The Substance Provides Lessons in Thriller

I enjoyed watching The Substance on Amazon Prime. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, it is a science fiction body horror film that stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid. This science fiction film follows Elisabeth, an aging actress played by Demi Moore, who is offered a mysterious substance that creates a younger version of herself, Sue, played by Margaret Qualley. The movie poignantly illustrates the painful reality for aging female actors in Hollywood. As a viewer, I found myself drawn to the younger version, which made me reflect on the ingrained biases we all carry.

Courtesy Mubi

Demi Moore stars in The Substance, The film streams on Amazon Prime and offers a horror story with serious lessons about aging.

As the story unfolds, Elisabeth and Sue must share time in the real world. Predictably, the younger version seeks to take full advantage of the opportunities and resources provided by the older version. I saw this dynamic as a metaphor for the choices we make in our youth-decisions about our bodies and health that we may later come to regret. In this film, those consequences manifest in a disturbingly immediate way.

The film's climax takes a surreal and grotesque turn when Elisabeth attempts to duplicate herself again, creating a monstrous and chaotic result. This serves as a powerful argument for embracing the natural process of aging with courage and grace.

Demi Moore delivers an outstanding performance, drawing from her own experiences as an aging actress in an industry notorious for its treatment of women past a certain age. It's notable that she has received significant recognition for this role, something that was often elusive during her younger years.

I highly recommend The Substance. It's unsettling, with moments of body horror and nudity, but it's also thought-provoking and masterfully executed.