The Substance is a DISTURBING Freaky Friday. Yes, The Substance is a chilling sci-fi body-horror movie directed by Coralie Fargeat, that stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. You know, the Margaret from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the brilliant closed box mindjob Sanctuary. The film explores society’s obsession with youth, beauty, and the extreme lengths people are willing to go to maintain their appearance. Through the use of a mysterious machine, characters literally split into a younger, more vibrant version of themselves, leading to both grotesque transformations and a brilliant devolution of moral decay. The film tackles themes of vanity, fast fashion, and the ethical compromises we make to appear youthful and successful. And while this movie is only for the sturdiest of heart, if you are up for it, it’ll blow your mind.
The Substance Movie Spoiler Warning:
Because we love to discuss the deeper meanings of the films we watch, from this point forward, significant plot details will be revealed.
The Substance Movie Plot Walkthrough:
The movie follows Elizabeth (played by Demi Moore), a once-successful media personality whose career is fading as she ages. Desperate to regain her youth and stardom, Elizabeth turns to a secretive program that uses a substance to split her into two beings: her original self and a younger version named Sue (portrayed by Margaret Qualley).
When Elizabeth injects herself with The Substance, a really horrifyingly gruesome scene unfolds: Sue violently tears her way out of Elizabeth’s body, leaving her older self alive but severely weakened. Sue represents everything Elizabeth wants to be—young, vibrant, and full of potential. While Elizabeth is left to heal in her apartment, Sue takes over Elizabeth’s life, gaining fame and success rapidly. As Sue rises to stardom, Elizabeth becomes increasingly resentful of her younger counterpart. But there are rules with the use of The Substance… it is expected that Sue will get 7 days on, then she will take 7 days off, thus keeping in balance, and check, the powerful forces chomping to consume them both.
But things take a dark turn as Sue begins to neglect this Faustian bargain. Sue begins breaking the 7-on, 7-off rule and in so doing she begins to cause bodily harm to Elizabeth as she starts to age and decay. Desperate, Elizabeth tries to contact the original doctor who provided her with The Substance, only to find him decrepit and broken, warning her that Sue will consume her entirely if she doesn’t act quickly. With the rules ripe to be broken, and the obvious dominoes about to fall, the only thing left for the duo is who will win this particular tug of war. The younger encountering bouts of body dysmorphia, while the older experiences very real body transformational chaos.
At a severe deficit, Elizabeth, now broken and abused, confronts her younger counterpart Sue. Elizabeth in a final attempt to quell Sue once and for all, she prepares to utilize a termination fluid to shut Sue down once and for all. But Elizabeth is unable to pull the trigger, and as a result, Sue awakens – forcing a face to face confrontation wherein the duo fight to the death. Sue summarily beats the living tar out of Elizabeth, and as she murders her other self, a memory hits home: “REMEMBER – YOU ARE ONE.”
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The fight between the two escalates, and in a brutal twist, Sue murders Elizabeth, seemingly freeing herself to live out her life unchallenged. But Sue’s victory is short-lived—her body begins to decay rapidly. Teeth fall out, ears and fingernails peel off, and her body grotesquely degenerates. In desperation, Sue uses the substance again, hoping for another fresh, young self. Instead, what emerges is a monstrous amalgamation of both Sue and Elizabeth, a horrific creature that embodies the consequences of their obsession with youth.
In a satirical yet horrifying ending, this creature goes to a high-profile New Year’s Eve broadcast, still trying to maintain the facade of beauty and fame, even as its grotesque appearance horrifies the audience by spewing gallons and barrels of blood and vile sewage out across the aghast onlookers.
How does The Substance movie machine work?
The machine in The Substance works by splitting an individual into two beings: the original self and a younger version. The younger version, created from the substance, has all the memories and desires of the original but embodies youth, vigor, and beauty. The original person is left alive, but in a weakened and now quickly decaying state.
It’s something straight out of Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde… wherein the elder and younger swap back and forth week blocks at a time. The machine also requires the religious siphoning of essence? Soul Marrow? from the original in order to keep the dark contract going. The switching keeps the decaying at bay, as long as the 7 days are respected. But when the younger refuse to only stay 7 days, it incurs a dramatic physical toll on the elder.
Theories and Themes:
I mean. Come on. Do you need me to spell out the theories and their explanations for this film? Obviously – The Substance is a clear critique of modern society’s obsession with youth, beauty, and fast fashion. I mean… what else could it be possibly saying? It’s obvious exploration of these themes our expressly delving into the the moral decay that occurs when individuals are willing to sacrifice everything—including their own well-being and identity—in order to maintain an appearance of youth and success.
- Youth Obsession: The film directly addresses the lengths people go to avoid aging. The split between Elizabeth and Sue represents the internal struggle of people fighting against the natural process of aging. The grotesque body horror symbolizes the physical and emotional costs of chasing eternal youth.
- Fast Fashion and Societal Pressure: Sue’s rapid rise to fame and the focus on appearance and media stardom reflects society’s obsession with fast fashion and quick success. The film suggests that in the pursuit of fame and beauty, people often neglect deeper values and self-identity.
- Moral Decay: As Sue becomes more reckless and self-serving, we see the consequences of placing vanity above humanity. The film is a commentary on how people can lose their moral compass when their self-worth is tied solely to how they are perceived by society.
These are all the obvious themes. And you get zero points with me for having them cross your head. Better? What was the role of the audience that watched on at the end? What is your role in all of this? It is the unstoppable gaze of the audience’s eyes, the money we put at stake by watching, it’s us that causes this downward spiral. IT’S YOU. IT’S ME. It isn’t her fault specifically (I mean, tertiarily, eventually it is… but primarily, no.) Then it’s the producers, directors, show creators… they’d be second in line for the blame. Dennis Quad… he’s bad. But nowhere near as bad as you or me. None of this would exist, this dilemma – this drama, without our eyeballs.
So, congratulations. You are the evil, the true malignant prime mover of this movie. What do you have to say for yourselves?
Edited by: CY