2024 has been a challenging year for movies. Since COVID-19 reshaped the film industry in 2020, closing most theaters nationwide for months, the market has struggled to regain its former balance. The pandemic and the 2023 Writer’s Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild of America strikes disrupted production schedules, altered release strategies and significantly impacted the way audiences engage with film. As a result, there has been a shift toward streaming-first releases and shorter theatrical windows. Success is largely concentrated at opposite ends of the spectrum: the smallest, independent productions and the largest, blockbuster franchises are the only films that profit. Mid-budget films, traditionally a staple for studios, have struggled to find footing, often bypassed by audiences who gravitate toward intimate, low-budget films with fresh perspectives or massive, high-budget franchises that promise spectacle and familiarity.
That’s why it’s so refreshing when a fantastic, mid-budget, original genre film takes over the film world and shines as a powerful success in a landscape so devoid of them. Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” which was produced for around $17 million, premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in May to rave reviews, winning the festival’s award for Best Screenplay. Since its limited theatrical release in September, the film has only gained popularity and critical acclaim, as of Oct. 28 making nearly $40 million and shocking audiences and critics worldwide.
Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, a once-big-name actress who, in desperation to reclaim her fame and glamour, uses a black-market drug called the substance to temporarily create a younger, better version of herself (Margaret Qualley). That’s all I’m going to describe about the film’s plot since it delves into truly surprising and uncanny paths throughout its nearly two-and-a-half-hour runtime and I wouldn’t want to spoil it. It’s truly worth every moment of your time.
The film is a vibrant, glittering example of contemporary horror that is thoroughly enjoyable. It stands out among 2020s films by fully embracing its own era, leaning into a post-post-structuralist attitude with ease and confidence. The movie’s success lies in its lack of pretension; it avoids the pitfalls of being overly self-referential, cynical or smug, an issue I take with most thrillers and comedies released in recent years. In its homage to cinematic masters like Stanley Kubrick, David Cronenberg and Brian De Palma, it is both reverent and inventive. Director Fargeat is unconcerned with crafting a subtle or intimate critique of fame and instead blasts the audience with striking colors, quick editing, surrealist art direction, on-the-nose dialogue, grotesque humor, memorable cinematography, and plot lines that feel fantastical in their extremity.
Moore’s performance is exceptional. She goes through an unbelievably crazed and damaging character arc, yet you root for her till the finale. She is simultaneously uncompromising and vulnerable, regularly revealing her emotional insecurities to the audience while carrying out actions of true horror. Her transformative physical decline and clever line deliveries are simply staggering to watch. If there is any justice in the world, Moore will receive her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress come Jan., yet I doubt the members of the Academy will be that bold in their decision-making.
It’s necessary in our current era to uplift the art that we find provocative, daring, and inspiring, and by seeing “The Substance” in theaters, you can do exactly that. It’s a technical marvel with outstanding performances and a visionary sense of directorial control. In my eyes, it’s the best film 2024 has seen so far and I don’t envision that many to come will top it.
