Omg dude… I had no idea what I was getting myself into. At the end my knuckles were clenched, I was laughing, looking away, and silently crying underneath it all.
I knew I was going in for some body horror but still I was so shocked how far they pushed it. The imagery was really striking and I kept thinking there is no way it would get more extreme than this and then it would.
Instant sub, and i will show this video to friends after I've shown them the film. You match a lot of my passions in my viewings of this movie. It has only exponentially grown with each subsequent watch. My mom told me about the film, and that's who I saw it with first. Now, on Wednesday, I'll be taking my 4th friend to the theater (my 5th viewing....ik, it shocks me too), not just so I can experience it on the big screen again, but so I can maniacally grin ear to ear experiencing theirs and the audiences reaction to it, and post viewing walk-out expressions. The only other film i had seen in theaters for what I thought was an absurd amount of times (3) was The Boy and the Heron.
Also loved it! So refreshing to see something so unique, artistic & layered in meaning. as well as merging different categories of entertainment so well into the one movie. Cool review mate 👍
Thank you so much! The movie was absolutely incredible and managed to really hook me in a genre I don’t normally enjoy. I’ve never been big into body horror but this movie was just so overwhelmingly good. Having that deeper meaning and having something to say was what really made this special to me.
This movie wasn’t disturbing at all. After watching a few reviews I went into this expecting to be grossed out beyond measure. Instead, I found myself laughing (a lot) towards the end. This movie really did not need that final act. It could’ve wrapped up before that and been a much better movie overall. The last act is just comically bad on so many levels. One saving grace is that it did remind me of The Thing which is one of my all time favorite horror movies.
**spoilers** I loved the movie. Not because of the body horror, which itself references several previous works: from Tool's Adam Jones in Stinkfist, Chris Cunningham's Rubber Johnny, Cronnenberg's The Fly and even David Lynch's elephant man, but in reverse. As if they had all been given to Gaspar Noe to assemble a version of Oscar Wilde's Portrait of Dorian Grey. A note about the ending that I was telling my girlfriend: In an interview they did with Eddie Vedder while making Vs. or Vitalogy, he commented on how overwhelmed he was with the response to the first album in practical experiences, how the corduroy jacket he wears on the unplugged had been marketed by some fashion label for an exorbitant price and how the fame that Mtv and the record industry was exploiting the hell out of them had made him a product that all audiences wanted to have a piece of. Stolen personal items, the sad stories of Cobain, Staley, Hoon, Wood and more such misfortunes. He said: There comes a time when you think that if you were to rip off your arm and throw it to the audience, they would rejoice in the blood and be overly grateful. The ending is the same message, but within the beautiful nightmare that is The Substance.
Spoilers! I noticed that a lot of the sets especially that red bathroom from the very beginning and features towards the end reminded me so much of the all-red bathroom in the shinning and the end felt like the thing as well at least in terms of how practical they went with the design for the elisasue monster
I just got done seeing it. This was mine blowing. The sound effects for this film alone should win an Oscar. I watched people in front of me and next to me squirm the whole time watching this film. My friend that came with me to see it Had a hand over one of his eyes because he couldn’t take the bizarre nature of this film
Honestly I was like your friend a couple of times haha. The film’s sound deserved so much credit, it really is some of the best sound I’ve heard for a movie this year.
We were _shocked_ 😂😂😂 I did a Cersei afterwards. _Do you consider me to be a person who is easily shocked? The things I just saw, they _*_shocked_*_ me_
Great review, just watched it myself. Holy fucking cow that went waaaaay further than I thought it would, and it was all beautifully done. Probably going to be one of the best this year. Definitely not for everyone though. Even as far as body horror goes this gets pretty extreme, especially near the end. Spoilers!!!! My eyes were glued to the screen when she transformed at the very end I still honestly can't believe what I just watched. Holy shit! That was insane!
Thank you so much!! I felt the same, the film went to levels I was never expecting and every time I thought Ok it can’t get much more intense than this it found a way. SPOILERS AHEAD The way the reveal was set up was an absolutely perfect sequence. It was masterful how it kept building tension everytime we see this character get worse and worse. The framed picture was just a perfect piece to show how far she went and that she never really needed to go down the path she went. It was a stunning piece of film making and then book ending the film on the star was so symbolic and purposeful. I loved every second of this and I think it will definitely stand as one of my favourite films of 2024.
