While the body horror subgenre has never fully gone away, its golden age remains steadfast in the 1980s. From the iconic work in John Carpenter’s The Thing and David Cronenberg’s The Fly to the underrated and underseen gems of Brian Yuzna’s Society and Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case, the 80s were ripe with some of the subgenre’s most impressive work.
As the years went by and CGI became more prevalent, the practicality of effects in body horror evaporated, leaving cinephiles with only a bad prequel of The Fly that further emphasized the importance of practical effects. However, there has been a shift in finding a perfect match between practical effects and VFX in horror. Julia Ducournau’s Raw and Palme d’Or-winning Titane offered a blueprint for creating rich thematic stories aided by some gnarly effects.
In similar fashion, Coralie Fargeat’s debut film Revenge captured the importance of practical effects in elevating her storytelling. So it’s safe to say that her follow-up and first entry into the body horror subgenre, The Substance, was a film I could not wait for. With its Cannes debut and screenplay winning acclaim, Fargeat’s film catapulted into one of the year’s most anticipated.
Without a doubt, Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance stands as 2024’s most intoxicating cinematic experience. A newly minted body horror classic, it offers a fresh take on the depths of human ambition and playing with nature while homaging the body horror classics of yesteryear. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley deliver one of the year’s best 1-2 punches with an unsettling blood-soaked finale that’s going to be the genre’s most talked-about moment of the year.
The Substance follows Elisabeth Sparkle, a once-beloved star of an aerobics show who has worn out her welcome in the eyes of her producer Harvey. When Elisabeth turns 50, she’s fired from her show, and with morale at an all-time low, she receives an unexpected proposition to restore her youth in the form of the “substance.” All it will take is one injection to unleash the “best version of herself,” and as long as she follows directions, everything will work out just fine. That is, until…
Coralie Fargeat’s Cannes-winning screenplay does not shy away from its themes. With practical effects that are as over-the-top as they get, its thematic messaging about Hollywood’s treatment of actors entering their twilight years is relentless yet impactful. Weaving through ideas of the toxicity of Hollywood, human ambition, and the unforeseen consequences of not accepting nature and oneself, Fargeat’s script manages to be obvious while instilling a strong, poignant message that is aided by some of the year’s best direction.
Demi Moore gives what may be a career-best performance as Elisabeth Sparkle. Offering a commanding and physically demanding portrayal, Moore’s commitment to exploring the implications of fading fame is a sight to behold. Margaret Qualley shines with a mix of tenacity that makes her journey both compelling and relatable, providing an ideal balance to Moore’s work.
While the supporting cast mostly takes a backseat to Moore and Qualley, Dennis Quaid deserves his flowers as well. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been this engrossed by a Quaid performance. Quaid evokes a sleaziness and slimeball take on his portrayal that makes Harvey easy to hate but impossible not to laugh at.
Benjamin Kracun’s cinematography captures the gruesome gore with precision and offers some of the year’s most haunting shots. As the film progresses, the body horror increases, and Fargeat’s relentless ability to up the blood, guts, and discomfort demands praise. The practical effects and body horror never let cinephiles get comfortable. Just when you think a “come down” moment has arrived, you’re smacked with another jaw-dropping sequence.
The Substance is a culmination of decades of exploring 80s body horror. That exploration prepared me for this very moment and cinematic journey. Coralie Fargeat’s vision is both style and substance—a gnarly and brave instant body horror masterpiece.
