I  wasn’t sure I’d end up watching The Substance, Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid’s Coralie Fargeat-directed drama/comedy/body horror hit, especially because of the words ‘body horror.’

It was the cast, memorable trailer, colours and social commentary about a fading celebrity’s tribulations that eventually lured me in. I had no expectations of actually making it through to the end, but I did. To my surprise, the words ‘I love it’ left my lips while the movie played. 

The hard-to-forget final scenes slightly aside, Fargeat’s film may just be too clever, funny and beautiful to induce nightmares because I slept peacefully post-viewing.

The production design, colours, the edit, performances, sound design and the story are my favourite things. The Substance has a clear and vital message delivered smartly and very creatively.

The reflections that Fargeat’s beautiful movie inspired within me are: 

Do your best to prepare for the upcoming phases of your life. Truly love yourself, count your blessings, and society’s impending rejection should surely matter less. And you won’t be so inclined to take some ill-calculated risks.

If you’ve seen it already, I’m curious about what The Substance had you thinking. For everyone else, if the words ‘body horror’ also generally give you pause, I still say try to watch this movie. You, too, may be surprised by your response. 

Happy Film Loving, 

G