The Substance (2024): Beauty Is a Beast
The Substance is a satirical body horror film that critiques society’s obsession with youth and beauty. Through the story of Elisabeth Sparkle, we examine the devastating impact of external validation on identity, the pressures of pretty privilege, and the pervasive stigma against aging women. From Hollywood’s unrealistic standards to personal reflections on gender norms, we dive deep into how societal expectations shape self-worth. Featuring parallels to real-life stories and media, we unpack the emotional and physical toll of chasing impossible ideals.
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The Substance
A fading celebrity takes a black-market drug: a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
Director Coralie Fargeat
The Substance: Perfection is a Killer
by gabe castro
RED: Quotes, someone else's words.
Synopsis
The Substance is a satirical, body horror film exploring the grotesque impact of the male gaze on aging female bodies. It's a mortifying film that can evoke both disgust and unhinged joy. In its Cronenbergian absurdity, the film offers us a grotesque yet darkly humorous cautionary tale. The film follows Elisabeth Sparkle, a former Hollywood star now clinging to relevance as a fitness instructor on a lackluster morning show. Fargeat sought inspiration from actresses like Jane Fonda who also sought out a TV career as their movie careers began to fail in the shadow of their aging bodies. After being fired on her 50th birthday (“it stops at 50”) and desperate to reclaim her former glory, Elisabeth turns to a shady drug called "The Substance," which promises to create a younger, more vibrant version of herself.
Driven by a crippling self-image and the anguish of watching her identity diminish under the weight of her former glory, she is haunted by the sting of being fired and a farewell letter that cruelly reminds her of the greatness and adoration she once received with ease. She takes a gamble on the shady new drug, going to questionable lengths to acquire the substance and administer it - Sparkle’s desperation and self loathing is palpable. What follows is a nightmarish transformation that births Sue, an idealized, youthful version of Elisabeth. The two share a body and consciousness, switching control each week. As Sue rises to fame, embodying everything Elisabeth longs for, their relationship sours into a toxic rivalry. Sue thrives in the spotlight while Elisabeth, much like Dorian Gray’s decaying portrait, withers under the weight of her insecurities. With Sue taking more than she’s allotted (in time and attention) and Elisabeth spiraling further into self-hatred, the two take out their anger on each other in the ways they can. Their relationship spirals into a dangerous rivalry, leading to a grotesque and tragic showdown that highlights the dangers of vanity and society's obsession with eternal youth as a measure of self-worth.
The Substance is a film of unapologetic excess. It critiques the entertainment industry’s obsession with appearance and the lengths individuals may go to to preserve their status. In a world with lip filler migration transforming the faces of our favorite celebrities or ozempic reducing bodies to skeletal versions, it doesn’t seem far-fetched that something like the Substance could exist and that people as desperate as Elisabeth would fall victim to the scheme. Through its visceral, often grotesque lens, it delivers a biting commentary on the true cost of superficial ideals.
The Portrait of Elisabeth Sparkle
The Substance reimagines the cautionary fairy tale for a modern audience, blending body horror with timeless themes of transformation and desire. Like Snow White or The Little Mermaid, it’s a chilling warning about the perils of chasing unattainable perfection through forbidden means. But Elisabeth’s journey is no fairy tale—her “cursed potion” doesn’t come with a shot at redemption or a Happily Ever After. Instead, it drags her down a path of self-destruction, ending in a grotesque reckoning. The film takes these familiar narratives and flips them into sharp critiques of today’s culture, forcing us to confront society’s relentless obsession with youth and beauty in all its horrifying glory.
The Portrait of Dorian Gray looms large over The Substance, as both explore the steep price of vanity and self-deception. In Wilde’s tale, Dorian’s portrait silently bears the weight of his corruption, allowing him to bask in eternal youth. In The Substance, Sue becomes the living embodiment of Elisabeth’s deepest desires—radiant, youthful, and beloved—while Elisabeth herself crumbles emotionally, physically, and mentally. Sue may shine in the spotlight, but it’s Elisabeth who pays the ultimate price, the true victim of their warped and toxic dynamic.
