“Fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate”

There have been many notable quips based on the concept of fame over the years, but the one above by Emily Dickinson (whose own interactions with public life and her efforts to recede into as much obscurity as she could as a notable figure are fascinating in their own right) is perhaps the most simultaneously succinct and descriptive, and a perfect entry-point into a discussion on The Substance, a film in which Coralie Fargeat makes her English-language debut with one of the year’s most demented projects. The film tells the story of Elisabeth Sparkle, a formerly beloved starlet who has decided to age gracefully, much to the chagrin of executives and audiences, who see her as past her prime – and in an effort to overcome this blatant attack on a natural process, she decides to participate in a secret experimental programme, in which she is given “the substance”, which will ultimately create a clone of the younger Elisabeth, who is now a separate entity, albeit one that is a much younger, more attractive version of her – and what starts as a well-defined system eventually devolves into absolute chaos when the boundaries between the two begin to blur, and vanity overtakes logic, leading to a harrowing and shocking ending. A merciless blend of dark comedy and body horror, the film is an unsettling ode to the perils of womanhood in a patriarchal society, as well as the narrow boundary between fame and notoriety, both of which are nearly impossible to separate once the borders start to blur. A singular vision that is both enthralling and demented in equal measure, The Substance is a truly original work, albeit one that dares to push further than anyone may have expected, leading to a harsh but exceptionally compelling piece of cinema that will undoubtedly stir more discourse and controversy than many recent works on the same subject, which is a credit to an ingenious director who is not afraid to take risks, and a cast and crew fully committed to helping her realize that vision, regardless of the inevitable revulsion that will come about in the aftermath of this astonishing work being unleashed into the public consciousness.

By this point, the concept of fame has been so widely explored – from the earliest days of religious idolatry to the present era of constant surveillance of the lives of the rich and influential, celebrity culture has been an ingrained part of the human experience and one that has gradually become more intense as time has progressed. Fargeat is clearly heavily influenced by this fundamental concept when cobbling together The Substance, a film of extraordinary complexity, albeit the kind that is almost universally recognized based on how we are constantly in close proximity to these kinds of narratives based on even the most basic of interactions with contemporary media. In theory, it seems to be forged in the mould of every other showbusiness satire, focusing on the conflict between a former star who would like to believe she is still beloved, but is considered past her prime and therefore is gradually being phased out of the public sphere to make way for more appealing replacements, the general idea being that only a finite number of places of prestige exist for these people, and that those who are most alluring are given priority. To call The Substance a feminist text is certainly not implausible, especially since the director is looking at the intersections between fame and femininity, and how it is far more challenging for women in any industry (particularly one in which they are constantly present in the lives of the consumer), and how the concept of ageing is viewed as taboo, despite it being a natural process. These are all the basic ideas that inform The Substance and give it some shape, rather than being entirely definitive of the whole experience, which is far more intimidating than any of us may have anticipated. At no point in this film can we predict where it is going, and its loose three-act structure moves in unexpected directions, carefully and methodically challenging our perspective as it tackles very relevant themes, the director reconfiguring them to be far more unsettling than we could have ever thought possible, choosing to approach these ideas in a manner most unorthodox in terms of both the storyline and how it manifests on screen, somehow becoming one of the more effective indictments on celebrity culture, beauty standards and patriarchal views of womanhood, filtered through the lens of a director insistent on reworking perceptions in daring and unconventional ways. 

