THE SUBSTANCE IS UNRELENTING and I love every foul minute of it 😈 | KennieJD

[@KennieJD]

I think im done with twitter for good now so join me on Bluesky! bsky.app/profile/kenniejd.bsky.social

[@NaomiKitten-br3rh]

The minute the demon in a flesh suit took over, I bounced. P.S. I will be following you on BlueSky.

[@JanaeSmith]

I'm so grateful that your age group (i'm 43 now) is so much smarter than my elder Millennial ass. (millennial is like the hardest workd or me ironically) Love you in a totally vague way. Just remember to hydrate, moisturize and stretch. YOUR HAIR IS GORGEOUS BTW

[@saragotnoluck]

omg please don't! i can't join Bluesky bc they keep sending me warnings everytime i post about Palestine. as much as i hate elon's twt, jack is straight up censoring me and my fellow Palestinians.

[@5cburrell]

Have you seen “It’s What’s Inside” ? I’m 100% shocked that you haven’t recapped that movie.

[@goofygoober431]

@@5cburrelli saw that one omg it's so good

[@onlythelonely93]

One thing about this movie is how many edits and obsession over Sue I've seen online as opposed to Elisabeth...I fear we are NOT respecting the balance.

[@RicardoAlexandre-e9f]

GIRL THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE MOVIE IS TRYING TO TELL US ! THE NASTY OBSESSION THAT THE SOCIETY HAVE FOR YOUTH AND BEAUTY. SO THE FACT THAT PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT WOMEN THAT WE THINK ARE TO OLD TO BE CONSIDERED BEAUTIFUL OR RELEVANT... THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT SO SURPRISING THAT THE INTERNET PAID MORE ATTENTION TO SUE THEN ELIZABETH .😔

[@a_vh679]

yesss i love the ones i've seen with both where they respect the balance!

[@wigglemelon8807]

It's like they just don't get it 🙃

[@coolbeans5911]

Exactly this!!!!!

[@alltheworldatmyfeet]

Personally, I thought Elizabeth was hot after so if I made edits I wouldn't respect the balance 😅

[@JFMuni]

that date night when she felt too ugly to go was so painfully sad and relatable 😭

[@fionagallagherapologist5968]

mind you, she looked so beautiful :(

[@justlola417]

That's the best scene of the movie imo. They let her actions speak and you know exactly what's going through her mind even if nobody's saying anything

[@meep_murp8758]

He already thought she was gorgeous wearing a frumpy yellow coat :( broke my heart that she still didn't feel pretty enough.

[@hikariluanGC]

@@fionagallagherapologist5968 She looked so effing amazing. And I wish she would look just like that by the end of the movie... Tragic.

[@daphnia9664]

looking at her reflection at the doorknob and hating it made me feel so wierdly seen

[@xXBarbDwireXx]

pisses me off how many people online are like "I would respect the balance" or "what if there's someone out there using the substance and they're completely fine and respecting the balance?" like NO!!!!!!!! if you hated yourself enough to take the substance, you wouldn't respect the balance. no one does heroin in moderation

[@babyJes444]

WELLLLLL SAID

[@Tw0Dots]

@@xXBarbDwireXx welllll…

[@kaybaumann4989]

Perfectly said.

[@littlered6340]

​...saidddd

[@namerequired8203]

Welllll, there are people who use heroin in moderation. I agree with other point tho.

[@iciajay6891]

The director for this ate. She knew what she was doing. A satire of the male gaze.

[@SPMunny]

Once I realized she also directed “revenge” I knew this movie was gonna slay!!! And I was right!!!

[@fionagallagherapologist5968]

exactly how i saw it :)

[@gracenurse3365]

Is it the Male Gaze when Elizabeth and Sue are considering and acting on each other?

[@ccasserole5267]

​@@gracenurse3365 Yes, the film observes how the social prevalence of self-hating body dysmorphia in women is directly influenced by how women internalize the male gaze permeating in a patriarchal society. This is clearly illustrated by monstro elisasue being a blatant amalgamation of the desires the men in the film explicitly project onto her and other women (e.g. "tits where her nose is" - she grows a breast in middle of her face, "pretty girls should always smile," there are teeth everywhere on elisasue, "they want more of you" - film ends with elisasue pouring her flesh and blood all over the audience).

[@hanariirash6749]

​@@SPMunnyrevenge as in the show?? that was a nice series ngl

[@dojasalieninthebasement3231]

Something I don’t see many people talking about is how they never gave each other clothes.like after the first two times they switched I thought they were gonna put clothes on each other but they never did. Like the disregard for the other person is crazy

[@pinsandneedles3]

No clothes, no bed, no blanket. Literally not looking after yourself 🫠

[@elliot__agares]

Same, I was like "this time she's gonna put the other her in bed right?" But no, she just built a secret room in THREE DAYS

[@akinaneon-xz6oj]

They literally leave each other on the floor and eventually in a dark room

[@TKZells16]

​@@pinsandneedles3feels like another aspect of the self hate we can have for our bodies.

[@madlie2452]

Exactly. That was the first thing I said when watching it in the theater. Why wouldn’t you put your on the body on a bed? Why not dress it? Why not provide a blanket or something else? But she hates herself. Deeply enough that that’s okay for both of them.

