The Substance

 Every year I like to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies for Best Picture. So, in honor of Oscars week, the next 8 will be dedicated to the Best Picture nominees, starting with my favorite. This post does not contain spoilers, but it does describe the film and the overall message as well as use a couple quotes. 

The Substance

Summary 

    The Substance is about an aging actress in the industry, Elisabeth, who gets let go from her job due to her age (discriminatory much). She is devastated, until a doctor recommends her to reach out to a number. That number provides her with a substance that allows her to become a second, physically separate but mentally connected, person, a younger person. The catch, she still has to live in her original body every other week. This leads to the deterioration of her mental health as her second self gets everything she's ever wanted.

One Sentence -Review 

Rating 10/10

I loved this approach to the concept of aging and plastic surgery in Hollywood, it was grotesque and revealing. 

The Tiny Details

    The main reason I loved this film was the underlying message about the beauty standards Hollywood has. It's hidden behind very gory and graphic scenes, but I think that's what drives home the point for me. Using a substance as the altering method as opposed to surgeries makes it so the film can be taken as a face-value horror movie if one chooses to view it that way. It's also a newer more creative way of illustrating beauty standards. 

    My best friend also decided to watch this film; she views films more at face value. I asked her "Are you sure?" since she is not great with most horror films, and she assured me she would be fine. I doubted it because I have a high tolerance for graphic films, and I almost threw up twice. She was not fine; she informed me that she hated the film and couldn't see the point of making it so gross or even producing the film at all. I reiterate here that the message of the film is so well done but you have to be prepared to think and not just watch. 

    When a movie I haven't seen is nominated for an Oscar, I immediately section it into a different category than most movies, complex. I can always read into any movie I'm watching, hence the tiny details title, but with Oscar-nominated films I find they WANT you to look at the message they are trying to portray artistically. You cannot take many Oscar-winning or even just nominated films at face value, they are meant to make a statement to raise awareness about anything and everything. The Substance is no different and the approach the film took made me absolutely adore it.

The Characters 

    This film didn't have too many characters that I can highlight so I'm going to write about my favorite character, Sue. Her personality does not make me like her, it is more the actress who plays Sue, Margaret Qualley. This was the first film I had ever seen Margaret Qualley in, and I need to see more after this. Every choice and every movement just made the film better. As Sue is the second self, there's something so plastic to her personality. The fakeness that Sue emulates generated a lot of suspense for me and set the tone for the film. Sue also played a big part in showing the repetition of the cycle of plastic surgery, the need to look younger constantly, and the obsession, to keep pushing the bar because you could always look younger. Sue was a major player in the film, and she did it perfectly.

Best Quotes

5) "I need a better version of myself. Please give me a better version of myself" - Elisabeth

    The first of many quotes on this list exploring self-hatred being a major aspect of wanting to change oneself. With context, it's clear Elisabeth's negative thoughts stem from things people have said about her being in the public eye.

4) "Pretty girls should always smile" - Harvey

    Harvey is Elisabeth and later Sue's boss. Everything about him just portrays the sexist ideals of Hollywood and the male gaze and this quote really captured that. 

3) "What has been used on one side, is lost on the other side. There is no going back" - Caller

    One of the times Elisabeth calls the number that has substance, this is what she is told. I love that it is acknowledged what she's done to herself is permanent, the repetition of being told this really drives it home.

2) "You're still the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world" - Frank

    Frank was a character who was interested in Elisabeth even after Elisabeth was no longer interested in herself. I thought this spoke to how internalized that beauty standard could be and how damaging one's own thoughts could be.

1) "Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger, more beautiful, more perfect ... This is simply a better version of yourself ... you can't escape from yourself" - Substance advertising

    I did shorten this because it's quite long, but these were some of my favorite parts of the advertising of the Substance in the film. Finishing the quote with the reminder that you can't escape your own self, meaning your own thoughts legitimately gave me chills.

An Inspired Playlist

The soundtrack for The Substance is all instrumentals, I included my favorite on the playlist. The one they play in what I find to be the most impactful moments here are some other songs that fit the vibe: 

Body Better - Maisie Peters: I think this song really encapsulates Elisabeth, constantly comparing herself to others, thinking they're better than her despite the fact that she still looks amazing.

Heather - Conan Grey: Another song I could think of off the top of my head about comparison that I think relates to.

Sympathy is a Knife - CharliXCX: A song about suffering due to public opinions of oneself and how sympathy doesn't feel good. Makes me think the whole film really but mainly interactions between Elisabeth and what she believes Frank thinks of her. 

Speed Drive - CharliXCX: Had to pick a song from Barbie because Sue reminds me of a Barbie, though I think PINK by Lizzo would work for this as well

Margaret (Feat. Bleachers): Thought of this song because it's about Margaret Qualley.

Spotify Link to these songs: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3JTMmIyDtWruldi0Fy6I1V?si=21514d5d4b3f4c78

Oscar Nominations

The Substance is nominated for 5 nominations. Here's what I think. 

Best Picture

    Absolutely deserved, as I mentioned earlier, I think of films nominated for this category as ones that make you think, and this film did a great job at that. I feel like I truly understood what the director's visions were at each point and the message the script was meant to convey.

Best Director

    I don't know much about how directors operate; I really just go off the vibes of how I imagine they wanted scenes to be shot and the placement of the actors to show an overall picture. So, in my mind, I loved the vision the director went for. 

Best Original Screenplay 

I absolutely think this is a fresh concept/take for this film and it's one of the reasons I loved it so much and it will stay as a film that I remember for a very long time.

Best Actress

    This is the one category I have some trouble with. In my opinion, I don't really see Demi Moore (Elisabeth) as the lead actress, she starts the film and then isn't seen too much as Sue takes over. I would say I see Sue and Elisabeth as co-leads and I wish Margaret Qualley was recognized for this category instead; her performance was more of a standout than Demi Moore's. That being said, Demi Moore still did an amazing job, and I do appreciate that the Oscars recognized this. 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

The makeup effects in this film were INSANE it added so much to the whole picture and I think it should definitely win this category. 

Thank you for reading! I would absolutely love to hear your opinions, ratings, top characters, and songs to add to the playlist!