Because it is so easy to get spoiled and because I have so much experience that I can tell just with a trailer if a movie is made for me or not, I went to see this movie totally unprepared. I knew nothing about it outside Demi Moore was in it. I totally agree with you. I think it is a great movie but I would NOT recommend the movie to anyone. It is too particular, too different to please everyone. Fun fact, in the middle of the movie, I was like, if a French director sees this movie, he/she is going to be very jealous that an English person did that movie... Then the credit rolls, with the name of the director first... And I was like, with such a name, she has to be French! Yep... Everything made sense then! I have rarely being shaken by a movie, but this one was a GREAT slap in my face...
I am a science guy and I can close my eyes on the shortcuts, it is a movie... There is a big mistake at the end that is still bugging me... A mirror is smashed (and it is important for the story) but then, "she" looks at herself in the mirror few minutes after and the mirror has no damage... It was so easy to use 2 different mirrors... It. is not perfect but still a great job!
I'm just from watching it and I can't finish. I've stopped the part where Sue is hitting Elizabeth's head on the mirror over and over again. For me it started getting really dark when her leg got old and she couldn't stretch it..that's when I knew shit! What tf am I watching 😂😂😂
It’s very hard to compare the two because they are both wildly different movies. But The Substance had way more scenes that made me cringe in my chair than Kinds of Kindness. Really appreciate and enjoyed both movies.
I’ve never seen the Human Centipede because of how gross it sounds so that would be a lot worse just for that reason. However if you’re someone who doesn’t like body horror The Substance will make you so uncomfortable.
This was such a great watch! Honestly, Qualley just blew me away with her performance. She’s powerful and nuanced. I wrote a review too, would be great to hear what you think of it!
I’ll check it out. I thought Margaret Qualley was brilliant as well. This seriously might be career best work from her and I look forward to seeing what she does next because she’s had a pretty good run over the previous 5 or so years.
Bro, I love all what you said in this review. I agree with lots of your thoughts about the movie. I am looking forward to seeing it as soon as possible but in a cinema. I can't wait but I love in Bulgaria (a country in the Balkan peninsula) where there are not any traits about seeing The Substance in the cinema because of the distribution, I cannot believe this😢
Thank you!! That is such a shame about the distribution, Australia isn't usually very good at that either but I have seen some noticeable improvements over the years. I was very lucky to see this because screenings are still very limited here. Hopefully you get to see it soon.
@@kaneeddy The Substance is uploaded in Myflixer-but CAM and no subtitles. But you know what I mean, I want to watch this movie at the cinemas in Bulgaria and get an unforgettable memories, but unfortunately it is not up to us.
Yeah I understand how that could be tempting it can get so frustrating, I have encountered issues like that here in Australia. It took a year after the US release date for me to see The Lighthouse which was so annoying. But with this film especially there are certain elements such as the sound which does a fantastic job of getting your attention that if you saw the film that way you would be robbing yourself of the full experience.
@@kaneeddy for the full enjoyment and especially because of the sound I won't make any compromise to watch it online in myflixer, for instance, because I don't think I will enjoy it as much as I would at the movie theatre. So yeah, the distribution doesn't depend on me sadly
I just saw this movie and I’m confused about the point of the substance. I thought Demi Moore would be able to live through and experience the same things as her “better self” but that’s not the case at all. They are two different people. They don’t even share the same memories, because it’s clear that Elisabeth and Sue don’t have any idea of what the other is doing while the other one is unconscious. So what does Demi Moore’s character gain from this? This makes the substance completely pointless.
I feel like everyone has been watching a completely different film to me. There were glaringly massive plot holes and the story was really weak. Normally I’d ignore that and leave my brain at the door as it’s a horror flick, but I felt like the film was trying to make serious points too, so I couldn’t. It felt like they just didn’t know what they wanted this film to be.
That happens sometimes, I’ve seen movies everyone has praised and not really enjoyed so I understand the feeling. I personally think the narrative is really tightly written with every idea being presented tying back to the core themes of the film quite strongly.
@@kaneeddy Fair enough. I’ve got nothing against people who enjoy this film, in fact I wish I was one of those people. For me, the plot holes were too much of an issue to enjoy it. But I will say the practical effects were fantastic, Demi Moore was outstanding and the presentation was on point, so not all was lost.
