Real, surreal Substance
film: Mubi The Substance
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid
Living in a world where we are increasingly being drawn into the vortex of anti-ageing techniques and processes, the crux of Demi Moore-starrer ‘The Substance’ is not exactly a revelation. The obsession for unrealistic beauty standards and the pursuit for perfection is not a new thesis in cinema either. In 2023, there was Greta Gerwig’s fascinating ‘Barbie’, which of course explored more than just notions of beauty. Only the way ‘The Substance’ delves into the issue is not just novel, but fantastical too. With elements of phantasmagoria woven in, it’s not a preachy comment, but a riveting piece of storytelling, at once real and surreal.
The moment it begins with a star being laid on Hollywood’s famous Walk of Fame, you know it will soon unfurl the flip side of being famous, its ephemeral nature and more. Contrary to its title, ‘The Substance’ is not about drug abuse; yet, it’s about an equally fatal addiction, for all things beautiful. ‘Beautiful and happy… that is what people want.’ Only Elisabeth Sparkle is a 50-year-old celebrity, a star of yesteryear, who now has her own fitness show.
For most of us who are 60-plus, Demi Moore is still drop dead gorgeous and with her lithe body, she undeniably looks ravishing. But the producer of her show, Harvey (the suitably abominable and sexist Dennis Quaid), can see her fine lines and not-so-perfect body. He believes people always want something new (read young). Out she goes. And thus begins the real story. She does not take her exit easily and finds the elixir, ‘The Substance’, which promises a new her. Can youth be reclaimed and if yes, at what cost?
Thanks to the drug, she sheds her old self like a snake does… an hour glass body emerges out of her. A new her and a new actor, Margaret Qualley as Sue, replaces Elisabeth in her house and the show. Only Elisabeth is still there, discarded but not out. The drug demands they switch consciousness every week. And we are led down many ominous paths where an insatiable hunger for beauty finds a parallel in a frenzied appetite for food. The way Harvey gobbles shrimp in the early scenes alludes to the ugliness of consumerism. The same quest for fame and beauty now evident in Sue’s agitation, too, touches more hideous dimensions.
Qualley’s beauty is so perfect, it’s almost eerie. Though pitched as a horror film, actually body horror, what it truly does is to unmask the real horror of chasing youthful looks.
Self-restoration or annihilation… when Moore’s body deconstructs itself with the help of prosthetic design, the allegory is obvious. Moore, who has won a Golden Globe for her performance in the film, truly nails the insecurity and vulnerability of an ageing star. The scene in which she excels herself is when she applies makeup, removes it, reapplies and the dialogue-less scene has an explosive intensity. She mirrors the fragility of self-worth and anxiety associated with it like rarely seen before. Most women, stars or not, are likely to relate with the discontent they nurse with regard to their physical appearances in that one telling moment. Qualley is equally superb in her portrayal.
While the production design is enhanced by hyper-realistic suits, it’s the other images which convey more. The deep yellow coat Elisabeth wears time and again or the cocoon-like white bathroom where the switch between Elisabeth and Sue occurs. The French director-writer Coralie Fargeat doesn’t miss the point, nor are you likely to.
If the sight of bold and a bit of gore doesn’t unsettle you, check out this unusual offering that dares you to look into the mirror. And wonders aloud if you can learn to live with your flaws and those of the ones you idolise. As a line goes, it’s still me, it’s still you.