Note: This article contains spoilers.
As the 2025 Ocsars is in our rearview mirror, The Substance continues to stir discussions.
The film details the journey of washed-up celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle, who is struggling with “ageing out” of the entertainment industry. To rectify this, she takes a drug called “the substance,” creating a younger and better clone of herself named Sue, who is meant to be the “very best” version of Elisabeth.
Elisabeth is meant to live vicariously through Sue, but she must alternate bodies every week. Despite this, Sue takes on a life of her own and dominates what is left of Elisabeth. What proceeds is Sue’s epic rise to fame ,leading to Elisabeth’s entrance into depression and self-loathing — the ultimate fall from grace as both characters struggle to balance their lives with one another.
Though both characters are meant to be the same person, the characterization of the two is substantially different. Still, the core traits of rage, greed, pride, and a desperate need to be validated through their work unites them.
The Substance is a critically acclaimed film for many reasons, as it marks Demi Moore’s career comeback, as she claimed her first Oscar nomination at 62 years old. Her undeniable talent and beauty brought her a fantastic career in her youth, strengthening her portrayal of Elisabeth Sparkle as her personal experiences with ageism in the entertainment industry are mirrored.
As Moore got older, she was given less work and focus in the media, leading many people to believe that she left the film industry altogether, which is untrue as she continued working on projects. Her frustration with the industry caused her to consider quitting acting, but not before completing her last film, The Substance. After receiving critical acclaim and making a career comeback, Moore is here to stay in the acting world.
The film is written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, the only female director nominated in her category at the Oscars. Being spearheaded by a woman, there were expectations that the story would be told with grace, poise, and, above all, taste as it tackled the discrimination of women in entertainment.
This film does none of those things.
The Substance merely scratches the surface of the complicated issue it aims to address. The writing in this film doesn’t put a strong enough emphasis on the feelings of Elisabeth Sparkle and Sue. It’s difficult to resonate with the struggles that Elisabeth Sparkle faces, as we are not given enough time or material to latch onto her.
The climax of the film, Sue killing Elisabeth, is shocking. Not because it is sad or disappointing but because of the gore shown. Overall, the on-screen elements are not strong enough to compensate for the poor writing.
While we can empathize with the characters (primarily due to the phenomenal acting), the consistent use of nonsensical, grotesque gore and uncomfortable amounts of graphic nudity distract the audience from the primary allegory. The imagery is desensitizing from the frustrating realization that both Sue and Elisabeth Sparkle are continuously objectified and overlooked by the companies and industries within the film that they fought fiercely to be a part of. Rather, the camera is doing the exact thing that the film is supposed to call out, ultimately losing the intended impact.
The images on-screen emphasize an internalized misogyny and scopophilic view of the female characters to imply they are to be looked at rather than heard.
While the core concept of this film is one of feminist stance, the imagery and directorial choices reinforce an opposite idea — that women are chiefly images and objects instead of going against it. The positioning of the camera shows how the women on-screen only create interest through shock in gore, nudity, and the oddly provocative dancing performed by Sue. This is a shame, as it takes away from the performances by Moore and Margaret Qualley.
If this film was made in a different style or genre such as drama, science fiction, or even psychological horror as opposed to body horror, the messaging would have been substantially different and easier to absorb.
In this way, I’m disappointed in Fargeat’s direction and writing. I had very high expectations for this film, yet the imagery, pacing, and overall design failed to deliver the message expected.
Therefore, I didn’t think Fargeat should’ve won the award for best director because this wasn’t better than the other films nominated. If she had won Best Director, I, as a female filmmaker and aspiring director, would’ve been disappointed.
That being said, I strongly believe that Demi Moore was a fantastic candidate for best actress.
If this film has any redeeming qualities, it would be for the fantastic sound design and the incredible performances by its actors. The soundtrack has a vividity that creates a sense of dread and unease, which I thoroughly appreciate in a horror film. Then, the actors portray their characters in ways that illuminate the true meaning of the film, which is about the mistreatment and misjudgement of women based on appearance.
However, this film would have been made 10 times better if the imagery didn’t enforce an inherent objectification of the women involved in a way that does not contribute to the plot or reinforce its themes.