Hey@@CruzzioXT Someone else asked me the same question a while ago. I hope you don’t mind me copy/pasting the answer? Just saves a lot of writing. … Hey, I’ll respond, but if anyone is reading my response, this will have spoilers so please stop reading from here if you don’t want to know. The biggest plot hole for me was what happens when she takes the substance. In case you don’t know, when someone takes the substance, another version of you is born and you basically switch from one version of yourself to the other. You’re one person, but you’re two separate bodies. Each version gets 7 days to be conscious and they switch back and forth. This is the basic premise. The plot falls apart because whenever they switched, they were unaware of what the other version had been up to, they even make life difficult for each other when it’s their turn to be conscious. This means the concept doesn’t work. Demi Moore’s character (Elizabeth) takes the substance to become a better, younger, alternate version of herself (Sue). But since she’s unaware of Sue’s actions, this would mean Elizabeth is never actually conscious while she’s Sue, and therefore, doesn’t get to be the young version of herself. When it’s Elizabeth’s turn to be conscious, she is only ever experiencing life as the older version of herself that she didn’t want to be in the first place. It makes no sense. Another plot hole is how Sue is born out of Elizabeth’s body. It’s a gigantic wound in her back and you’d need to break the entire spine, rib cage and pelvis in order to exit the body this way. Sue stitches up Elizabeth and she’s fine after a one week’s unconscious rest. That plot hole I’m willing to let go as I get I need to look past what’s plausible in order for the story to happen, but it’s still annoying. The rest of my issues with it are just really weak plot points. Such as, I find it really hard to believe Elizabeth is willing to risk taking a back street drug that requires massive needles and after being warned of devastating consequences, just because she’s having a hard time getting older and loses her job. If she’s willing to inject some unknown substance into her body, at least make her utterly desperate with no options left. Also couldn’t wrap my head around why, after Elizabeth becomes Sue, she chooses to go and work for the very guy who made her lose her job and told her she’s too old in the first place. At first I thought it might be a clever revenge plot, but it’s not, she’s happy to be objectified in a way that the film seems to try and make a point against. Just don’t get why it’s both ok and not ok with the objectification. I really could go on, there’s a lot of problems with this film. What it does well, it does really well. The effects are great and so is the acting, but that’s about it for me. If people enjoy the film, I’m happy for them, this is just how I felt about it. I hope that answers your question well enough?
@@delta_shift Those are some interesting observations. The first point, the consciousness switch or lack thereof, is something I've actually discussed with the two others I watched the movie with. We didn't really find a satisfying solution to this problem, though. Here's my take, for what it's worth: On the one hand, Elizabeth must be getting something out of it, otherwise there would be no reason for her to continue using the substance. On the other - as you say - both seem to hate each other. However, your argument is based on the assumption that one is not aware of what the other is doing. I don't see enough evidence to support this view, though. Yes, both display hostile behavior towards each other: Sue, because E. is a total drag, reminding her that her young self is only provisional, and Elizabeth, because she hates being in her current state so much she starts insulting Sue and what not while waiting for "her turn". But as the movie itself keeps saying: They are one. Their consciousness is actually switching. Sue clearly dreads becoming E., and E. is clearly eager to become Sue once again. Elizabeth even has the opportunity to stop using the substance - and she doesn't. Why wouldn't she if she's not benefiting from it? And Sue seems very afraid at the prospect of entering E.'s body again. Why would she be if she's not the one who's aware inside E.'s body? I think a better explanation for them making each other's lives difficult is E.'s growing hate towards Sue because she has to wait around, eating junk food and watching TV, while Sue hates E. because she starts becoming a bigger and bigger problem in her otherwise perfect life. So the culprit here is their lack of awareness about the fact that they need each other to survive, because they are the same person. Their emotions (disgust, greed, contempt) while inhabiting each body simply got the better of them/her.