Wilde warned against fleeing from one’s true self, but Elisabeth’s downfall cuts even deeper. She’s not just running—she’s actively destroying everything, chasing a societal ideal that remains just out of reach. The cruel twist? Elisabeth and Sue are the same person, a truth the film hammers home. Each loathes the other, yet neither can exist without the other. As we age, we are haunted by our own portrait in the attic, by the photos that suspend us in blissful youth for eternity. When society tells you that was the only time you mattered, it’s easy to lose love for yourself. In the end, the identity she so desperately clings to slips away, leaving only a haunting reflection of what she’s lost.
Avert Your Male Gaze
On The Ghouls, we often ask when critique crosses the line from subversion to simply replicating what it critiques. Films like Tag, a J-horror film, for instance, aim to challenge fan-service tropes but end up indulging in them, blurring their message and potentially harming the communities they seek to empower. Media literacy pushes us to question not just who is on screen and how they’re portrayed, but who is behind the camera.
With Fargeat directing The Substance, the film genuinely subverts the male gaze by exposing and exaggerating it. Hyper-sexualized imagery—slow pans over lips, breasts, and bodies—is presented with a self-aware, satirical edge. The gratuitous framing forces viewers to confront the absurdity and harm of objectification. What’s important is that we are very much in on the joke, and there isn’t a single male we trust or care for in the entirety of the film.
Rather than merely serving as eye candy, these images become tools of critique, showing how the male gaze warps perceptions of women, both in media and in their own lives. Sue’s hypersexualized presence is contrasted with Elisabeth’s unraveling, showing the toll of constantly striving to meet these impossible ideals. Through this lens, the film flips objectification on its head, weaponizing it to reveal the brutal psychological and physical toll it takes on women, peeling back the glossy façade to expose the rot beneath.
In its final act, The Substance drowns both its on-screen and real audiences in blood, gore, and its unflinching message. As Elisabeth spirals into chaos, we hear echoes of adoration from fans calling her irreplaceable, juxtaposed with the executive’s patronizing reminder that “pretty girls should always smile.” The film pulls no punches—its critique is as unsubtle as the grotesque spectacle it delivers.
Another film that thrives thanks to the perspective of its creator—someone fully in on the joke and able to balance its absurdity with gravity—is American Psycho. In it, Patrick Bateman’s obsession with power, wealth, and dominance is meticulously hidden behind a veneer of success. But even he isn’t immune to the male gaze; Bateman is both a product and victim of the same capitalist and patriarchal ideals he perpetuates. His violent outbursts are an exaggerated critique of the emptiness and brutality those values breed.
Both American Psycho and The Substance rely on excess to tell their stories. American Psycho pairs grotesque violence with icy detachment to showcase Bateman’s sociopathy, while The Substance uses visceral body horror—injecting, mutilation, and decay—to expose the physical and mental toll of conforming to beauty standards. Both films push their characters to absurd extremes, blurring the line between satire and horror.
However, they critique the male gaze from opposite perspectives. American Psycho critiques it through Bateman, a man who embodies and weaponizes it, while The Substance critiques it through Elisabeth, showing how women internalize and suffer under its weight. Bateman’s narcissistic fixation on his reflection parallels Elisabeth’s growing disgust as her decaying reality clashes with Sue’s idealized perfection. While American Psycho offers a chilling indictment of consumerism and toxic masculinity, The Substance turns its lens on the beauty industry and the psychological destruction wrought by chasing impossible standards. Both films reveal the futility of these pursuits, culminating in grotesque displays of inner emptiness.
Ultimately, The Substance is a searing critique of society’s obsession with youth, beauty, and the oppressive standards placed on women. By weaving together elements of body horror, satirical fairy tales, and literary influences the film highlights the emotional and physical toll of striving for perfection. Elisabeth’s tragic downfall is a reminder of the futility in chasing societal validation at the expense of self-acceptance. In exposing the grotesque extremes of the male gaze and the insidious nature of pretty privilege, The Substance forces us to reflect on the cost of valuing appearance over substance—both in media and in our own lives.
We learn as we watch Elisabeth, through Sue and eventually through the Monstro ElisaSue that we can never shake off or fight against these systems if we continue to look to them for validation. When Sue decides to take on Elisabeth’s previous role (the one that Elisabeth had taken when her options became limited), she falls victim to the same fawning fakeness by the creepy execs that Elisabeth had and though they have birthed a new body, Elisabeth and Sue are still very much the same stunted and broken person Elisabeth started out as. As Demi Moore explained in an interview, “Sue could’ve said, ‘I’m gonna have my own production company; I’m gonna have my own show.’ But there’s that familiarity. We all fall into the same patterns until we break them.” I can understand a disappointment in the film that offers us no happy endings, no true character growth or satisfaction but I believe that’s the intent of such a cautionary tale - if you don’t heed my warnings, this could be you.
