The Substance

Let me start with the positives. There are a LOT of them. The casting? Perfect. The acting? Pretty flawless. All performances drew me in and added greatly to the story. The concept was phenomenal and super interesting. A really great idea for a movie. The cinematography was unique and very good. The score also greatly added to the suspense. The first 2 thirds of the movie executed all of these things to a T

So why 6 stars? THE ENDING. Took the believable and suspenseful story aspects and threw them out the window in favor of indulging the director's Cronenberg fantasy and desire to max out the special effects budget. It came off as completely disorganized, almost like they had no idea what to do with the ending or any desire to make it interesting. A movie with so much going for it and I left the theater disappointed.

Side notes: enough with the butt shots. We get what you're trying to do, that's enough. Also, if you want to disgust your audience, put in the work in the writers room. Adding over the top squelching sounds to almost every scene is lazy.

The better version of you is you. Not to be someone else nor someone younger or prettier. I like the message that packed in sarcastic way. At the end of the day, you need to choose, your own beauty or beauty with the monster within. Getting older and not pretty anymore is natural. Getting less famous and attractive is the consequences of life. Be grateful of what you have, and being not satisfy with what we have, only will lead us to the disaster. And remember karma does exist. You plant flowers, you will see the beauty. So, it is worth to watch. You will not see scary thing if you understand the message.

Guys I grow up on nasty 80's horror, and am normally a huge fan. But I have to say this was something else. It started of great, the story was so original and fascinating, the acting was great. Demi Moore was as beautiful as ever, and then about 3 quarters of the way through, it kinda left planet earth and took my brain with it. This movies deteriorated into an absolute mess that was just so ridiculous and stomach churning, it was a complete car crash, Unfortunately I was invested so I had to finish it, but seriously WHAT WAS THE POINT......It just got completely ruined by the end 🙄 BIG YAWN FROM ME 👎👎👎👎👎

The movie starts off strong, with a solid story that suggests a clear narrative. However, as the plot unfolds, it begins to lose focus. Midway through, the film becomes disjointed and chaotic. Initially, it seems like the two main characters are connected, perhaps sharing a mind, but then the story abruptly shifts, revealing them as separate individuals in conflict with each other. By the time you reach the end, the movie veers completely off course, diving into B-movie absurdity.

This had the potential to be a great film, but the third act desperately needed a rewrite. The overall execution feels as if Rob Zombie was brought in for rewrites and reshoots, lending it an uneven tone. Despite its flaws, Demi Moore delivers a strong performance, portraying her character with conviction. While the movie is okay, it ultimately falls short of its potential.

Every scene of this film wowed me at TIFF. The casting, atmosphere, visual and sound design, music, and, of course, the symbolism of it all.

Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley couldn't have been more perfectly cast as leads. Their devotion to the process and trust in their director was clear to me. Their vulnerability pulls this off and leads to a very compelling fever dream.

Everyone involved should be really proud of this film. To me, it's a future cult classic.

It is body/psychological horror, so don't expect jump scares. It's deeper than that. I found myself getting lost in reflection during the film (as a 47 year old woman it really spoke to me).

But it's also extremely fun to watch!

Take it seriously as a true work of art, but don't at the same time, and you'll have a blast.