The Reality+ Behind The Substance

C O N T R O L Y O U R S E L F!

Coralie Fargeat's 2024 movie The Substance offers more than a body horror gem that delivers a transformation that goes wrong; rather, it delves into the reality of aging and the notion of beauty that is coined to the minds of women all around the world by the inescapable institution called patriarchy.

Elisabeth, a fading celebrity who serves to pleasure the spectators of an entertainment show, is fired because they are looking for someone new and fresh. Despite being a celebrity who earns a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, her name, her looks, and her star gradually disappear and decrease, and for the program owners, she basically "ages like milk."

Therefore, she uses the substance to become a better, or the best version of herself.

"Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Younger, more beautiful, more perfect. One single injection unlocks your DNA, starting a new cellular division that will release another version of yourself. This is the substance."

Aging is and has always been presented as something that needs to be fixed or cured as if it is a contagious disease or a deforming plague. Throughout history, the patriarchal structures of the female body forced women into thinking that they were inadequate or not "fresh-looking." Therefore, they turned to botox, injections, and pills to keep themselves young and looking fresh. Consequently, as they are pushed into thinking that they are never enough, they start seeing themselves as creatures that should never get a wrinkle, a pimple, or even a redness. The film presents aging as a threat to female identity, reinforcing how women’s worth is socially tied to youth.

The Substance serves as a horror film that critiques the myth of beauty and the patriarchal control over the female body. In the end, as "there's been a slight misuse of the substance," things go wrong, showing that this pursuit of youth is unattainable.

The substance visualizes the patriarchal tendency to split women into two categories: the desirable object, a.k.a., young and beautiful, and the disposable figure, a.k.a., older and "useless.". Also, the film shows how the female body is a socially constructed one, as if something that can be manipulated, altered, or replaced by the norms and standards coined by the male gaze and patriarchy.

So, what do you think? Do you think The Substance succeeds in criticizing the beauty standards and the unattainability of endless beauty? I have tried to explain the movie's take on beauty without giving any spoilers. Before I forget, if you loved The Substance, Coralie Fargeat has a short film called Reality+, which I think played a role in shaping The Substance. So, if you are interested, you can also watch it and compare these two. Bye for now!