[@fuzzyapple]

At the time of the accident, it wasn't public knowledge that Elizabeth retired. So I'd like to make everyone aware of the audacity of the nurse who gave this gorgeous woman with a successful career a USB that basically said "hey, I think you should be prettier and younger"

[@tristianharvey1787]

I think the nurse was able to sense her inner turmoil, which is why he offered it to her. The nurse was discrete in offering the substance because there were no other mail boxes.

[@whatthehelliot]

she also starts crying when the doctor says its her bday, i think thats meant to show the nurse that shes insecure abt her age

[@eslife1216]

I think the nurse was the old man in the coffe shop I think it was more of a relating to her because he was uing „the substance“ 2

[@essies4294]

@@eslife1216he was

[@osmanyousif7849]

Or maybe the Nurse didn't realize that he was giving it to her, as he tries to warn Elisabeth what it's doing to him. So perhaps the "Other Self" was doing more of this.

[@Chuuzus]

i know the Oscars really hate nominating performances in horror movies but my God! Demi Moore definitely deserves an Oscar nomination for her performance in The Substance! and if she wins it would be so well deserved

[@themimeticconsumer]

If Demi gets snubbed I'm bringing Toni Colette who was snubbed for Hereditary along and we're gonna knock at the juror's doors (in Minecraft)

[@Tasha31301]

Agree also loved the movies she’s in especially from the 80s and early 90s and 2000s

[@osmanyousif7849]

It actually would be more ironic, considering how the beginning opens up with it mentions how Elisabeth won an Oscar.

[@b.o.3815]

Who cares about the Oscars these days it’s just rich people kissing up other rich people

[@camelliasinensis219]

Tbf it’s also a bit tough because this year has a lot of great films. A far more competitive year than the last few in my opinion. So if she does get snubbed, for me it will depend on who she gets snubbed for lol

[@jabulilemodipane2150]

i think the reason that the nurse did not warn elisabeth was because it was the young version and he was happy with who he was and happy with his life, not caring for the matrix, in the same way that sue was so okay with essentially killing elisabeth

[@elsagreen1476]

Yes! He was also splitting I guess

[@nostalogic4788]

this is quite literally explained in the movie

[@sumoni]

The way Elizabeth and Sue are treated by men is so startling. The men that are attracted to Sue, are dismissive and hostile to Elizabeth.

[@whylife8980]

They're actually dismissive to both Elisabeth and Sue. They don't consider her anything other than an enticing object to mold and conquer. They're equally as aggressive too; in fact, it's just sexual aggression rather than physical aggression because they perceive an old/older woman as something to intimidate rather than subjugate because she's older and knows more (or "knows better" rather). That's why it'semphasized that "They are one" because, at the end of the day, it's the same exact treatment to her as a person just, approached differently due to her appearance. The truth of the matter is, had she treated Sue as herself and not a "better version", she would not have destroyed herself into nothing.

[@camillegordon4651]

@@whylife8980​​⁠perfectly said, they just superficially act more amicable towards Sue because they are enthralled with her youth. Note that I didn’t say beauty because both women are exceptionally beautiful. As you alluded to, Sue just appears more malleable to them.

[@ohtartarsauce6301]

Just like irl

[@fionagallagherapologist5968]

@@whylife8980perfectly said, women, not matter the age, are simply objects in the eyes of the patriarchy

[@tearfulxsoul]

Except Fred said she was still beautiful 😭 it was wholesome. I see so many older woman as so beautiful but it sucks that isn’t the norm in society

[@lsilva5708]

*spoiler* but did anyone else cry when Sue was beating up Elisabeth?? It made me so emotional. I think it personified self-hatred in a way that was so visceral and heartbreaking that it made me sad that anyone (myself included) could engage in self-loathing. It was a very effective way to make me more gentle with myself. I think about this movie every day since I saw it. I’m so happy Kennie is talking about this!

[@whylife8980]

That's EXACTLY how I described this movie! Visceral! Especially that scene, I literally felt for Sue just as much as I did for Elisabeth because that's how self hatred really looks on the inside, EVEN OUTSIDE. You literally beat yourself to death until the better you can mask for, who knows how long. Its so deep and I resonate with your comment/thoughts

[@MollyGosh]

I was crying when *spoiler* people were screaming at monstro when she was saying "but it's me!" Never been so hit with ugly crys so fast

[@themousoleum]

this movie has honestly completely changed how I view myself because I would never treat myself the same way Elizabeth and Sue treat each other/herself.

[@katrynnazalcmann]

YES, this is exactly the moment that made me emotional. It's such a great case study for self-hatred

[@ChurrosAreSexy]

Oh yeah I laughed at every other part but this part to me was so sad

[@dsdgjj]

i think my favorite part that you didn't mention was when Sue's boyfriend sees WAY too much blood on the floor outside the bathroom and asks if Sue is just in a bad mood from her period, meanwhile Elisabeth is in the bathroom you know....mega fucked up. like....how often do women and AFAB ppl have serious symptoms and health concerns dismissed as "one of those *lady* problems"?? OOF that got me

[@rexis188]

YES. At that scene, I said "well okay, he gets to die" - but he never dies. There is no justice.

[@osmanyousif7849]

To be fair, he has no idea what's wrong with Sue exactly, especially with that amount of blood. Plus, when she started shouting, sounding completely different person, he did seem concern until she ordered him to leave threateningly.