I struggled to draw anything profound out of The Substance. I left the viewing feeling like I'd just watched an elaborately produced bikini commercial. The film doesn't say anything particularly interesting about desire, age or femininity. I really detest films which shove lots of flesh down your throat, and then pretend to have some grand pretext for debauching your imagination. 'The Substance' is a very close cousin of the 'X/Maxxxine' movies, which combine absolutely irrational scenarios with a script that has been lifted from an 'Archie' comic. The fact that some of this film's most ardent critics are intelligent young women, really says something too. If you look at Rodin's famous sculpture of the aging beauty, it says infinitely more about women and ageing, than this cheap sex-ploitation film. Read a Charlotte Bronte novel, if you really want to understand womanhood. The majority of reviewers are mistaking the film for a piece of esoteric profundity, which only the 'enlightened' can appreciate. It's morally impossible for Hollywood to finance a film, which would decimate secular (as opposed to Catholic) beauty standards. This is evident in the Q & A Conference for the film: the director is wearing leather boots up to her hips, and the younger actress is wearing something resembling a skirt, which barely covers her posterior. I absolutely hold that this film was produced to get as many backsides on seats as possible, with the promise of sensual titillation and bodily cruelty. The men leaving the cinema will be thinking about Marg, and the women will be be thinking about how they can look like Marg. This piece of polished trash will become a favorite at Stag parties, to be sure - not Women's Conferences.
Omg dude… I had no idea what I was getting myself into. At the end my knuckles were clenched, I was laughing, looking away, and silently crying underneath it all.
I knew I was going in for some body horror but still I was so shocked how far they pushed it. The imagery was really striking and I kept thinking there is no way it would get more extreme than this and then it would.
Instant sub, and i will show this video to friends after I've shown them the film. You match a lot of my passions in my viewings of this movie. It has only exponentially grown with each subsequent watch. My mom told me about the film, and that's who I saw it with first. Now, on Wednesday, I'll be taking my 4th friend to the theater (my 5th viewing....ik, it shocks me too), not just so I can experience it on the big screen again, but so I can maniacally grin ear to ear experiencing theirs and the audiences reaction to it, and post viewing walk-out expressions. The only other film i had seen in theaters for what I thought was an absurd amount of times (3) was The Boy and the Heron.
This film is brilliant, borderline masterpiece
Demi Moore is going to win an Oscar for this film, I intuit.
I would love to see her and Margaret Qualley get nominations.
💯
Damn, I sure hope so. Demi deserves it.
She was good, but I don't think it was Oscar-worthy.
@@Magnetar83 …oh yee of little faith … your comment shall not age well… watch, wait and you shall see…
An unique concept excellently executed.
Also loved it! So refreshing to see something so unique, artistic & layered in meaning. as well as merging different categories of entertainment so well into the one movie. Cool review mate 👍
Thank you so much! The movie was absolutely incredible and managed to really hook me in a genre I don’t normally enjoy. I’ve never been big into body horror but this movie was just so overwhelmingly good. Having that deeper meaning and having something to say was what really made this special to me.
Thanks for the review :) your content is great!!
Thank you so much I really appreciate it!!
This movie wasn’t disturbing at all. After watching a few reviews I went into this expecting to be grossed out beyond measure. Instead, I found myself laughing (a lot) towards the end.
This movie really did not need that final act. It could’ve wrapped up before that and been a much better movie overall. The last act is just comically bad on so many levels.
One saving grace is that it did remind me of The Thing which is one of my all time favorite horror movies.
No no no no .. final act is absolutely essential. I agree with the laughing part .. I did not expect so much really funny scenes 😅
The final act was Toxic Avenger levels of humor. LOL!
This was like watching 2013 Scarlet Johansson’s film Under The Skin, with Sam Rami’s Drag Me To Hell layered on top
@@danielchapter70128 Wow, Under the Skin was incredible. After, I read the book, same idea but told the reader about the physical changes.
**spoilers**
I loved the movie. Not because of the body horror, which itself references several previous works: from Tool's Adam Jones in Stinkfist, Chris Cunningham's Rubber Johnny, Cronnenberg's The Fly and even David Lynch's elephant man, but in reverse. As if they had all been given to Gaspar Noe to assemble a version of Oscar Wilde's Portrait of Dorian Grey.
