Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance is one effed up, gory trip through our obsession with beauty that is excessive in the best possible ways. Demi Moore has never been better. Margaret Qualley continues to prove she is one of the most exciting actresses of her generation. And Dennis Quaid was a hoot.
There have been comparisons to Titane since both films debuted in Cannes competition and came from emerging French female horror directors. For me, Titane was more brutal, more shocking and is the better film. The Substance script at times feels forced so that the film can go to the extremes as Fargeat wishes. Most viewers will be happy to overlook that since the destination is so rewarding. One thing is for sure. There’s no reason to call Ducournau or Fargeat emerging anymore. They have emerged alright!