[@Witchy_Hoo]

@@osmanyousif7849I didn't interpret it as the man being genuinely concerned, I interpreted it as him being relentless to continue being physically intimate with Sue. Fred was the only man in the movie who was genuine.

[@space__junk]

This movie is such a mother/daughter allegory for me, and I loved it. So many women feel that their lives are over when they have kids, or that their kids suck their life away. From the “c-section” scene to the “you’re the only part of me people like”, this was an obvious parental relationship (imo)

[@DreamCloud124]

Yes!

[@whylife8980]

It WAS! I thought that to myself from time to time during my watch, that this seems like an allegory to the mother daughter dynamic and how the pressure for her daughter/other self to be the "perfect", "better", "reborn" version of herself (mother/OG) but cannot be actually better or more successful than themselves because she (Mom/OG) made her (daughter/other self) in their own ideal image.

[@briaweea02]

I said this too when I was watching it with my friend and partner! Especially the scene where Sue was shading her during the interview, the anger and the “you’re beautiful because you came from ME” tone was so toxic mother/daughter relationship to me

[@VampireKitty656]

Exactly! Theres the opposite side too where Sue does not want to provide medical/emotional care for Elizabeth, especially after abuse of the substance leaves her disable and elderly

[@Justitia_Nomen]

I thought this same thing too. It was pretty heartbreaking. I wonder if some of the themes are what Demi has experienced personally in her career rn

[@kingintern7566]

The way my heart fully broke hearing Elisasue say "it's still me" 🥺

[@jrdn.mariee]

ElisaSue curling that one strand of hair 💀

[@hikariluanGC]

Felt like me at 24 shaving my head because I became bald very early. Genetics and stress, such a hard watch

[@cheyenne_d333]

That had me. Loved it 👌🏽👌🏽

[@athena3247]

LMFAOOOOOOO

[@cutelookin]

It gave the energy of that tik tok with the doll scare actor twisting her few strands 😭😭 hair longgg!

[@lauralineclementine]

SENT. ME.

[@kat7203]

“the bb cream nurse” killed me 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@HauntFreak13]

The scene with the old man made me misty-eyed. “Gets harder to remember that this part of you still matters.” It’s so heartbreaking.

[@mimu3727]

recently my brother told me i look "old" and lost my "youthful features" im 23 and until recently ppl would think im 14-17 based off my looks alone. but as im progressing into my 20s, my face has become more defined. that's it. i hate how this world perceives childlike as enticing and sexy, but grown/adult as old and unattractive. edit: he's actually really into red pill too and until recently he would only try to pull 15 year olds (he's 21 and unfortunately in our country that's legal) I find it fascinating how to him, me looking like maybe 19 now is considered "old". LIKE DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF? 19 IS OLD?

[@IshtarNike]

If you're capable, you might want to sit him down and explain that that's some fucked up shit he just said. It's cultural gaslighting. "You're 23, you think you're going, but watch out! Girls get old fast, and once it happens you're worthless." Those are the messages underlying that. I don't think I've ever heard a man be called old at 23.

[@Bella-zf6nl]

Damn tell ur brother he’s lost/gonna lose his too. What a dick

[@Jackieeeisvibing]

Agreed I hit 24 January 4th so like less than 6 weeks and it’s weird how I can feel the passage of time change as strangers think I’m like 15 and I do NOT look it but the people in my family are like ong you’re getting older(which isn’t a bad thing like I feel age is what makes you attractive but whatever) and even the subtle jabs about not being attractive and youthful me go huh…. Yall don’t realize you’re saying weird stuff right? Like not to be dramatic but as a black wkman who was a “grown woman” at age 13 and now I hit barely developed frontal lobe I’m too old it’s an extreme jarring change to witness

[@Jackieeeisvibing]

Like very strange youthful equals attractive in my brain bc what? You want to date someone who just learned how to spell their name?? Jail time!!

[@kasia3582]

did you kick his teeth in

[@Chuuzus]

CONTROL YOURSELF!!!

[@loliwelch9151]

CON-TROL-YOUR-SELLLLLF 🎤

[@chromesthesia]

Me to me when I want to buy more goofy stuff

[@osmanyousif7849]

Ironic how she says that instead of "Take care of yourself!". Then again, I don't think shouting that would work.

[@Chibbykins]

Chuuzus and Kennie collab when?? 😂

[@ingieigni]

ARIANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING HEREEEEE

[@breethevampire13]

I watched the movie twice this week! I think of the things that makes me so sad is how alone she is. No one was there celebrating her birthday, her one chair in the kitchen and in front of the tv. And it seemed like no one checked in on her when she switched to Sue.

[@sabrinareyes3164]

She was so self absorbed in her own loathing she didn’t foster actual relationships with anyone that could’ve actually helped her feel validated and loved

[@fionagallagherapologist5968]

exactly !! i kept asking myself where are her friends, how come does no one care about her :(

[@hikariluanGC]

@@sabrinareyes3164 But that is what happen when you work hard in certain industries. I felt that because I work in entertainment and I have absolutely no friends.

[@pixcaine]

I think a key point of this movie is that Elisabeth was sold the idea that the substance would give her a younger, "better" version of herself but the thing is...Sue literally isn't her. Different features, different personalities. The only way we as an audience really know they have any relation is because we literally saw Sue crawl out of Elisabeth's spine. Even the "better" version of herself wasn't enough in the end. Comparison is the thief of joy or whatever.