Aging Under the Spotlight: The Substance & The Pressure to Stay Young
by Kat Kushin
RED: Quotes, someone else's words.
All eyes on you, the damage of external perception on Identity
Something we see play out in The Substance is a lack of self worth and identity for a person who has spent the bulk of her life in the public eye and relied on them for validation. It also showcases at almost every turn how her value in reference to society directly correlated with how youthful she appeared. The majority of people around Elizabeth Sparkle, and her counterpart Sue all gauge how nice they are based on the appearance of who they are speaking with. In her “prime” Sparkle was celebrated with love and attention, but as she aged she slowly faded into obscurity. She largely benefited from pretty privilege and then felt betrayed when time changed her appearance. This is evident in how Hollywood and society overall views aging women in comparison to aging men. The sexism of aging is a real issue in American society, where value and personhood for women is decided by youthfulness, and ability to reproduce. Adherence to gender roles, and appearance and what is known as pretty privilege plays a huge role in what society deems valuable in being a woman. As we saw in the Barbie movie, and honestly many others, to exist as a woman is to be constantly critiqued, and this is also seen in fame, where bodies, style, and overall appearance are constantly under scrutiny. To speak to my own experience, growing up I witnessed this as well, where pretty privilege and femininity played a heavy role in how people interacted with me. As a non-binary person this always brought me a lot of anxiety as I was always treated “better” when I presented overly feminine, in makeup and feminine clothing. People were nicer to me when I adhered to gender norms and also traditional beauty standards, and were less kind when I stepped outside of that. Luckily the scope of critique was relatively small because I was only exposed to peers for the most part, but the damage can be even worse for those in constant public eye.
The film does a great job showcasing the damage of celebrity and constant perception from the public on a person's identity. When you are largely valued for your performance of self, instead of who you really are, that can be really psychologically damaging. On the other side of that, when you are being bombarded by critiques on your appearance, be it from age, or just existing, and your value and livelihood is dependent upon your looks, the desperation to maintain that can be really overwhelming. We see this in the real-world with people willing to inject themselves with chemicals and get surgeries out of desperation instead of what those services should be meant for which is identity affirming care. The surgeries are sought after out of insecurity and to be better accepted by society instead of for self actualization. The expectation to hide aging, and exist as perfect (depending on what that is on any given day) beings is unsustainable and heavily damaging both to our physical and mental wellbeing as humans. We see celebrities like Courtney Cox who got work done, regret these choices later, because you can’t get back how you looked before. Very reminiscent of what we see play out in The Substance where at many instances Elizabeth Sparkle is asked if she wants to stop, but refuses to because what has been lost cannot be regained.
The damage of external perception on the identity of women is profound and multifaceted. Societal expectations often dictate that women must adhere to certain standards of beauty, behavior, and success, which can significantly impact their self-esteem and psychological health. As highlighted in Ding, X. (2023). The Impact of Societal Expectations on Women’s Self-Esteem and Psychological Health. Guanghua Cambridge International School, Shanghai, China., societal pressures can lead to chronic low self-esteem, affecting all areas of a woman's life, from personal relationships to career success. The document states, "Women with low self-esteem are more likely to internalize societal criticism and less likely to resist harmful societal messages, leading to a cycle of negative self-perception and poor mental health." This cycle can be particularly damaging during adolescence, a critical period for developing self-esteem, where societal pressures are often at their peak. As we see in The Substance, Sparkle has been in the lime light for a long time, likely in her foundational years where her beauty was “in their prime”.
The Stigma against Women showing signs of Aging
The stigma against women showing signs of aging is pervasive in both Hollywood and everyday life, reflecting deep-seated societal biases. In Hollywood, the entertainment industry often prioritizes youth and beauty, leading to fewer roles and opportunities for older actresses. This ageism is evident in casting decisions, where older women are frequently sidelined or typecast into roles that emphasize their age rather than their talent. As noted in Women, Celebrity, and Cultures of Ageing, the authors state, "The film industry’s obsession with youth and beauty means that older actresses are often relegated to supporting roles or roles that emphasize their age rather than their talent." This statement underscores the industry's obsession with youth, which marginalizes older women and perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards.
