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‘The Substance’ Might Be One of My Favorites of the Year
Pleasantly surprised with a movie that dares to be different
Confession time. I do not feel the same passion for movies as I did 10 years ago.
Without a doubt this is an unfortunate product of the frankly abysmal state of our still beloved art form. I find it excruciatingly hard to get excited about theatrical releases when 3/4 of them consist of subpar remakes, sequels, prequels or similarly depressing creative efforts. This is exactly I could never classify myself as a “reviewer” of any sorts. I simply do not possess the mental fortitude needed to sit through awful movies self-described as “content” anymore.
However, every now and then a movie comes along to challenge this terribly depressing preconceived notion. Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance not only proved to be a pleasant surprise I never saw coming. I might actually consider it to be one of the most interesting films I’ve seen throughout 2024 (not that the competition is very demanding) so far.
As I have no intention of spoiling it, I shall be deliberately obtuse regarding plot. But for those who don’t know what this movie’s about, it centers around Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), an aging film star who desperately longs to return to her glory days where she was one of the most beautiful actresses/models in the…
