The Substance review: Smart and grotesque body horror at its absolute best

When it comes to gross-out horror, there is no subgenre more unsettling than body horror. Seeing bodies vivisected, viciously mutilated, contorted into shapes no human should ever reach, and add in a shower of gore, and often you'll find movies that make the average moviegoer feel a little queasy.

Often, it goes hand-in-hand with gratuitous acts of violence, exploration of sexuality, and disturbing subject matter, like The Human Centipede. As such, sometimes body horror films have an air of disgust surrounding them, like something taboo that you'll need a strong stomach to enjoy. It's fitting, then, that The Substance director Coralie Fargeat chose to tackle it after reinventing the rape-revenge thriller with her previous acclaimed 2017 film Revenge.

The Substance is a balls-to-the-wall satirical film about a former actress turned aerobics instructor named Elisabeth Sparkle, played with brilliant comedic timing and vulnerability by Demi Moore in a career-defining performance. On her 50th birthday, Elisabeth's boss prepares to put her out to pasture, immediately firing her to start a new search for a younger and prettier person to fill in as the "new" instructor.

It's no surprise that Fargeat picked up the Best Screenplay Award at this year's Cannes Festival for her stellar work crafting an intelligent script that completely eviscerates our society's tendency to cast older women aside or shut them out of opportunities upon reaching some arbitrary age.

When Elisabeth sees herself getting replaced, she agrees to try a revolutionary injection method called "The Substance." All she has to do is inject herself with the neon-green activation fluid and another version of herself, a much younger, more supple version sculpted entirely for the ideal male gaze (and played by Margaret Qualley who also delivers a groundbreaking performance opposite of Moore) emerges quite literally by splitting open Elisabeth's back and crawling out in a twisted birthing scene. The main rule Elisabeth needs to follow is to switch between her two selves every seven days or face the consequences. But as Elisabeth's alter ego, who she dubs "Sue," begins to bathe in the limelight, switching back to her much older self becomes less and less appealing.

The Substance might feel like a daunting watch with its 2 hours and 20 minutes runtime, but I was never bored even for a second. And I could talk for hours about the movie's gorgeous production design and color scheme, reminiscent of a Stanley Kubrick film. Every frame is exquisite, and Fargeat doesn't shy away from executing a vision, which adds a seductively beautiful sheen to the film.

There is nothing subtle about this movie, and that includes the overall design, framing, precise editing, and camerawork. The story unfolds just as much in the camerawork and the sets, especially the bathroom and Elisabeth's apartment, as in the performances and script. It's so meticulous yet simultaneously bombastic. Fargeat's possible magnum opus. And the sounds, oh God, the sounds.

You know that Family Guy meme that gets passed around where Peter says he didn't like The Godfather because it "insists upon itself?" That's how I felt about The Substance, except I did like it. I loved it. I wanted more.

The Substance is a bold and artistically shot movie that comes bursting forth with swagger and confidence right from its opening and all the way to its end, which almost veers into New French Extremity except without the self-serious tone and more of a wink toward the audience. The final act will have your entire theater buzzing as it devolves into absolute carnage and gruesome spectacle. I truly cannot wait to see what Fargeat does next.

The Substance is now playing in select theaters nationwide.