The Substance

"Must suspend your disbelief that men would be turning down Demi Moore in this universe... The movie is absolutely absurd, gory af, funny, and thought provoking. Mubi’s Making-Of Featurette on YouTube is a must-watch after, so impressive!"

"⭐️9/10⭐️ There’s no doubt THE SUBSTANCE is destined to become a CULT CLASSIC—it has ALL the essential horror elements and then some! Demi Moore & Margaret Qualley deliver bold, unapologetic performances, diving deep into a narrative that explores FEMALE beauty, aging, sexism, & the grotesque, all wrapped in biting social commentary. These two women, essentially playing mirror images of each other, are absolutely brilliant, making their dual performances both captivating & haunting. Conversely, the MALE characters are portrayed as EXAGGERATED CARICATURES, providing comic relief amidst the tension. Dennis Quaid’s portrayal of Harvey—a sleazy TV producer—is as grotesque as it is humorous. His character’s name feels like a not-so-subtle jab at Harvey Weinstein. Whether intentional or not, it’s hard not to revel in despising such a slimeball character! And then there’s the MONSTER!! A Picasso-esque amalgamation of every creepy horror figure brought to film—imagine elements of Barbarian, The Fly, The Elephant Man, & The Hunchback, all fused into one grotesque entity. It’s indescribably freaky! You just have to see it for yourself. If you’re a true #horror fan, this is a film you absolutely NEED to experience on THE BIG SCREEN. Watching it on a small screen without professional sound simply won’t do it justice. The film thrives on #ATMOSPHERE, with stunning VISUALS & an unsettling SOUND design. Eerie silences build tension, while the chilling #FilmScore adds layers of unease, perfectly matching the film’s #mysterious, #intense, #desperate, #bizarre tone. The use of close-up camera angles & distorted shots amplifies the sense of disorientation, making you feel as unsettled as its two #FemaleLeads. The final act is nothing short of pure absurd madness, pushing the boundaries of horror & absurdity. It’s bold, it’s weird, & it’s unforgettable. THE SUBSTANCE isn’t just a horror film—it’s AN EXPERIENCE, one that will stay with you long after the credits roll. "

"Deeply unsettling but incredibly poignant. Don’t watch if you’ve got a weak stomach 🫠"

"I loved this movie it was the perfect mixture of camp, body horror and serious drama about how we treat not only aging women but just women in general in society with Hollywood being the perfect conduit for the story telling. It also could be seen as a cautionary tale about how we view ourselves and our bodies as we age and become less “perfect”. There are so many angles to this movie I could talk about it for hours! "

"A cautionary tale about the pursuit of fame and beauty. An aging star (Demi Moore) receives an offer of renewed fame; she’s not sure of the outcome but the promise is too good to pass up. The movie sets up a symbiotic relationship that becomes parasitic and ultimately destruction and horror ensues. Perhaps metaphoric in conception the lure of fire hose bloodiness is to enticing and the end is all out blood bath. Striking cinematography and story developing through perspective. Worth a watch."

"Yucky yucky my tummy feels funny"

"OH SH*T!!!!!! Okay ladies I see you LETS GO! I just feel so many things about this one. I am often told that a film is “shocking.” This is the first time in a while that any part of that has been true. I love that it is definitely not shock for shock’s value, there are absolutely extremely important underlying messages being intensely conveyed here. Starring Dennis Quaid, Demi Moore, and Margaret Qualley, this project ticks all of the boxes for me. Honest, terrifying, unpredictable, thoughtful, totally f*€ked up, beautiful, funny, suspenseful, extremely well-acted and insanely well-directed. For me this is an Aronofvsky, Raimi, and Dead-Alive era Jackson style film for the *ages* This is NOT for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach lol. Fans of supergore and insanely brutal body horror will be pleased as punch. GO SEE THIS IMMEDIATELY 👍👍👍👍👍👍"

"This new sci-fi body horror film the Substance is my one of my favorite films of the year so far for multiple reasons. It’s definitely one of the wildest horror films I’ve seen in recent years. I went in completely blind so I was very shocked to see one of my childhood crushes Demi Moore back in on the screen in something worth talking about. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen her in any role. Then I was even more shocked to see Margaret Qualley who I’ve loved since The Leftovers omg she is so beautiful. She’s such a phenomenal actor did you see her in Netflix The Maid? She’s apart of that short list of actors whos films I will watch regardless. I might go as far to say this is Demi Moores best performance of her career. The parallels between the character that Moore is playing is oddly similar with her playing an aging actress being pushed out. Demi said she was thinking about quitting acting before this film. But I can’t think of any notable films from her in like 20 years. So I was bewildered when I saw she was still acting all this time. Yes one of the most paid actress from the 90’s gave her best performance almost 30 years later. Then Margaret I could have never envisioned her playing such a crazy revealing role like this. Let’s just say I enjoyed her the most for acting and other selfish reasons. Sike im Just kidding or am I👀 A fading celebrity takes a black-market drug: a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself. I loved this film from beginning to end. The visually stunning cinematography mixed with grotesque imagery. As the film progresses things begain to go off the rail. It’s a wild ride to say the least . And even though I knew where it was going I wasn’t prepared for that conclusion. I had so much fun and was highly entertained. If you’re a horror fan then I would say it’s a must watch. "

"I get the gist of the movie but wth was this garbage? I cannot even erase this from my memory. This is the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Gory, beyond disgusting, completely destroyed the beautiful message behind the movie. "

"Songs That Went Through My Head (This Includes Spoilers Without Context) "Hey Now Hey Now this is what dreams are made of" "I See Red, Oh Red, Red" "These intestines Are Made For Walking And That's What They Will Do One Of These Days These Intestines Will Walk Over You""