Last year was a good time for horror cinema; the genre explored bold plots that changed how normal audiences thought of these films. Interestingly, there were two psychological thrillers that stood out and showed almost the same topics, but portrayed with different lenses. If the phrase “you are one” and the name Sebastian Stan rings a bell, then you have an idea of what movies I’m referring to.
The Substance, starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, shows a fading star, Elisabeth Sparkle, who is consumed by perfection and beauty. She becomes so desperate in her attempt to not lose her beauty and fame that she takes a substance, and creates a younger, prettier version of herself named Sue. However, her fear became an obsession, and her body suffered the consequences. She saw her body deteriorate so much she turned into a monster, and she died without meaning. Her identity was forgotten, even though she got a star in the Walk of Fame. Therefore, her name only represented a youthful body and the dream of perfection.
“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger, more beautiful, more perfect. One single injection unlocks your DNA, starting a new cellular division, that will release another version of yourself. This is the Substance. You are the matrix. Everything comes from you. Everything is you. This is simply a better version of yourself. You just have to share. One week for one and one week for the other. A perfect balance of seven days each. The one and only thing not to forget: You. Are. One. You can’t escape from yourself.”
The Substance (2024)
The exposition of A Different Man is more subtle, but more interesting to look into, considering the gender swap when talking about beauty. In this dark comedy, starring Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson, an aspiring actor named Edward goes through an experimental procedure to change his face. He thinks the surgery would make him successful in his acting career, and he would be appreciated by society, for he endured stigma and prejudice for his looks. Even though he could change his looks, that wouldn’t solve his internal struggles. If anything, his struggles intensify once he meets Oswald, another actor with his former condition that accepts himself, and has a promising career. In Edward’s eyes, Oswald is a winner; a mirror of what he can’t be. Slowly, his obsession with his old self and his envy towards Oswald leads him to madness.
“But she loves him for who he is. If he changes, then who is he then?”
Edward to Ingrid, A Different Man (2024)
Both films share the body horror and psychological thriller genre, but they demonstrate why obsession with beauty isn’t equally experienced in women and men. The Substance is about the fear of aging as a woman in a society obsessed with controlling women’s bodies. Also, it talks about the loss of identity for the sake of perfection and acceptance. It reflects the indoctrination women face in the present: beauty as control. Elisabeth couldn’t face getting older because that meant losing everything she worked so hard for: her fame, beauty, and life. Besides, it meant that people wouldn’t love her anymore, including herself. On the other hand, A Different Man focuses on beauty in another perspective: beauty as identity. Edward tried to convince himself that beauty was everything he needed to get what he craved. So much so, he forgot who he was, which led him to lose himself in the process of being someone he wasn’t. On top of that, seeing somebody like him getting the triumph and love that he always wanted only made him bitter. He focused all his sanity and energy to the outside when all he needed was to love himself for him, not his appearance.
“Oh, my old friend. You haven’t changed a bit.”
Oswald to Edward, A Different Man (2024)
Currently, social media algorithms promote the idea of aesthetics controlling what we see in our devices. Then it becomes a narrative: Aesthetics is all that matters. Take for example what can be seen on social media feeds: clean look, skin care, looksmaxxing, gym culture… All this isn’t bad by itself. However, it becomes problematic when your identity and your autonomy is compromised by that. In the films, when both protagonists get the supposed cure, one gets addicted to it while the other doesn’t. Society expects women to become obsessed with their “imperfections” in order to sell them a “miraculous solution.” In contrast, society expects men to compete for their identity and validation through beauty. The idea society sells is that men use beauty as a mask to hide their fears and insecurities instead of improving themselves from the inside.
In short, beauty standards are a modern-day struggle for both genders. In order to go against that, we need to work on ourselves, so insecurities cannot lead our lives, no matter how enticing the idea of aesthetics seems.
I saw myself in Elisabeth and Edward. These movies, aside from the great performances and the psychology behind their characters, struck a conversation that I kept diverting from. Loneliness, self-awareness, self-love, sense of belonging, identity… It is really hard for me to think of myself as beautiful or talented, and I feel alone most of the time. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that feeling. So, I want to share a few phrases inspired by the characters as a reminder to myself and anyone reading this: