossible standard of flawless beauty. The two women share consciousness and switch lives periodically, exposing the psychological and physical toll such anti-aging pursuits exact.
"The Substance" critiques how youth and beauty are commodified and enforced, particularly for women in Hollywood and beyond. Elisabeth’s descent into desperation and loss of identity reflects the coercion to sustain a youthful image at all costs, underscoring the cruelty of the beauty industry and societal expectations. Moreover, Sue’s evolution into an individual with her own desires shows the tension between the idealized perfect self and authentic identity, highlighting the imprisoning effect of perfection.
The film satirises capitalism through displays of unchecked decadence and fuses its voyeuristic lens on eroticism and nudity with a staccato of jarring visuals and montages. It raises questions about the limits of body manipulation in the pursuit of beauty and perfection, and the perverse consequences of such an ambition.
Dennis Quaid plays Harvey, Elisabeth's chauvinistic and aged boss, who fires her at a luncheon and issues a scathing remark on the double standard of beauty. The film serves as a vivid lament for those trapped in emotional purgatory, standing as a dark, writhing premonition of our future shaped by a technology-obsessed generation.
Margaret Qualley's character Sue emerges on the other end of a twisted and hellish version of rebirth. The final act of "The Substance" embraces its intentional grotesqueness, urging viewers to acknowledge the vile perversity of its nature and our complicit participation in the spectacle. The film's final line is, "Respect the balance."
"The Substance" is a statement on industry, ego-driven pursuits, and the cost of perfection and beauty. It critiques ageism, beauty standards, identity, and the destructive pursuit of youth, exposing the damaging illusions and consequences of modern anti-aging culture.
- The film "The Substance" delves into the realm of women's health, as it portrays the bitter reality of the beauty industry's pressure on women, especially in Hollywood, to maintain a youthful appearance.
- The movie also explores mental health, as it depicts the psychological and physical toll that the relentless pursuit of youth and beauty takes on its protagonist, Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore.
- Additionally, the film touches upon science and health-and-wellness, as it showcases a fictional substance that promises to reverse the process of aging, but at a steep cost to the user's mental and physical wellbeing.
