I Am Still Thinking About ‘The Substance’
It is a tale as old as time, women feeling as if their worth is inherently tied to their appearance. There is a pressure to maintain a certain image. From media portrayals of perfection to an endless stream of edited images on social media, the idea of perfection is ingrained in a woman’s mind. From an early age, I can remember the conversation around aging being somewhat taboo. You were never to ask a woman her age and birthdays seem to be less celebratory but more like a death sentence. Looking in the mirror can become harder with each passing day. With each passing day you are reminded of how much older you are becoming.
I spent two years of my life working in a cosmetic aesthetician’s office. Day in and day out, I’d watch the doctor inject at work. People from all different walks of life and all ranging in age getting inserted with units of Botox and syringes of Juvederm. I remember listening to conversation after conversation trying to convince someone out of overfilling or overdoing the botox. There times that I thought about all of the things I would fix in an eight hour shift. Holding up a mirror and thinking, “Well, a little tweak wouldn’t be so bad right?” That is only the tip of the iceberg, however. The beauty standards imposed on women, often pushing them to take extreme measures.
The “deadline” on women in the industry, specifically is amplified. Under a relentless microscope, these women face not only criticism from their peers but also the harsh judgment of the global audience. Opinions that once lingered as mere whispers have transformed into loud, incessant barks on platforms like Twitter. Actress Naomi Watts had shared with Entertainment Weekly, she was once told her career would be “over” at age 40 because that’s when she would become “unfuckable.” Watts is not the only actress that has been faced with ageism, Demi Moore has been a crusader against ageism in Hollywood.
Demi Moore has long been an outspoken figure in the fight against ageism in Hollywood. Moore is well aware of how the entertainment industry sidelines actresses once they reach a certain age. Throughout her career, Moore has challenged these outdated standards. Moore has candidly discussed the pressures placed on women to remain youthful, both on-screen and off. She has been open about how those pressures contribute to harmful beauty standards and her own personal insecurities.
In her memoir Inside Out, Moore reflected on this period of her life and candidly discussed how the ageist pressures affected personal life. She revealed that the constant scrutiny amplified her insecurities, particularly in a culture that values youth and equates a woman’s worth with her appearance.
I remember the early 2000s, reading through a supermarket tabloid or watching some nightly trash entertainment and all of the headlines centering around Moore being about her age. Despite her status in Hollywood, the media seemed fixated on the fact that she was in her 40s. I especially recall the harsh criticism during her relationship with Ashton Kutcher. Moore’s experience with ageism while dating Kutcher is a stark example of how women, particularly those in the public eye, are often held to unfair standards when it comes to relationships and aging.
Moore’s casting in The Substance is significant on multiple levels, particularly in its critique of ageism and societal beauty standards. Her presence in The Substance adds depth to the narrative due to its critiques the very beauty standards and expectations that have shaped Moore’s own public journey. The usage body horror elements in a deeply unsettling and symbolic way reflects the emotional and psychological toll of societal pressures on women.
The Substance is a satirical body horror film centered around Elisabeth Sparkle (played by Moore), a TV and film star being pushed aside by the patriarchal executives running her show. On the day of her birthday, Elisabeth is fired explicitly because of her age. The executives believe that Elisabeth has lost all of her desirability due to her aging and her time is up. Knowing this, it eats at Elisabeth’s day becoming an all consuming thought that she cannot shake for a moment of peace.
Elisabeth’s day takes a sharp turn after she is involved in a car accident. She later finds herself in the hospital and is mysteriously handed a flash drive containing a video advertisement for “The Substance” — a electric lime green serum that promises to create a younger, “better” version of yourself. There is just one catch to the cure of her problems, she must alternate with this new version every seven days. While one is out living her life the other must stay in a comatose state.
A skeptic to “The Substance”, despite her better judgment, Elisabeth takes the substance, and soon, a younger version of herself — named Sue — emerges. While they share a single consciousness, Sue (played by Margaret Qualley) lives a completely separate life. Sue quickly reclaims the career Elisabeth lost and soaring to fame overnight. Treated differently by everyone she meets, Sue thrives in ways Elisabeth can’t. The more time she spends as Sue, the less she wants to return to her original self.
