One of MIFF 72’s most anticipated headliners, Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance is a twistedly gorgeous genre experiment, drawing on body horror, dark humour, and contemporary sci-fi to create a uniquely memorable viewing experience. Fargeat, a French director hot off a Best Screenplay win at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, has thrust herself into the spotlight with this new feature, and it’s safe to say that The Substance deserves the attention.
The film follows the aptly named Elisabeth Sparkles (Demi Moore), an aging actress whose misogynistic treatment by the entertainment industry pushes her to seek unorthodox methods of appearing younger and more appealing to industry executives. She stumbles upon The Substance, a miracle injection that promises to reverse the aging process of anyone who takes it. Elisabeth’s younger self is manifested in Sue (Margaret Qualley), who resolves to take on Hollywood with a renewed vigour. It’s difficult to capture this highly specific plot without revealing some of The Substance’s most enjoyable sequences, but the film that follows is an unflinching depiction of greed and ambition, Elisabeth and Sue uncovering a number of ingenious tensions that derive from cloning oneself through an illicit procedure.
It's clear from just its synopsis that The Substance exhibits all the markers of a truly creative and visionary production. Fargeat has injected this film with an insurmountable degree of wit that certainly enraptured the audience at its Victorian premiere. The Substance’s descent into unadulterated narrative chaos was an entirely unexpected feat; by the conclusion of the film, it barely resembles its former self. Its substantial runtime allowed for a comprehensive and successful attempt at this cinematic endeavor, which Fargeat’s singular direction certainly worked to enable. The film wholly engrossed the audience from start to finish using a variety of filmmaking devices and genre trademarks, offering up a whole host of things to chew on from expertly timed comedy to truly gruesome moments of horror. The interplay of those two elements defines The Substance’s playful narrative tone, a delicate balance which defined Fargeat’s distinct vision for the film.
I’ve seen criticisms levied against The Substance for, ironically, its lack of substance. Dissenters have labelled the film as hollow and lacking a nuanced perspective on the social issues it addresses, but I think the film is completely aware of and in control of its own shallowness. This discourse is familiar; much of it echoes last year’s discussion around Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Both films have been accused of delivering a palatable and uninspired message of white feminism to their audiences, and this may appear to ring true for The Substance, particularly in its portrayal of society’s sexist treatment of aging women–Just this year, that theme has already been addressed twice with Anne Hathaway’s The Idea of You and Nicole Kidman’s A Family Affair–, a one-two punch of creatively bankrupt streaming originals that failed to provide nuanced insight to the conversation. While it’s fair to criticize those films, and even Barbie to an extent, for their lack of innovation in the messaging department, The Substance has delivered these wrought themes in a package of such explosive creative ingenuity that it can be forgiven. The film’s innate shallowness is an essential ingredient to success, Fargeat has clearly chosen not to bite off more than she can chew, and such self-awareness in a director is something to be grateful for.
With that, it’s important to acknowledge the other pieces involved in this puzzle of delicate cinematic success, namely Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Moore’s casting in this film is perhaps its most successful attribute. The real-life comparisons that can be drawn between Moore and Elisabeth really add to the narrative’s success. Watching the film, I was constantly blown away and excited by each new scene featuring the actress, as she continued to push an untested boundary whenever she appeared. Her performance in The Substance is bound to end up near the top of those inevitable “Why Wasn’t This Nominated For An Oscar?” lists, but the work she does here more than speaks for itself. To agree to a project like this one is a career-defining moment for any actress, and I wait with bated breath to see Moore’s next move. Qualley, on the other hand, who I feel has yet to find her footing in film, does her best work yet here. It seems that Qualley’s interpretation of the sarcasm-laced Sue aligned completely with Fargeat’s directive vision, resulting in a tremendously fun performance that enlivens the film in its darker moments.
As well as its actors, it’s essential to mention The Substance’s unparalleled team of makeup and visual effects artists–an ensemble that carries this project to its full potential. The gut-wrenching moments of body horror littered across the film’s runtime linger in the minds of viewers long after the film’s conclusion. Benjamin Kracun’s moody cinematography also contributes to the ultimate impact of the film, further cementing it as a meticulously detailed and designed work of cinema.
The Substance does not present itself as a culture-defining critique of society, and should not be consumed with that expectation. Rather, it’s a well-rounded example of artistic achievement, with every element of the film’s production combining in an incredibly satisfying way in order to leave as strong an impression as possible. Enter The Substance prepared for what will certainly be a confronting cinematic experience, but one that asserts itself as a much-needed creative experiment within the broader media landscape.
The Substance will screen in Australian cinemas from September 19th.