Film Review: The Substance

★★★★★

The Substance is grotesque but freakin’ incredible – and here’s why.

First off, this film hilariously flips the male gaze right on its head. Satire, satire, SATIRE! It pokes fun at the absurd beauty standards women face, especially in Hollywood, where turning 50 can feel like a career death sentence. The movie blends generational women’s struggles, showing that beauty is not supposed to define us, but society pressures us into believing it does. It’s as if we’re constantly surrounded by reminders of youth, beauty, and “perfection,” regardless of our age.

Photo: Demi Moore is Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance | MUBI

Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are absolutely electric as Elisabeth Sparkle and Sue. Their chemistry is visceral, raw, and riveting as they embody two versions of the same woman – one clinging to youth and the other representing a younger, ‘improved’ double thanks to a liquid concentrate called ‘the substance’. This isn’t your typical horror film with ghosts or ghouls lurking in the shadows. This is way more intimate – this is the horror of our own bodies. Aging. Deformity. The brutal honesty of skin sagging and bodies changing.

Moore, a Hollywood legend, brings depth and vulnerability to her portrayal of Elisabeth. She captures the inner turmoil of a woman battling self-hatred. The rawness Moore brings to Elisabeth makes her character both relatable and tragic – this is a woman clinging to youth in a world that won’t let her age gracefully.

Then there’s Margaret Qualley, who embodies Sue, the younger, ‘perfect’ version of Elisabeth with unsettling energy. Sue is the girl-next-door, exaggerated in all the right (and wrong) ways, from her neon workout outfits to the fetishised close-ups on her body. Qualley expertly plays on this caricature, showcasing how Hollywood sells youth and sex appeal at the expense of women’s personhood.

The film takes you through it all – gory, uncomfortable, and at times shocking in its rawness. We’re not talking jump scares here. Instead, it’s the everyday, relatable horror of what time does to our bodies, especially through a woman’s lens. Whether it’s the perfectly sculpted booty or breasts that have given into gravity, The Substance forces you to face these realities head-on. It’s womanhood, in all its gory, abject glory – and it’s unmissable.