A note about the ending that I was telling my girlfriend: In an interview they did with Eddie Vedder while making Vs. or Vitalogy, he commented on how overwhelmed he was with the response to the first album in practical experiences, how the corduroy jacket he wears on the unplugged had been marketed by some fashion label for an exorbitant price and how the fame that Mtv and the record industry was exploiting the hell out of them had made him a product that all audiences wanted to have a piece of. Stolen personal items, the sad stories of Cobain, Staley, Hoon, Wood and more such misfortunes. He said: There comes a time when you think that if you were to rip off your arm and throw it to the audience, they would rejoice in the blood and be overly grateful.
The ending is the same message, but within the beautiful nightmare that is The Substance.
Spoilers!
I noticed that a lot of the sets especially that red bathroom from the very beginning and features towards the end reminded me so much of the all-red bathroom in the shinning and the end felt like the thing as well at least in terms of how practical they went with the design for the elisasue monster
I just got done seeing it. This was mine blowing. The sound effects for this film alone should win an Oscar. I watched people in front of me and next to me squirm the whole time watching this film. My friend that came with me to see it Had a hand over one of his eyes because he couldn’t take the bizarre nature of this film
Honestly I was like your friend a couple of times haha. The film’s sound deserved so much credit, it really is some of the best sound I’ve heard for a movie this year.
you are very insightful in your review. Subscribed.
Thank you so much!!
We were _shocked_ 😂😂😂 I did a Cersei afterwards.
_Do you consider me to be a person who is easily shocked? The things I just saw, they _*_shocked_*_ me_
Great review, just watched it myself. Holy fucking cow that went waaaaay further than I thought it would, and it was all beautifully done. Probably going to be one of the best this year. Definitely not for everyone though. Even as far as body horror goes this gets pretty extreme, especially near the end.
Spoilers!!!!
My eyes were glued to the screen when she transformed at the very end I still honestly can't believe what I just watched. Holy shit! That was insane!
Thank you so much!! I felt the same, the film went to levels I was never expecting and every time I thought Ok it can’t get much more intense than this it found a way.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The way the reveal was set up was an absolutely perfect sequence. It was masterful how it kept building tension everytime we see this character get worse and worse. The framed picture was just a perfect piece to show how far she went and that she never really needed to go down the path she went. It was a stunning piece of film making and then book ending the film on the star was so symbolic and purposeful. I loved every second of this and I think it will definitely stand as one of my favourite films of 2024.
Because it is so easy to get spoiled and because I have so much experience that I can tell just with a trailer if a movie is made for me or not, I went to see this movie totally unprepared. I knew nothing about it outside Demi Moore was in it. I totally agree with you. I think it is a great movie but I would NOT recommend the movie to anyone. It is too particular, too different to please everyone. Fun fact, in the middle of the movie, I was like, if a French director sees this movie, he/she is going to be very jealous that an English person did that movie... Then the credit rolls, with the name of the director first... And I was like, with such a name, she has to be French! Yep... Everything made sense then! I have rarely being shaken by a movie, but this one was a GREAT slap in my face...
I am a science guy and I can close my eyes on the shortcuts, it is a movie... There is a big mistake at the end that is still bugging me... A mirror is smashed (and it is important for the story) but then, "she" looks at herself in the mirror few minutes after and the mirror has no damage... It was so easy to use 2 different mirrors... It. is not perfect but still a great job!
I'm just from watching it and I can't finish. I've stopped the part where Sue is hitting Elizabeth's head on the mirror over and over again. For me it started getting really dark when her leg got old and she couldn't stretch it..that's when I knew shit! What tf am I watching 😂😂😂
You can’t unsee it😮bring the bleach 😂
Is it as unhinged as kinds of kindness as that left me speechless
more so in every way especially in terms of gore
It’s very hard to compare the two because they are both wildly different movies. But The Substance had way more scenes that made me cringe in my chair than Kinds of Kindness. Really appreciate and enjoyed both movies.
It’s more shocking than the Fly
Be happy with who you are.
This film is Sunset Boulevard meets The Fly.
From a scale of 1 to the Human Centipede, how difficult is this movie to watch?
I’ve never seen the Human Centipede because of how gross it sounds so that would be a lot worse just for that reason. However if you’re someone who doesn’t like body horror The Substance will make you so uncomfortable.
This was such a great watch! Honestly, Qualley just blew me away with her performance. She’s powerful and nuanced. I wrote a review too, would be great to hear what you think of it!
I’ll check it out. I thought Margaret Qualley was brilliant as well. This seriously might be career best work from her and I look forward to seeing what she does next because she’s had a pretty good run over the previous 5 or so years.
