What Embodies the Message Behind "The Substance"?
“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?”
Redefining the genre of “body horror,” The Substance personifies a woman’s darkest, deepest wishes about her aging, imperfect self. The film has been nominated for 5 Oscars but has also received criticism claiming the movie is “shallow” and lacks its own name: substance.
But the movie captivated me before my popcorn had finished popping.
For context, Elisabeth Sparkle played by Demi Moore begins to see her wrinkles as more than smile lines and her body that was loved by time is something she hates. As a dancer and long-time television personality, Sparkle feels society’s conditional attention towards her wandering. Soon after, Sparkle is offered access to “The Substance,” an injection that births a younger, sexier, more acceptable version of herself – Sue played by Margaret Qualley. Her conscious switching between both bodies every week, Sparkle leads two different lives. Sue, the TV replacement of Sparkle, and Sparkle, a dying version of herself.
The Substance makes you uncomfortable, afraid, and a victim of time rather than blessed to be able to live through it. As the movie progresses, Moore’s character is punished for spending extra time with her younger self rather than switching back to her old, hermit-like self. The movie’s special effects team transforms Moore into a shell of who she once was and shows us that we’ll never fit society’s version of perfection. In fact, we’ll die trying.
The Substance shows viewers how conditional the attention of others is. Sue, eventually punished by the side effects of The Substance for her disobedience against the rules, becomes what most would describe as grotesque. Sparkle’s conscience would kill to go back to who she was at the beginning – herself.
To say the film is “shallow,” substanceless, and catering to the male gaze proves the very point of the message being delivered by Moore in her performance. Feeling forced to cater to the male gaze often defines growing up as a woman. The Substance depicts exactly what it’s like to live in the age of social media and television, body shaming and comparison. Loving yourself and appreciating the signature time leaves on you keeps you feeling young, no matter what age.
During her Golden Globe acceptance speech for Best Female Actor, Moore said “You will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.” Constantly stretching our limits to meet the expectations placed on us, women specifically, kills us. Trying to be pretty enough, skinny enough, smart enough, or fun enough drains your cup till you have nothing. You will always be who you are, and trying to turn back time to when you had fewer smile lines and time hadn’t left a mark on your body yet denies you the privilege of appreciating who you were, who you’ve become, and who you will be.
