December 16, 2024 – I have been watching way more horror movies than I care to during awards season, probably because they tend to be overrated. This one is one of the good ones, but it was hard for me to watch because it is a “body horror” movie with a lot of cutting, needles, blood and gore.

I try to avert my vision when, needles, knives or anything else punctures people's skin. There is a lot of that in this movie, along with skin ruptures. This stuff just creeps me out. I can take most other things, but not that. Here is a hint: There is a special section in the credits thanking everyone in a particular scene for willing to be soaked in fake blood.

This movie is about an aging movie starlet, Elisabeth Sparkle (played by Demi Moore of “G.I Jane”) who is offered the chance to become young again through a mysterious black market formula called “The Substance”. She resists temptation for a time, but finally tries it. What could possibly go wrong?

When Elizabeth injects herself with the substance, it causes her to split apart into two people, in a very bloody way. The two people, however, are not entirely separate. Each can live for a week at a time, then they have to switch with the other person, and lie dormant for a week, until it is time to switch again.

The person who splits from Elizabeth is like a younger version of her, called Sue (played by Margaret Qualley of “Drive-Away Dolls”) at first, the split works, but in order for this to keep working, both Sue and Elizabeth have to respect each other, and allow time for each other's lives to continue.

Sue comes to resent Elizabeth, and begins to take certain actions which cause Elizabeth to deteriorate, enhancing Sue at the expense of Elizabeth. Exactly how this works is unclear. It is also unclear how Sue knows how to work this undocumented procedure.

Elizabeth can put a stop to this madness, but is addicted to living vicariously through Sue, who is experiencing the success that Elizabeth used to enjoy. Sue is, in fact, starring in the same video exercise series that Elizabeth used to host.

The war between Sue and Elizabeth escalates to the point where both of them become literal monsters. Things come to a gory climax at a big new year's eve telecast starring Sue, which turns into a ridiculous bloody mess.

One of the key elements in this dark comedy is Elizabeth and Sue's unprincipled boss, Harvey (Dennis Quaid of “The Day After Tomorrow”). Harvey, like the other main characters in this movie is played way over the top, as a caricature of a boss, unrelentingly sexist and heartless.

Writer-director Coralie Fargeat (“Revenge”) cinematographer Benjamin Kracun (“Promising Young Woman”) and production designer Stanislas Reydellet (“La Vie En Rose”) have created a very distinctive-looking movie through the use of closeups, odd camera angles, and imaginative sets. There are a large number of makeup effects in this movie, including one team credited with breast effects, believe it or not. I did not notice any effects teams tasked with working on butts, but it would not surprise me if there was one.

This movie is not for the squeamish, and that includes me, but I did admire the craftsmanship it took to pull this off, as well as the actors who knew just how far to lean into the satire and black humor of this story. This movie rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff (no extra charges apply). I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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