[@elsagreen1476]

To your point I was thinking about why they didn't use pictures of Margaret Qualley in the hallway of her TV show but it must be on purpose. Like this idea of "a younger you" is a lie, that woman is gone, it's always going to be a fake one.

[@Oonagh72]

This movie was brilliant. I actually paid to see it in the theatre, and it was so worth it. The reviews were that good. Being 51 when I saw it, I felt every part of that film. Edit: FYI Demi Moore is 62. She is 10 years older than the woman she played. Yes. Demi Moore is LITERALLY everything.

[@bec7080]

I'm about to be 39 and if my body looked like Demi Moore's I would be happy. But the movie shows why that doesn't matter really artfully and uncomfortably. When Elizabeth is looking at herself in the mirror naked all I can think is "God look at how wonderful her boobs still look, look at her in general. Her body is still so amazing." But then Sue shows up and EVERYTHING is perky and tight and arched and you see the difference so clearly. Of course Moore is still so beautiful. But it shows how easily you can be distracted by youth

[@CanIswearinmyhandle]

@@bec7080 I mean part of that is that Demi Moore has probably had work done and probably has to be very careful with what she eats and exercises because she will not get work any other way. Women in hollywood arent allowed to age like the men do and even they aren't always allowed to, like Tom Cruise)

[@RogueVideoRaven]

I saw it in theaters too and it was the best theater experience I ever had! People would gradually leave with every ‘gross’ scene and by the time the lights turned on, I was one of the four people left!

[@Gabriellaella23]

@@bec7080yes she looked amazing in that red dress and if she went out on that date she may have felt better about herself but she couldn’t do it knowing Sue would look better in her eyes. I really feel like the lipstick scene is what tipped everything. She could have left and got a got a confidence boost and not left the house a wreck and maybe “Sue” wouldn’t have been so mad that she decided to stay extra completely ruining Elizabeth’s body or nothing could have changed, but it was a fantastic movie through and through.

[@jackblackrosedragon9325]

​@@bec7080 That right there is the message. Say those things to yourself in the mirror. Don't fall for the substance, there is someone who is twice your age who wants to look like you. The chain only ends if you end it with YOURSELF.

[@tokofukawa4654]

Something unique about this movie is the EXTREME lack of subtlety alongside the ability to read into little things as well. You know what the movie is about, it’s meant to be obvious on the message but there are STILL things that are unsaid that you can also unpack

[@bec7080]

Right, like the fact that the mother of the child in the audience was ok with her seeing the stage full of dancers topless but a less attractive boob falls out of a mouth and she has to cover the daughters eyes. I mean sure, it's terrifying, but it was definitely the BOOB part.

[@jebron319]

im a black, gay, librarian in a red state. me drawing breath is rebellion

[@herenyahope8745]

Hello fellow gay library worker in a red state!

[@Justitia_Nomen]

Also gay, black, used to be librarian, and have also lived in red states up to now :(

[@jaysonjackson3455]

Keep living! If for no other reason than to spite those imps!!

[@Shadowy_Tigress]

The guy who shouted "THE MONSTER!" gets me all the time! 🤣🤣🤣 Not "A monster", not even just "monster", but "THE monster". 😂😂😂

[@berby2068]

Like Wendy Williams saying the killer 😂 idk why making things so specific is so silly and funny but it kills me everytime

[@mfuentes4961]

This film really hit me emotionally because I couldn’t stop thinking about my own mother and how she’s become insecure overtime about how she looks due to her post-menopausal age. I look just like a younger version her and it breaks my heart to hear her say negative comments about herself while she says positive comments about my appearance at the same time. I wish I could show her this movie so she can see that she’s perfect the way she is and that she’s not alone in feeling like this but she doesn’t like scary movies and she would be repulsed by the body horror lmao.

[@anonymouse903]

Am I tripping or did you comment the exact same thing in Trin's video? Nothing wrong with that btw but I just had the weirdest deja vu ever lmao

[@pixiel1xie]

@@anonymouse903I saw this exact comment on Jordan Theresa’s video about the substance. I’m assuming they’re copy pasting it across all these reviews.

[@joyce2837]

@@anonymouse903 I noticed that too😂fully thought it was deja vu

[@earthdomme8078]

I also thought I should show my mom😅 idk if she'll be able to stomach it though

[@fuzzyapple]

​@@pixiel1xie I've seen it under Amanda's video lol

[@zuzz1_a]

there's just something about this almost mother-daughter relationship between Sue and Elisabeth, where the mother starts hating her daughter for not only being a younger and beautiful version of her, but also taking away her own beauty in the way that not only in the way that a woman is commonly said to get "uglier" during pregnancy if she's having a girl because the girl is taking the mothers beauty but also in the way that a pregnancy changes a woman in so many ways that she will never return to the version of herself she was before having a child, the version that society deems to be better and more desirable that just hits different. over all the symbolism in this movie is so amazing but also so so sad

[@tearfulxsoul]

omg another really good perspective, so many messages in this movie

[@Alexis-wh6ei]

