What movie comes to mind when we talk about beauty, horror, and total chaos?
If you’re picturing something ordinary, think again—The Substance is far from that.
This movie interestingly shows the shocking lengths people go to for beauty and how society pushes impossible standards.
It’s strange, creepy, and packed with moments that will stay with you for a long time.
Let’s explore what makes The Substance such a wild and unforgettable experience.
Key Takeaways
- The Substance uses shocking body horror to show how society’s beauty standards can harm people.
- The movie raises questions about whether it critiques or crosses the line by showing too much female suffering.
- With over $70 million earned worldwide, it proves audiences love bold stories and impressive practical effects.
The Wild Ride That Is The Substance
Some movies are entertaining, and some leave you thinking long after the credits roll.
The Substance is definitely in the second category.
It’s weird, creepy, and packed with ideas about beauty, aging, and identity.
Directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, this movie is like nothing else you’ve seen.
The story follows Elisabeth Sparkle, a famous aerobics star who is turning 50 and discovering that Hollywood doesn’t want her anymore.
She gets fired, feels humiliated, and desperate to stay relevant.
And that’s when she gets her hands on a mysterious green serum.
Newsflash: The serum makes her younger.
But there’s a catch—it creates a whole new person named Sue, who literally grows out of Elisabeth’s back.
And, yes, it’s as creepy as it sounds.
Elisabeth and Sue are supposed to share time in the spotlight and switch control every seven days.
At first, it seems like a miracle.
But soon, Sue starts wanting more control, and Elisabeth’s original body begins falling apart.
Things spiral into a messy, bloody fight for dominance, and it’s fascinating yet terrifying to watch.
A Bloody Love Letter to Feminist Horror
At its core, The Substance is about the impossible beauty standards women face.
Elisabeth’s horrifying transformation shows just how much women are pushed to change themselves—sometimes in ways that are damaging—to fit into a world obsessed with youth and perfection.
If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that the movie doesn’t shy away from showing the pain involved in these changes.
Elisabeth’s body is literally torn apart, which makes the whole thing feel even more intense.
But here’s the tricky part: while the movie wants to criticize these pressures, it also spends a lot of time showing women suffering.
The graphic scenes might make you think about how society treats women, but they can also feel a bit too much like the movie is enjoying the pain it’s showing.
This makes The Substance a bit complicated.
On one hand, it’s a powerful reminder of how harmful beauty standards can be.
On the other hand, it sometimes feels like it’s displaying that pain just for shock value.
A Box Office Beast
Even with its creepy and shocking moments, The Substance became a big hit.
It earned over $70 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful indie horror movies in recent years.
The movie crushed it in Latin America, pulling in $20 million, including a whopping $10 million from Mexico alone.
It outperformed massive hits like Parasite and M3GAN in that market, which says a lot about its universal appeal.
In the U.S., it raked in over $16 million despite stiff competition from Halle Berry’s Never Let Go.
Worldwide, it even left Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled in the dust.
But what’s surprising is that the movie didn’t rely on flashy marketing.
Instead of using pictures of the stars, the posters were mysterious and artsy, showing things like leotards and strange shapes.
Demi Moore, however, promoted the film heavily on her social media, and the buzz grew even more thanks to fans on platforms like Letterboxd.
People were talking about the movie everywhere, sharing memes, and even dressing up as the characters for Halloween.
Mind-Blowing Effects
One of The Substance’s most unforgettable parts is how it looks.
The movie didn’t rely on computer effects; it used real, practical effects to bring its horrifying transformations to life.
The most shocking moment might be the “birth” of Sue.
Elisabeth’s spine opens up, and Sue climbs out of her body.
The scene is done with a mix of prosthetics and puppets, and it looks disturbingly real.
You can feel the pain and horror of what’s happening, which makes it hard to watch—but also impossible to look away.
Later in the movie, Elisabeth’s body starts to decay in disturbing ways.
Her fingers, her skin, and even her face begin to change.
These effects were created with carefully designed prosthetics, and they feel so real that it’s hard not to cringe.
And then there’s Monstro, the final form of Elisabeth and Sue combined into one deformed, terrifying creature.
Persin and his team spent hours perfecting every detail, from the stitched-up scars to the slimy, distorted features.
And the result is equal parts nightmare fuel and visual masterpiece.
But even the smaller details are impressive.
The early stages of Elisabeth’s decay, like her fingers transforming, were carefully crafted to feel natural yet utterly unsettling.
Persin’s team tested and re-tested every prosthetic piece until it hit the right level of “ugh, I can’t look, but I can’t look away.”
Why The Substance Matters
In a world where everything from Instagram filters to “glow-up” trends makes us think we have to look perfect, The Substance is a movie that hits hard.
It forces you to think about why we’re so obsessed with beauty and what that obsession does to us.
Sure, the movie doesn’t give easy answers, and it’s definitely not for everyone, but this title’s so impactful.
Some people might find the graphic scenes too much, and others might feel like the movie spends too much time showing women in pain.
But whether you love it or hate it, you can’t ignore it.
The Substance is the kind of movie that sticks with you.
So, if you’re ready for a film that’s as thought-provoking as it is shocking, this is one you don’t want to miss.
Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
