For a person who’s not much interested in the Oscars, I am extremely happy that Demi Moore has snagged a Best Actress nomination for The Substance.
The Substance is body horror at its best, and Moore is hilarious and vulnerable in it, as is her alter ego, played by Margaret Qualley. Yeah, the film is also nominated for Best Picture, but I have zero doubt it won’t win in that category. The Academy is too boring to go that route. But Best Actress? Give it to Moore, please, she worked her ass off for this one (almost literally, as you know if you’ve seen the movie).
It’s been interesting to see the idea that The Substance is an exploitation film go viral recently. The prevailing viewpoint is that the movie is a profound criticism of how beauty standards and fear of aging entrap and destroy women, but it’s cool to see more people pick up on its humor.
the thing about THE SUBSTANCE is that it’s actually a really great exploitation film that too many people approach as biting social commentary.
— antonio (@thonlything) January 23, 2025
I liked the author’s point on how the film actively dislikes Moore’s character, Elisabeth. And it’s true that, for the most part, Elisabeth appears unsympathetic; a vain woman who only cares about sparkling (the character’s full name is literally Elisabeth Sparkle, which is extremely on the nose).
Elisabeth is shown as having almost nothing in her life – no husband, no kids or other loved ones, not even pets or plants, no real hobbies unless staying fit and camera-ready is a hobby – except her fame. In that sense, she appears both unrealistic and unrelatable, a pretty shell of a woman.
There is one scene with Elisabeth I found very memorable and even relatable, however. Please note that it includes a SPOILER, so this is your cue to stop reading if you haven’t seen the film.
Still with me?
After Elisabeth starts using The Substance, she effectively splits into two. Her old self, and her younger, prettier, but also more selfish and impulsive self, Sue (this is where Qualley comes in).
Sue is successful, and her success gnaws at Elisabeth both figuratively and literally. At one point, Elisabeth decides to go on a date with an unremarkable but friendly former classmate, who in the beginning of the film praises her as being “still the most beautiful girl in the world.”
Elisabeth tries to go out with this man – but fails. She furiously slaps her makeup on, then rubs it off. Images of her prettier alter ego are too much to bear for her. She cannot stand the comparison between what she could be in that moment, and what she is. She is unable to see herself as her admirer sees her.
Ultimately, she is unable to leave the apartment and stands the guy up.
Honestly, if you’ve ever been involved in the fashion or beauty industry (as I have, though casually), and then aged out of it (as I also have), you might understand Elisabeth’s hysterical despair. If you’ve ever been told, as I have, that “birthdays must be hard for you, getting older when you’re pretty must really suck,” you might understand it especially well.
Obviously, Elisabeth doesn’t seem to like her prospective date anyway. She just likes the fact that this luckless man provided her with validation.
Sometimes, laughter and cringing are more cathartic than pathos
The trap she is in is very particular, sterile and cold. And as we watch her struggle, we also understand that no amount of validation will ever truly be enough. Elisabeth, in that sense, is like a black hole.
I would argue that even though this is a very exaggerated horror movie, it still gets something right about how women are taught to value themselves for their looks, and then feel as though they have nothing left when looks inevitably start to fade – even if they STILL look pretty, as Elisabeth obviously does (ugly older men who have no care about their own appearance but have money and power over her have simply convinced her otherwise).
Some critics I’ve read have also pointed out that the car crash Elisabeth is involved in early in the film might have killed her or put her in a coma, and that the rest of the narrative is a fever dream. The car crash can be read as symbolic, the final chapter of a sparkling but empty life that cannot go on once network executives and advertisers turn away from Elisabeth.
It’s not clear from the narrative, but it’s not meant to be. You’re simply invited along for the ride.
Yes, The Substance exists to make us laugh, and to cringe, at the stupid predicament of beauty. But honestly, sometimes laughter and cringing are more cathartic than pathos.
So is The Substance an exploitation film or is it social commentary? I would argue that it’s both. It’s a funhouse mirror, a sexy and grotesque spectacle that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but that’s precisely its power. It’s meant to be fun, in a dark and mean way.
It’s a cruel and crazy story, and it seems perfect for a cruel and crazy age in which we are overwhelmed with strangers’ opinions on ourselves and our bodies (just watch trolls who can’t get laid pick apart sex bombs like Sydney Sweeney online to see what I mean).
Watching The Substance made me think of both O. Henry and some of the best episodes from Tales from the Crypt. It’s a joke, but it’s a joke that lands, and Moore’s incredibly game performance clinches it. She deserves all of the accolades she can get.