What I really love about The Substance is that men are portrayed as the primary if not ultimate drivers of this manifestation of women's oppression. Of course, this isn't to say that women don't perpetuate misogyny and benefit from "falling in line," but they will never reap patriarchal dividends in the way men do and in fact reproduce their own subjugation. While this is seemingly obvious it somehow gets lost in conversations that attempt to be nuanced re: women's participation in misogyny. For instance, figures like the Kardashians and other female influences are rightfully criticized for encouraging the intense self-policing of women's bodies/unrealistic beauty standards but the criticism stops there without interrogating *why it benefits them to do so in the first place.* It becomes painfully obvious when they themselves become the objects of intense scrutiny for their looks without much reflection on the part of the public, e.g. dissecting Kylie Jenner's face, the work she's had done, how she's aging etc. The only instance I can think of Elizabeth/Sue being judged by women is in the final "Monstro" scene where they scream at her grotesque appearance, but even then only the men in the audience resort to physical violence against her, including the man who tries to k*ll her. Much to think about.

[@canesugar911]

Finally, someone with sense.

[@sneakysnek572]

If I may, I think you can also interpret Elisabeth and Sue as women who perpetuate those standards! Elisabeth is envious of Sue, which makes her HATE Sue. Meanwhile Sue carries Elisabeth’s standards for herself. They are the same person, yes, but there’s a disconnect there. The older generation resenting the younger generation for having everything they don’t have, and the younger generation hating their elders for their perceived “laziness” and old-fashioned ways. It’s almost 2am this is probably phrased really stupidly I’m sorry

[@wendynerd1199]

Kennie, dont apologize. We've all been in a depressed malaise.

[@chromesthesia]

Tell me about it. I've been sad buying stuff. I don't have money

[@greedbun]

@@chromesthesia i am literally reading a self help book to help me with my finances but i am ignoring the advice. i'm right there with you.

[@chromesthesia]

I'm like life is awful just let me buy stuff with PayPal credit!!!

[@Affenzunge]

Im European and I'm depressed as fx. Everytime I realize that most human beings are idiots always comes as a surprise somehow.

[@Nutellabiss]

Ditto ​@@chromesthesia

[@sierra1680]

A note on the focus on both women’s bottoms. My thoughts were how often that part of the body is related to fruit. Like the song Liquid Smooth by Mitski, the idea that when you’re younger and “more supple” is when you’re at your most “desirable”. But like fruit, the body eventually wrinkles, withers, and inevitably rots. Like hands, it’s a part of the anatomy that’s an indicator of aging. But that’s enough on the symbolism of the peach.

[@fionagallagherapologist5968]

i also thought of mitski !!

[@YmustTh3w0rldG0r0und]

Yeah they did it to one of the guys too and then the in bloodbath they also showed a naked butt.

[@StellarAvenger]

This is a more messed up version of Death Becomes Her.

[@Jennilynne]

I was thinking the same! I recently rewatched that movie

[@OGseoulite]

Yeah I though the Substance itself & also the scene in the Doctor’s office when Elizabeth got into that accident were subtle homages to that movie & the theme of eternal youth being as temporary as temporary as our bodies are. There were a lot of homages to great films made in this movie.

[@osmanyousif7849]

More like The Nutty Professor meets the climax of Perfect Blue and Akira, directed by David Cronenberg. Would have been ironic if Sue ended up mutating on stage instead, starting with her arm, then her entire body becomes Monstro Elisasue, and she screams, "HELP, PLEASE!" like Tetsuo.

[@ingenuity2217]

Also Neon Demon

[@ShayiArnett]

LOVE death becomes her!

[@briaweea02]

I love that the film touched on bodily dysmorphia, binge eating/the shame of eating as a female presenting person, ageism, distance from base aesthetic reality in “feminine” performance, and even low key mother/daughter dysfunction(like moms who feel like their daughters stole their beauty/body with birth). Final Girl Studios did an amazing breakdown of it with scholarly examples Also, you’re ABSOLUTELY on point with calling it “queasy”😭It’s such a wet movie, it sounds like it’s right in your ears

[@brucecaudill1958]

And she was also right about the end. I know a lot of people said that the ending made them feel uncomfortable and disgusted but me personally I couldn’t help but laugh either. I thought I was the only one that felt that way too watching this movie it was intense, but it was humorous in a gruesome way also Demi Moore should get nominated and win for best actress at the Oscars in my personal opinion.

[@corduroy799]

Spoilers for final part . . . My mom pointed out how the final moment is a reference specifically to the RAGE of Carrie. Elizasue is the post self. The ideal. She's tried to meet all the standards other people were placing on her body and, in her mind, she reached that goal and felt confident. However, she's met with digust and is called a monster (kinda like how in real life we shame women for getting work done). From my mom's perspective, the blood showering everywhere was like Elizasue going, "You don't want me after all I've done?" and feeling RAGE. Edit: I also forgot to mention that the viewers play a part in this too. We are made to see Elizasue as a monster even tho this is the only form where she's treated herself tenderly.

[@LunaBlackwing]

The ending amalgamation reminds me of Bunny from the original Powerpuff Girls. Like she was just happy to be here

[@julesrules7297]

Yeah, same here. Lotta similarities

[@RaywatiXOXO2001]

Agree also Bunny deserved better

[@willnaib]

so cruel of youtube to hide this from me for 17 seconds!!!!