Bro, I love all what you said in this review. I agree with lots of your thoughts about the movie. I am looking forward to seeing it as soon as possible but in a cinema. I can't wait but I love in Bulgaria (a country in the Balkan peninsula) where there are not any traits about seeing The Substance in the cinema because of the distribution, I cannot believe this😢
Thank you!! That is such a shame about the distribution, Australia isn't usually very good at that either but I have seen some noticeable improvements over the years. I was very lucky to see this because screenings are still very limited here. Hopefully you get to see it soon.
@@kaneeddy The Substance is uploaded in Myflixer-but CAM and no subtitles. But you know what I mean, I want to watch this movie at the cinemas in Bulgaria and get an unforgettable memories, but unfortunately it is not up to us.
Yeah I understand how that could be tempting it can get so frustrating, I have encountered issues like that here in Australia. It took a year after the US release date for me to see The Lighthouse which was so annoying.
But with this film especially there are certain elements such as the sound which does a fantastic job of getting your attention that if you saw the film that way you would be robbing yourself of the full experience.
@@kaneeddy for the full enjoyment and especially because of the sound I won't make any compromise to watch it online in myflixer, for instance, because I don't think I will enjoy it as much as I would at the movie theatre.
So yeah, the distribution doesn't depend on me sadly
This movie was PURE ART🤌🏽 2 hours well made I didn’t even wants the movie to ends !
I just saw this movie and I’m confused about the point of the substance. I thought Demi Moore would be able to live through and experience the same things as her “better self” but that’s not the case at all. They are two different people. They don’t even share the same memories, because it’s clear that Elisabeth and Sue don’t have any idea of what the other is doing while the other one is unconscious. So what does Demi Moore’s character gain from this? This makes the substance completely pointless.
dude.. I literrary had same reaction after watching this
This movie is so disturbing and uncomfortable to watch and at the same time it’s a masterpiece
Just got my tickets. ❤
I feel like everyone has been watching a completely different film to me. There were glaringly massive plot holes and the story was really weak. Normally I’d ignore that and leave my brain at the door as it’s a horror flick, but I felt like the film was trying to make serious points too, so I couldn’t. It felt like they just didn’t know what they wanted this film to be.
That happens sometimes, I’ve seen movies everyone has praised and not really enjoyed so I understand the feeling.
I personally think the narrative is really tightly written with every idea being presented tying back to the core themes of the film quite strongly.
@@kaneeddy Fair enough. I’ve got nothing against people who enjoy this film, in fact I wish I was one of those people. For me, the plot holes were too much of an issue to enjoy it. But I will say the practical effects were fantastic, Demi Moore was outstanding and the presentation was on point, so not all was lost.
@@delta_shift What plot holes are you referring to?
Hey@@CruzzioXT Someone else asked me the same question a while ago. I hope you don’t mind me copy/pasting the answer? Just saves a lot of writing.
…
Hey, I’ll respond, but if anyone is reading my response, this will have spoilers so please stop reading from here if you don’t want to know.
The biggest plot hole for me was what happens when she takes the substance. In case you don’t know, when someone takes the substance, another version of you is born and you basically switch from one version of yourself to the other. You’re one person, but you’re two separate bodies. Each version gets 7 days to be conscious and they switch back and forth. This is the basic premise.
The plot falls apart because whenever they switched, they were unaware of what the other version had been up to, they even make life difficult for each other when it’s their turn to be conscious. This means the concept doesn’t work. Demi Moore’s character (Elizabeth) takes the substance to become a better, younger, alternate version of herself (Sue). But since she’s unaware of Sue’s actions, this would mean Elizabeth is never actually conscious while she’s Sue, and therefore, doesn’t get to be the young version of herself. When it’s Elizabeth’s turn to be conscious, she is only ever experiencing life as the older version of herself that she didn’t want to be in the first place. It makes no sense.
Another plot hole is how Sue is born out of Elizabeth’s body. It’s a gigantic wound in her back and you’d need to break the entire spine, rib cage and pelvis in order to exit the body this way. Sue stitches up Elizabeth and she’s fine after a one week’s unconscious rest. That plot hole I’m willing to let go as I get I need to look past what’s plausible in order for the story to happen, but it’s still annoying.
