While Cronenberg (The Fly) may be the king of body horror, Coralie Fargeat (Revenge) looks to take a shot at the crown with their new film The Substance. In a blend between feminist and body horror, The Substance looks into the price of perfection and the power of the male gaze.
The film follows Demi Moore as an aging star who finds themselves where washed up celebrities go to die, the home workout market. However, she is soon offered a mysterious medical treatment that promises to return her to her former glory.
Is this the first body horror to deal with this subject matter? Absolutely not. There are lots of films that revolve around this same exact premise. So, what separates The Substance from its competition?
For starters, the film has awesome star power. The Substance features Dennis Quaid alongside Demi Moore. It has also received resounding praise from its run at the Cannes Film Festival. So much so that the film received an 11 minute standing ovation following its showing.
Variety’s chief film critic, Owen Gleiberman, had the following to say about the film. “Moore’s performance is nothing short of fearless. She’s playing, in some very abstract way, a version of herself (once a star at the center of the universe, now old enough to be seen by sexist Hollywood as past it), and her acting is rippled with anger, terror, despair, and vengeance.”
That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check out the new trailer for The Substance below.