[@HoneyHide0ut444]

Cruelty!! it’s like they don’t want us to have fun 😂

[@mistymcclure1980]

They hid it from me for 12 days! 😭

[@selalewis9189]

Is this gonna be the new thing now? Jesus 😒

[@MikeNelissen]

My idea is that Sue started with the consciousness and memories of Elisabeth at the very start but then since they have 2 bodies and each own lifepaths,she develops further as her own ‘ego’

[@fionagallagherapologist5968]

i honestly thought it referenced the freudian concept of the id, the ego and the super ego

[@Minnehotness]

So originally, I was going to comment about how much I love your hair in this vid. But here I am, 47, embracing my bald head (I need to update my profile pic) and getting so many compliments on my aircut but I'm looking at your coils, deeply missing mine. My hair has been a struggle after I had kids and health issues with thinning, etc. In almost every other way, no crackage to my blackage but that's the one thing. So I get it. I may continue to be a punk and not watch the movie itself but I'm glad this Kafkaesque message is out there to love yourself before it's too late, or worse, destroying yourself in pursuit of what was.

[@cozycasasmr4510]

I love this comment ❤

[@Minnehotness]

Finally updated my pic

[@apRN1993]

@@Minnehotness& you are gorgeous 😍

[@tlahmed]

I can barely see your pfp on my phone, and still I can see your radiant smile and beautiful face!

[@elliot__agares]

Just watched The Substance with my parents yesterday, The third act was so unreal that me and my father just started to die laughing when Monster Elisasue started spraying prople with impossible amounts of blood But the movie was also very sad, the scene where shes getting ready for a date and goes back again and again and again comparing herself to Sue was so frustrating and heartbraking and so real The movies blends unreallness and actual critice of real things that really happy. During the first 2 acts youre really engrossed in the movie and really feeling the critic and the sadness, and then it breaks during the third act because there you truly see the satire and the campiness that they where showing and hinting at during the first 2 acts but that you just didnt realize because you where so engrossed with it

[@CanIswearinmyhandle]

not what camp means

[@elliot__agares]

​@CanIswearinmyhandle camp/campy: "in the style of camp: absurdly exaggerated, artifical or affected in a usually humorous way" Sue having unreal strength and chasing after Elizabeth like cat and mouse is not what camp means? Sue, a newborn clone being able to construct an entire perfect secret room in 3 days is not camp? Yeah sure, tell that to Kennie then, who literally called it Campy in the video

[@CanIswearinmyhandle]

@@elliot__agares That's just exaggeration and camp is just not exaggeration. Also Kennie is wrong about many things often

[@blutygar]

I wonder if the shift in tone at the third act was sort of a cathrasis for how depressing the reality of the situation is? Even though that very end shot is both horiffying and depressing in a way, because it feels like only in death does she feel peace with herself, without a body that can age.

[@Witchy_Hoo]

I feel so validated that I wasn't the only one who laughed at the ending scene of Elisasue Monstro showered the entire audience and group of dancers in blood when her arm just popped off. Also that little girl that kept being focused on, why is a little girl even a fan of Sue in the first place???!! What??!! 😭

[@RamenzillaX]

The movie has so many layers. I love it! Addiction? Binging? Negative self talk personified as abuse? The old witch and Cinderella? Love it.

[@rainicornlady]

Monstruo Elisasue is an ICON she’s the MOMENT she’s EVERYTHING TO ME, she’s the most important person in my heart since Gabriel Malignant and I hope she sparkles forever 🫡🫡🫡

[@belibernard8055]

I think what I found very interesting is that Elisabeth did not have a close group of friends her age at least that would have probably helped her transition through this feeling of being too old and unlikeable as she ages in hollywood. For most of the movie, Elisabeth is alone. In a big apartment, watching tv by herself. I think this also goes to show how as we age, we tend to feel more lonely and I think for her it is amplified even more with her literally watching Sue's huge billboard outside her window. A reminder of herself that is likeable and friendly and ultimately popular. Something that is still a part of her but she feels like she has lost.

[@Kunaigirl]

This movie feels like the lovecraftian result of a copious 80s-themed glitter-orgy between The Picture of Dorian Gray, Carrie, and The Thing. It's like if HP Lovecraft, Stephen King, David Cronenberg, and Oscar Wilde all decided to make a movie in current-era hollywood in a world post-photoshop addiction and AI image generated MADNESS. It's INSANE and good lord what a time to be alive LMAO. In a lot of way this movie truly is a mind-blowing piece of horror! GOD DAMN what a wild ride

[@jordynanable3429]

Yess, it was so cronenberg. I was getting major "the fly" influences (especially with the food and the teeth/nail scenes 🤢)

[@lillianabright03]

Except it was directed by a woman who doesn't glorify men, so it's far different.

[@joey0929]

i absolutely love how glaringly obvious it is that the director is a French person guessing what hollywood is like because of how many scenes there are of her walking the street and only one scene of her driving being the car accident and then the questionable new year’s eve party burlesque theatre show that happens like i love it idc it’s camp

[@corduroy799]

A lot of people are likening this to a mother-daughter relationship (which is fair) but I feel this also represents the way older women start to resent their younger selves because over time they become a standard the women can never meet but are constantly compared to. Like for example, celebrities who get plastic surgery often have those photos placed next to their "before self" AND their younger self, almost as a way of shaming them for trying to regain their youthful looks. On the flip side, younger women view aging as something to be avoided at all cost (like when Sue says "I can't go back" when referring to Elizabeth). Ofc this leads to self hate on both parts

[@justhearmeout3959]

This is exactly the kind of movie I like to sit down, grab a bowl of popcorn, and listen to Kennie tell me about.