The rest of my issues with it are just really weak plot points. Such as, I find it really hard to believe Elizabeth is willing to risk taking a back street drug that requires massive needles and after being warned of devastating consequences, just because she’s having a hard time getting older and loses her job. If she’s willing to inject some unknown substance into her body, at least make her utterly desperate with no options left.
Also couldn’t wrap my head around why, after Elizabeth becomes Sue, she chooses to go and work for the very guy who made her lose her job and told her she’s too old in the first place. At first I thought it might be a clever revenge plot, but it’s not, she’s happy to be objectified in a way that the film seems to try and make a point against. Just don’t get why it’s both ok and not ok with the objectification.
I really could go on, there’s a lot of problems with this film. What it does well, it does really well. The effects are great and so is the acting, but that’s about it for me. If people enjoy the film, I’m happy for them, this is just how I felt about it. I hope that answers your question well enough?
@@delta_shift Those are some interesting observations. The first point, the consciousness switch or lack thereof, is something I've actually discussed with the two others I watched the movie with. We didn't really find a satisfying solution to this problem, though.
Here's my take, for what it's worth: On the one hand, Elizabeth must be getting something out of it, otherwise there would be no reason for her to continue using the substance. On the other - as you say - both seem to hate each other. However, your argument is based on the assumption that one is not aware of what the other is doing. I don't see enough evidence to support this view, though.
Yes, both display hostile behavior towards each other: Sue, because E. is a total drag, reminding her that her young self is only provisional, and Elizabeth, because she hates being in her current state so much she starts insulting Sue and what not while waiting for "her turn". But as the movie itself keeps saying: They are one. Their consciousness is actually switching. Sue clearly dreads becoming E., and E. is clearly eager to become Sue once again.
Elizabeth even has the opportunity to stop using the substance - and she doesn't. Why wouldn't she if she's not benefiting from it? And Sue seems very afraid at the prospect of entering E.'s body again. Why would she be if she's not the one who's aware inside E.'s body?
I think a better explanation for them making each other's lives difficult is E.'s growing hate towards Sue because she has to wait around, eating junk food and watching TV, while Sue hates E. because she starts becoming a bigger and bigger problem in her otherwise perfect life. So the culprit here is their lack of awareness about the fact that they need each other to survive, because they are the same person. Their emotions (disgust, greed, contempt) while inhabiting each body simply got the better of them/her.
Demi was fantastic!
I struggled to draw anything profound out of The Substance. I left the viewing feeling like I'd just watched an elaborately produced bikini commercial. The film doesn't say anything particularly interesting about desire, age or femininity. I really detest films which shove lots of flesh down your throat, and then pretend to have some grand pretext for debauching your imagination. 'The Substance' is a very close cousin of the 'X/Maxxxine' movies, which combine absolutely irrational scenarios with a script that has been lifted from an 'Archie' comic. The fact that some of this film's most ardent critics are intelligent young women, really says something too. If you look at Rodin's famous sculpture of the aging beauty, it says infinitely more about women and ageing, than this cheap sex-ploitation film. Read a Charlotte Bronte novel, if you really want to understand womanhood.
The majority of reviewers are mistaking the film for a piece of esoteric profundity, which only the 'enlightened' can appreciate. It's morally impossible for Hollywood to finance a film, which would decimate secular (as opposed to Catholic) beauty standards. This is evident in the Q & A Conference for the film: the director is wearing leather boots up to her hips, and the younger actress is wearing something resembling a skirt, which barely covers her posterior. I absolutely hold that this film was produced to get as many backsides on seats as possible, with the promise of sensual titillation and bodily cruelty. The men leaving the cinema will be thinking about Marg, and the women will be be thinking about how they can look like Marg. This piece of polished trash will become a favorite at Stag parties, to be sure - not Women's Conferences.
It is a perfect movie. No notes.
It absolutely rocked!!! I definitely won't forget it anytime soon haha.
Nothing negative to say? No flaws? Wow. Got a bit tiring hearing you say everything thats you think is great about it . Just my opinion on your review
I gave the movie a 5/5 if I give a movie a lower score you will hear me talk about flaws.
talk faster
Just put it on 2x speed my guy hahaha.
Proces slower
This film is Sunset Boulevard meets The Fly.