A film with the gonzo premise of The Substance needed a pair of actors more than willing to surrender to outright madness to be effective, and this comes in the form of Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, who anchors the film and single-handedly assist in making this bizarre work of body horror not only palatable but extremely entertaining. Moore is the kind of actor who is recognizable enough to be beloved, but who has never had a signature role that showcased their talent – outside of Ghost and G.I. Jane (which were more about her star persona than her gifts as an actor), she hasn’t been given too many moments to show that she’s an incredible performer. She’s a perfect fit for this film because she has been at the receiving end of several harsh criticisms based on her decline in popularity, but she’s also self-aware enough to look at this film as something that kickstarts a much broader conversation. It’s not a statement I make often, since it can be trite in how it trivializes the bare minimum, but her performance in The Substance is extremely brave – revealing, vulnerable and deeply compelling, she takes what could have been a one-dimensional caricature and transforms her into a deeply human character, making this both the very definition of a tour de force, as well as undeniably the best work of her career to date. Qualley occupies the other end of the spectrum, being a very exciting young actor who is carving out her niche in the industry – and she similarly leaps into the film without any hesitation, delivering this wickedly entertaining, off-the-wall performance that straddles the line between charm and villainy extremely well. Anyone who has felt ambivalent towards Qualley will likely have their minds changed by her brilliant and daring performance here. Both leads are exceptional and provide the solid foundation the film needs to be both entertaining and thought-provoking, the right balance of both being vital to the overall success of the narrative.

Having exceptional performances that are bold and daring is enough to capture our attention, but maintaining it is a different matter entirely. Moore and Qualley are fantastic, but they eventually become pawns to a much broader set of intentions, with Fargeat making it very clear that as brilliant as they may have been, there is something larger at play. The director is sincere in her efforts to shock and provoke, and much like her previous film Revenge, we find that The Substance is far more than meets the eye, functioning as a high-wire act that combines bleakly hilarious dark humour with a sense of terror and despair that we hardly find in contemporary horror. It has been several years since we saw a body horror this insistent on repulsing the viewer – Fargeat isn’t even interested in pandering to that sense of entertaining violence that is harsh but enthralling. Instead, she crafts a genuinely grotesque, hideous film that will nauseate even the most desensitized of viewers, which is quite an achievement considering how the global audience has generally become far less disturbed by certain subjects and efforts to portray them as shockingly as possible on screen. There are moments in The Substance that can only be watched through hands clasped in front of the viewer’s eyes since it draws on something so disgusting and visceral that even looking directly at the screen becomes a challenge. As hyperbolic as it sounds, Fargeat’s efforts to horrify are perhaps too effective – those who are squeamish about the human body will find The Substance to be an ordeal, and as unpleasant as it may sound, it’s impossible to imagine a more effective way to communicate these ideas. She saw the opportunity to push boundaries, and while she never crosses over into immoral territory, the director does gleefully waltz around the edges, testing both our patience and sanity, weaving a terrifying but brilliant work of sheer despair that incites a carnal reaction in the audience – and the layers of dark humour that we scattered throughout only amplify the carnivalesque madness that propels this story and makes it so thoroughly unforgettable.

The best description we could ever hope to give to The Substance is a version of All About Eve as directed by David Cronenberg, with the satirical intermingling with the raw and brutal to create something unforgettable and unlike anything we have seen before. Fargeat is not a director who adheres to any conventions in terms of content or style, and from its first moments it becomes clear that The Substance is going to be something very different from what we would expect, which begins with the subject matter. A wickedly funny dark comedy that starts as an irreverent, off-the-wall Hollywood satire before quickly receding into a place of sincere darkness, the film examines ageing, fame and womanhood in a manner that is both intriguing and repulsive, going dangerously close to taboo imagery and commentary that is only narrowly avoided. It’s complex and engaging, with the two leads delivering spellbinding performances that feel oddly more authentic than anything else we may have expected from such a story. It helps that is is superbly well-directed – the bright colours, fascinating compositions and use of a pulsating musical score make it as much a visual and aural experience as it is a visceral one, showing the director being aware of how every intricate detail plays a part in the development of this story and its underlying themes. The Substance is a work defined by a singular vision and a cast and crew more than willing to take the leap and surrender into the sheer madness that drove the narrative. Unconventional to the smallest detail, but also extremely entertaining in the most morbid of ways, Fargeat’s work reflects the continued growth of a truly exceptional filmmaker, and someone whose willingness to create something so daring will draw in far more viewers than it will repulse, although the balance between those who can see this as an exercise in self-indulgence, and those who view it as an extraordinary, cutting satire, are essential to creating a film that is going to be divisive by nature, which is the perfect place for such a radical work to reside.