French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat’s newest film,The Substance, has been the topic of numerous discussions online for being the most shocking (and disgusting) movie of the year. While it is both surprising and at times gross, the main reason it has gained so much traction is because of the not-so-subtle commentary on society’s unsustainable beauty standards, specifically toward women. The film takes jabs at Hollywood’s obsession with youth and beauty concerning women, but it also talks about society’s unhealthy relationship with women’s youth and beauty.
Thebody horror filmfollows a faded Oscar-winning actress named Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) who is fired from her decades-long stint leading an exercise show on the morning of her 50th birthday. After getting into a terrible car accident while watching her billboard be taken down, the downtrodden former starlet decides to try something called The Substance, which supposedly creates a better version of the user. The only condition The Substance creators have is that you spend one week as your Matrix Self, and one week as your Other Self, with no exceptions. Of course, that rule is eventually broken.
The Substancehas some truly deranged moments and grotesque imagery that one would have to see to believe. Fargeat is not being subtle with her thoughts about the world’s unattainable beauty standards that are inextricably tied to self-worth. That commentary shines through in Elisabeth and Sue’s (Margaret Qualley) experience using The Substance. Elisabeth and Sue share some similar physical characteristics, but they are noticeably two different people, despite The Substance’s claim that they are one.
Warning: Major spoilers for The Substance lie ahead.
The Substance
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Sue Is Supposed to Be a Better Version of Elisabeth
The whole reason The Substance exists is to give users the chance to create a better version of themselves. Better doesn’t necessarily equate to younger, although youth is tied to the idea of a better version of yourself. If the objective of The Substance was to simply create a youngerversion of yourself, that’s what they would have advertised. The goal is to create a better version that is a younger, more beautiful, and more talented version of you that you have never been before.
The Matrix Self and the Other Self share the same consciousness because the Other Self is born of the Matrix Self. So, the creators of The Substance claim that both are one is technically true. Nevertheless, Sue wouldn’t be a better version of Elisabeth if she was just a younger version of Elisabeth. She had to be physically better in all respects in Elisabeth’s eyes.
They Share Only a Few Physical Characteristics
Still, it would not make sense if Sue looked completely different from Elisabeth. Sue is physically born out of Elisabeth’s back once Elisabeth uses the activator. Elisabeth’s back and spine open up to allow a fully-formed Sue to crawl out and take over their shared consciousness. Once the Other Self becomes accustomed to the new body, she renames herself Sue and proceeds to take over as the new face of Elisabeth’s show.
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Sue dresses much bolder and more stylishly than Elisabeth, taking advantage of her youthful new body. Still, there are some physical similarities between the two bodies. They are one being, after all. Both Elisabeth and Sue have long dark hair, have a similar height and build, and have a similar facial structure. They also share some of the same mannerisms, such as the kiss to the camera both of them give at the end of their morning workout shows.
If Sue bore no similar physical traits, then she wouldn’t be a different version of Elisabeth. She had to have just enough of Elisabeth’s traits to be considered a version of her, but more differences to be considered a better version.
Making Sue Look Exactly Like Elisabeth Would Have Been Costly
Aside from affecting the themes of the film, having Sue look exactly like Elisabeth, but younger, would have been a much more complicated process that would have added to the film’s budget.The Substancewas made on a budget of $17.5 million, andusing de-aging technologywould have significantly increased it. The technology would have needed to be used extensively considering how much screen time Sue has in the movie. Plus, everyone at the studio would have known Sue was just younger Elisabeth, which would have raised more than a few eyebrows.
The purpose of The Substance isn’t just to make you look younger, it’s to make you better. Sue needed to be younger, prettier, more athletic, and more talented in Elisabeth’s mind. Sue also perfectly fits the mold of what Harvey (Dennis Quaid) wanted in a replacement for Elisabeth. Harvey sexualizes and idealizes women and beauty the way a large portion of society does, so he is immediately fixated on Sue and doesn’t even bother auditioning anyone after her. A younger version of Elisabeth simply would not have worked.
Sue and Elisabeth’s Physical Differences Are Part of the Point
If Elisabeth and Sue were identical, with age being the only difference, the point the film is trying to make would be undercut. Society isn’t just infatuated with youth, it’s infatuated with a sense of beauty and sex appeal that is mostly unattainable and unrealistic for the majority of people. Most of us don’t have the discretionary funds to spend on extravagant beauty treatments or surgeries to achieve an idealized version of ourselves. The very fact that many members of society believe surgery, treatments, and serums are the only way to achieve beauty is the problem. Especially for women, who are held to a drastically different standard than men.
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So when Elisabeth had the opportunity to create a better, more idealized version of herself, she jumped at the chance. She was pleased when she saw the new version of herself that had just a few similarities, but overall was different. She viewed this as a positive change because she believed Sue was the better version due to her looks. Even the people in Elisabeth’s life treated Sue better simply because she was younger and viewed as more attractive.
That is the point. Society craves youth, beauty, and attractiveness so intensely that too many people will treat someone better just because they are conventionally attractive. A younger version of Elisabeth would have improved some areas of her life, but ultimately, a fresh face that checked all ofsociety’s beauty standardsis what Elisabeth, her boss, and everyone else wanted.
