The Manson Family's 2024: the Substance (1/4)
Firstly, I can see why this movie got so much buzz; the acting (at least from the stars), special effects, and camerawork were all top notch. I’d say it’s a definitive entry in the modern trend of social horror. It’s unapologetically on the nose about it, too. And I’d say that’s one of the movie's biggest strengths, yet also perhaps its biggest weakness. For social horror about topics body dysmorphia, misogyny, and the male gaze, it is far from grounded, and that’s with the premise obviously notwithstanding. Going into it, I thought it’d be more grounded, more "real" for lack of better terms. It’s anything but. It’s set in a version of LA that intentionally gives it a fever-dreamy vibe. It feels as though everything is a euphemism for more solid topics. For example, apparently this universes' Good Morning America is a televised thirst trap. Dennis Quaid's seedy CEO guy is cartoonishly evil and sexist (though, to be fair, that might not be far off from how people like him are). Now, it’s not hard to figure out that these are metaphors for things like the objectification of women in media, but when the topic of the movie is so real, so pressing, I feel like that contradicts the setting and vibe the movie gives off. Case in point, the body horror was fairly terrifying, yet the most impactful scene, to me, was the scene where Demi Moore's character expresses her self hatred and obsesses over her looks before the date. Now, the substance itself I interpret as a metaphor for the lengths people take to look younger, and that’s a great metaphor. But if it’s only one metaphor in a world constructed with them, it loses its punch. And I think this is given form in the ending, where the otherwise excellent film kind of jumps the shark a bit. However, regardless of criticism, the film is still top tier in essentially every other matter, especially pertaining to visual storytelling. For that, I’d rate it a solid 8.5/10 (edited)