The Substance sharply critiques the societal pressure on women to maintain a specific appearance and desirability, especially as they age. Elisabeth Sparkle’s experience reflects the harsh reality many women face in industries like Hollywood. unrealistic beauty standards and youthfulness are often prioritized over talent. Elisabeth is fired explicitly because of her age. She is driven to extremes, embodying how women are pushed to chase unattainable standards. The serum, “The Substance,” becomes a metaphor for the obsessive quest for eternal youth and societal approval. Once transformed into Sue, her growing addiction for power and status that her alternate has achieved in such a short time becomes all consuming. It parallels a real-world pressure to constantly reinvent and an addiction to relevancy.
As the movie progresses, Elisabeth’s body begins to deteriorates, exposing the damaging effects of the pressure and addiction. It takes a toll on her identity, mental health and self-worth. She sees herself as less than desirable. There is a moment where Elisabeth wants to feel special, important and desirable she decides she wants to go out on a date. She puts on a beautiful dress, she does her makeup and she is ready to take on the night. Until she begins to doubt what herself.
As she heads out for the night she sees Sue on a billboard, positioned right in front of her apartment window. Sue is everything she desires to be again. Everything about Sue is flawless. She walks over in the mirror and makes a minor tweak, an adjustment that should make her feel better. Then she makes another, and then another. She then runs to the mirror one last time smearing her makeup and having her hair become a mess. It is one of the most poignant moments in The Substance.
The Substance also serves as an exploration into body dysmorphia, particularly in the context of self worth. Time after time when Elisabeth returns back to the mirror expecting to be feel different about herself and yet, nothing. In fact most times she heads back to the mirror feeling worst than the time before. It is a moment that resonates with anyone who has a pile of tried on clothes on their beds, crying in the mirror after nitpicking at everything they hate. t. The relentless back-and-forth between confidence and insecurity is wrenching, as her self-assurance crumbles into something far more darker.
Elisabeth’s date felt honored to be in her presence, but all she could think about was how horrific she looked to herself. Elisabeth’s transformation into her younger self, Sue, represents the extreme manifestation of the internal battle many women face when they feel disconnected from their own bodies. That disconnect drives Elisabeth into isolation, and she spends the night alone, indulging in comfort and sitting in darkness, unable to escape the weight of her self-criticism.
Elisabeth’s growing addiction to becoming Sue parallels the obsessive, unhealthy fixation that comes with body dysmorphia — constantly striving for an idealized version of oneself, often to the point of self-destruction. As Sue ascends to stardom, Elisabeth’s detachment from her aging body deepens. She begins to see her true self as flawed, broken, and unworthy, which mirrors the distorted self-image that defines body dysmorphia.
The film’s body horror elements intensify this struggle, showing the physical and emotional deterioration that occurs as Elisabeth spends more time as Sue. The more she abuses “The Substance” to stay in the younger body, the more her sense of self erodes, illustrating the destructive consequences of chasing a perfect image that can never truly be attained.
The body horror in The Substance is not just a stylistic choice; it is integral to the film’s narrative. It places the harsh realities the impact of societal beauty standards to the forefront. The visceral transformations that occur throughout the film emphasize the physical and emotional consequences of chasing unattainable ideals. These elements deepen Elisabeth’s journey further for its audience. The horror part is more profound as her journey goes on and we explore her body dysmorphia and how she views her self-worth.
Moore delivers a performance that evolves from quiet, internalized fear to explosive, externalized rage. Though The Substance is rooted in science fiction, the core of Elisabeth Sparkle’s experience is grounded in a very real sense of panic. Moore’s casting not only grounds the central themes of The Substance, it adds depth to the film. Moore’s own experiences with ageism make her portrayal of an Elisabeth Sparkle even more powerful and authentic. It takes a performer as self-assured as Moore to embody the worst versions of behaviors and fears that many spend a lifetime trying to unlearn, making her portrayal both chilling and deeply relatable.
It has been a week since I watched The Substance, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. The casting of Demi Moore and the film’s themes have weighed heavily on my mind. Maybe it’s because of my firsthand experience with cosmetic skincare, or perhaps it’s my own experience as a woman, trying on outfit after outfit feeling worse and worse each time. Maybe it struck a chord with me because of the empathy I feel when reflecting on Moore’s experiences with ageism. Perhaps it’s all of these things combined. Either way, The Substance is far more than just a body horror film.