In everyday life, the stigma against aging women manifests in various forms, from subtle social cues to overt discrimination. Older women often face unsolicited advice on how to look younger, such as dyeing their hair or undergoing cosmetic procedures. This pressure to maintain a youthful appearance can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. For instance, in Masquerading their way to authenticity Does age stigma concealment benefit older women, it is noted that many women consider or undergo cosmetic procedures to maintain a youthful appearance. For instance, one participant shared, "I had a facelift at 50 because I felt that my appearance was affecting my career prospects. I wanted to look as young as I felt and to be taken seriously in a youth-oriented industry" (Rebecca, 50–59). In another example, Briane, a participant aged 60–69, shared her thoughts on the necessity of cosmetic surgery for career prospects "If I have to find a new job before I retire (which is a possibility) I’ll consider a lower face/neck lift... 'freshening' facelift. Nothing drastic—just lower face and maybe neck." This quote highlights the extreme measures some women feel compelled to take in order to conform to societal expectations of youth and beauty. The pressure to engage in cosmetic surgery and other beauty work to conceal signs of aging can lead to stress, anxiety, and a diminished sense of self-worth. Another obvious example of this is the entire Kardashian family, who have altered their appearance consistently to maintain public attention. Women may feel that their value is tied to their appearance, leading them to invest significant time, money, and emotional energy into maintaining a youthful look. This societal pressure can undermine their confidence and sense of self, as they constantly strive to meet unrealistic beauty standards.
The impact of this stigma is profound, as it perpetuates a culture that values women primarily for their appearance and proximity to youth rather than their abilities or experiences. It doesn’t help either when the government and society at large does the same. This ageism intersects with sexism, creating a double burden for aging women who must navigate both gender and age discrimination. Efforts to combat this stigma include promoting diverse representations of women in media and challenging societal norms that equate aging with decline. As discussed in There are more women on TV but ageism persists, says new study | NPR while there has been an increase in female characters on television, ageism persists, and older women remain underrepresented. The article notes, "Despite the increase in female characters, older women are still significantly underrepresented, and when they do appear, they are often portrayed in stereotypical roles." Additionally, the NPR article continues quoting actress Brooke Shields "It's like you go from sexy to Depends," "And there's this whole margin in the middle that ... are vibrant."
The NPR article quotes The Boxed In study has some data to back that up. "At about the age of 40, female characters begin to disappear in substantial numbers from both broadcast and streaming programs," the report concludes. "On broadcast programs, the percentage of major female characters plummeted from 42% in their 30s to 15% in their 40s. Similarly, on streaming programs the percentage of major females dropped from 33% in their 30s to 14% in their 40s." Over 60? You're probably not seeing yourself represented much at all on screen, despite the fact that the U.S. population is aging.
By valuing women for their contributions and experiences, rather than their adherence to youthful beauty standards, society can begin to dismantle the harmful stereotypes that undermine the dignity and worth of aging women. A great example of a way this was done somewhat recently is the success and popularity of Grace and Frankie on Netflix, where the leads are still growing and finding themselves outside of what society would claim is the time to do so. Shows like this are important for showing the possibilities of aging as a good thing, not the end of everything good. Some shows that have positive representations of women still being desirable and powerful (although messy lol but finding herself) in her 40s is BEEF (this is a personal opinion). The Woman King (although I haven’t seen it was also listed as positive representation in that Viola Davis is still strong and powerful in her 50s). In another article titled Women Over 45 Are Everywhere On Our Screens All At Once. That’s A Good Thing. At the 95th Academy Awards, Everything Everywhere All At Once actress Michelle Yeoh directly addressed this age-old discrimination while accepting the Oscar for Best Actress. “Ladies, don’t let anyone tell you you are ever past your prime,” Yeoh said to cheers. “Never give up.” It was notable because Yeoh is 61 years old, making her almost 20 years older than the average female Oscar winner for an acting role. This win doesn’t solve ageism, or any other ism in Hollywood but is a positive, highlighting that age is not a hard stop barrier to fame and success, but is a continuing issue in Hollywood.
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