[@Stef-Bef]

48:05 I screamed out loud in the theater when she taped that picture to her face! Ugh I loved this movie so much & it’s definitely my favorite of the year

[@JJ-mr4vv]

THE HAIR IS GIVINGGGGG, YOU'RE SO PRETTYYYY❤️ Also my heart goes out to you and all the others Americans who feel hopeless & saddened by your new reality, its gonna be okay ❤️

[@julesrules7297]

Thank you, friend.

[@slonmish]

Such an excellent movie. I watched it in a theatre; first row - so the colours could blind me and the gore could wreck me. Interestingly, several men left the screening, two of them were trying to be really loud to show their antipathy. A group of girls were laughing during very strange (or sad) moments. Some people lack empathy, and this movie is a litmus test.

[@elliot__agares]

I don't think laughing during strange moments is a sign of lack of empathy, during sad scenes, sure. but the movie is also a satire, and when the third act starts they just give up on being real and start doing extremely campy things

[@IshtarNike]

​@@elliot__agaresyes, but there are still many scenes that aren't meant to be funny. Like the scene where she tears the make up off her face. It's just not funny. Someone laughed at that in my screening.

[@slonmish]

@@elliot__agareswasn’t the third act, weren’t campy moments. I meant strange as unsettling, when the Substance is used, etc.

[@biazacha]

@@IshtarNikelaughter is such a common response to discomfort, anxiety and even fear…. if someone was laughing in the most sad or brutal scenes I would consider it their nerves talking rather than they find it funny

[@rubyraven9271]

the clips of elizabeth dragging sue's body and sue cry-smiling are gifs i see EVEYWHERE

[@subarnabanerjee5255]

It's strange how this absolute horror of a movie has been so comforting and healing. Weirdly enough, I used to imagine someone beating me up viciously when I was younger, like between 16-22, and it was usually an ex. I imagined it whenever I felt bad about myself, and it felt cathartic in some ways. It was only after watching this movie, and specifically the scene of Sue beating up Elisabeth, that I realized that when I imagined it, it had always been me beating myself up. I imagined other faces perhaps because I couldn't stomach the truth, that I was the one who hated myself the most for my mistakes and punished myself for it, and even the other voices/faces in my head were always all me. Aside from the general loving myself more after this movie, this realization felt very good.

[@ukiss4eva254]

Not only was this a commentary on the performance of femininity and its effects on women, but I believe it was EXPLICITLY commenting on how these effect the relationships between mothers and daughters as they are increasingly pitted against one another to "compete" for social value.

[@kevin04230]

your videos are legitimately the only thing getting me through the post election stress. We will all get through this together

[@alexisd5274]

related to the opening: one great way to get involved in your community in many of the ways kennie listed is to support your local library - which you can do just by visiting it regularly! libraries offer all kinds of programming for people of all ages, are an incredible resource for education at all levels, and if nothing else just provide a place you can hang out for free, which benefits everyone from students to the unhoused!

[@aneesaf.h.4158]

Another thing that I noticed when Sue is falling apart in front of the shareholders is that almost immediately after addressing her, they’re quickly distracted by the backup dancers/showgirls. It really goes to show that the issue was never Sue or Elisabeth. Regardless of who it is, this beauty that these women are coveting means nothing in an industry that is always looking for the next younger, better, and more beautiful thing, no matter how fleeting or frivolous it is. The shrimp guy and shareholders skipping away after those showgirls in feathers really hammered home that these men have orchestrated a system that is built upon the constant “single use” mentality towards young women, similar to how Sue “uses up” Elisabeth’s youth.

[@LissyAvenita]

I think the fixation on Sue (i see people pointing it out from the stark difference in the amount of edits, "costumes" and makeup looks) comes from the fact that she's not like a "normal" young woman, meaning, Elisabeth was not as obsessed with staying young when she was actually young, all these insecurities came when she was discarded for not being young anymore, meaning Sue has these obsessive feelings from Elisabeth. So, in today's society young women are made so hyper aware of the fact that they have this "expiration date" which results in the obsession with staying young no matter what. In this, we end up being much more like Sue instead of what a "normal" young woman would be, tldr: she's relatable haha

[@jennifermartin6802]

I saw someone say the ending is her finding peace because she’s finally free of the flesh prison that is her body lol

[@MoralityandPolitics]

16:42 The nurse who's wearing hella BB cream😂😂😂 Thought I was the only one to notice😅

[@shortpettite]

If they stop to think for a second instead of fighting, they basically beat the system. They don't need the food pack because the body is conscious and can feed itself. Sue can get more stabilizer because her old body can continue to generate fluid without having to swap.

