‘The Substance’ Film Review
Warped beauty standards in the height of the Ozempic, injectable and plastic era. The intense and arguably grotesque lengths people will reach to stay youthful and ‘beautiful’ forever. A deep dive into Hollywood’s obsession with youth and unachievable beauty standards.
A Hollywood starlet, Elisabeth Sparkle, struggles with losing relevance and fame as she ages. Elisabeth loses her position as a daytime Zumba instructor because the agency wants a young new star. Elisabeth discovers a solution to her problem with ‘the substance,’ a mystery drug which offers a new, better version of herself. Then Sue emerges. Elisabeth and Sue struggle to respect each other’s balance and chaos erupts.
The film “‘The Substance’” is a fantastic representation of the insecurities many women face daily and how comparison is the thief of joy. Everybody wants what they don’t have, and once they have it, it’s never enough. This film features great special affects, impressive dialogue, iconic music and fantastic acting. ‘The Substance’ is a body horror film like no other while also maintaining an inspiring message.
The film is intensely graphic and at times grotesque which may be sensitive to some viewers, and contains full frontal nudity. The movie is also a bit long at over two hours and the ending drags on a bit. The body horror film “‘The Substance”’ criticizes Hollywood’s fascination with beauty and maintaining eternal youth in order to stay relevant. This film dives into deep rooted insecurities women across the globe have faced for decades. In the height of the “‘Ozempic Era”’ this film has a significant impact on women and how they view themselves, and why they see themselves this way.
Other films viewers may find worth a watch if they enjoyed “‘The Substance”’ includes the A24 Franchise of “‘X,”’ “‘Pearl,”’ and “‘Maxxine.”’ This film is without a doubt a five star film.
