I had booked a preview for The Substance for Sunday the 15th. I knew it was considered the most controversial film at Cannes this year, and that's all I really needed to know for it grab my attention. I was surprised to find a secret Friday the 13th screening at another cinema, late night. So I ended up watching it twice this past weekend.
I absolutely loved the sound quality and shock factor of my first screening, however it had a huge ick factor as over 85% of the audience was male. Considering this is one hell of a feminist movie which tackles ageism amongst other things, it didn't feel particularly great being a minority at this screening. I was also seated next to younger people, who seemed to laugh at Demi Moore's character's troubles, which highlighted a lot of the issues the film aimed to tackle. Luckily, my second viewing had a much better audience with a fairer gender divide, and the audience was much more interactive - hands to faces, people staring at the floor, etc.
The film is released everywhere this Friday 20th. I don't want to spoil anything, but what I will say is that the film goes hard, it goes bold, it is vicious, and it has a great score to drive it through the absurdity. The use of space was very reminiscent of Kubrick's set design, and there were absurd elements that immediately made me think of David Lynch, although I won't say much more on that matter. Dennis Quaid plays being an absolute asshole wonderfully, Demi Moore is captivating and wickedly delightful, and Margaret Qualley is at times, quite terrifying despite being so charming when her character is public facing.
Brace yourself for a hell of a lot of body horror, which is done incredibly well and I would go as far as saying avoid seeing the movie if you've had any form of surgery done recently. The horror is done so well, even when it does become a bit of a gorefest, and stays within the realm of the movie despite how monstrous things become. The cinematography is lush and the film often felt like a long advertisement for top brands. I also love The Neon Demon, so dance, fashion, and style collide beautifully on screen in this film accompanied by a great score and gorgeous lighting. The dialogue is poignant as you would expect it to be.
I hope you get to experience the film with a good audience, as so much of The Substance is triggering. One misplaced laugh by a male audience member could have your blood boiling even more. The film also borders on absurd humour, so this is another aspect which disturbed me, as both times I went to see the film, audience members laughed through a particular sequence which I found to be heart-breaking. Despite that, the film absolutely deserves to be seen on the big screen. If you're not vegetarian yet, you might be after watching The Substance.
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