[@deeviousrat]

i love this movie because there’s so many angles you can look at it. i turn 30 soon and i haven’t felt too weird about it until recently for no discernible reason. but this came out at the perfect time; a grotesque reminder that if eliza-sue can look in the mirror and feel like a pretty princess, so can i. ☠️

[@junaedarden663]

Coming from a black girl who’s been watching you for a very long time I love that you’ve been wearing your natural hair on your channel a lot more. I don’t know if that’s on purpose but it’s eating.(I’m not trying to imply that you ever disliked your hair or anything. I just like seeing natural hair.)😊

[@kkuudandere]

"I'd look like Carmen Sandiego or Inspector Gadget" and they're both what? ICONS, exactly, get the coat I know some people critique the portrayal of aging in the movie, how it could end up unintentionally reaffirming that Being Old Is Scary, but I counter that with the fact that Elizabeth didn't "age" in the normal way. The stuff that happens to her body is scary not necessarily because oh no she's Old, but because they happen so HYPER quickly, much faster than it naturally would. If Elizabeth just aged like regular humans do, yeah it's scary but it's also gradual and happens to everyone, so it's not a horror just on its own. The fact that her body deteriorated so quickly that she moved WAY past the point most humans would still be alive because she couldn't handle it just happening as it was intended is the REAL horror to me.

[@kkuudandere]

It also makes me think of how some actresses got picked at for having "round" or "chubby" faces, then a bunch of people got into that buccal fat trend... only for people to ruthlessly make fun of them AGAIN, now because "oh no, now you look older than you are", now they "ruined" their faces. Like, is it the aging that's scary, or is it everyone relentlessly telling you that you NEED to be younger, and the risk in the pursuit of that could just make you WORSE than what was already intended for you? And you have to live with that...

[@gracenurse3365]

22:06 “There’s two eyeballs in one eyelid, fighting for dominance. As you can imagine, it’s not particularly comfortable.”

[@theprofanitist2517]

I work in the beauty industry and I often wonder how far people would go for beauty

[@Snooznoo]

Something that I think adds to the conversation around this film is that Demi Moore experienced a stillbirth in the 2000s - I only found that out because I also experienced one myself this year, and when my friend asked if I wanted to see this film my response was that "my body has experienced enough horror for a lifetime". I then looked up Demi and found out that we're unfortunate bedfellows in that regard. It's a feeling that is impossible to put into words, but it involves experiencing death, decay, and a twisted version of bringing forth another life, all inside your own body.

[@Drewski217]

So I am NOT a horror or gore movie girlie but I saw someone mention it in a tweet and under that tweet was a detailed spoiler recap & review that left me intrigued. I sought out the imagery of Elisasue in all forms in the hopes that if I could get used to that out of context that I could handle it in motion. For me personally, I think that was yhe right choice. The movie was good and it was tragic. Mostly it left me sad about how Elizabeth had no inner life or anything worthwhile outside of her job. No friends, no family to speak of, not even a pet. She was an island and ultimately that lack of connection or self worth is what undid her. It's made me want to be better about keeping & strengthening interpersonal connections. I doubt I will EVER be a horror movie diva but I am glad I ran into this and took the chance & steps I needed to in order to watch it.

[@BLUE7404]

I think the media had demonitised aging for women. That, onces you pass a certain age, you feel an automatic disgust that's been cultivated by things we observe as we live. I've reached 30 and I must say, I'm thankful that I have reached this age and all that I have done. I like where I am now and I'm looking forward to get older and older to look at the this moment I be proud of where I am the person I used to be. Aging is a gift, to live and see as much as you can to pass everything on to the next generation. I see myself in young people that just starting working in the same company I'm working at for the to go through what I went through and help them along the way because I've been there and I've done that. stay healthy everyone

[@Carmen_Tatis]

Thank you for the intro. I’ve felt the same way: deep depression after the election. For me, it went to being numb, and now I’m angry and jaded for the future. How can people be so immoral, hateful, and ignorant? SMH. Thank you for the video today. I appreciate your efforts, humor, and you!!❤

[@em_lia]

for me, this movie portrayed addiction so well

[@daarmonet]

I JUST KNEW YOUD REVIEW THE SUBSTANCE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUUUU

[@lestatsluv317]

"We're in that old timey fascism..." I didn't think I could laugh about this shitshow right now so thanks for that. Everything you said was spot on. When I saw that the majority of Americans can't read above a 6th grade level and only 30% of the country knows the three branches of government...Well ... it's what I should have figured, knowing the way our education system has been "dumbed down" for forty years but it made it clear that education needs to be a huge focus for the left going forward. I have been rewatching my favorite radicals, the ones I learned from through their interviews and books when I was young and Bush was in office and I was trying to find a way to fight back. There's been a lot of Russel Means, Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Fred Hampton, Abbie Hoffman, and many more. Community comes up again and again. I have been protesting since I was a teenager. I signed my first petition the day after I turned 18. And I have used social media to try to educate since 2006. But it all feels very much like it was for nothing just now. I know it isn't. But I think we all feel that right now (I can't imagine how boomers who never sold out and who kept fighting feel...). But that's also the point of fascism, to make you feel as if you have no power and there's no point in trying to fight. Like Fred Hampton said, "You fight fascism before anything because fascism stops everything." So I am now looking into more direct action things that I can do. I am surrounded by Trump voters in this town... but for many in this town, it is pure ignorance and genuine illiteracy. They are the sort of people now dumbfounded that the billionaires aren't actually going to look out for them...🤦🏻‍♀️And I know how bad things are about to get. This town is mostly working class and they rely on food stamps and Medicaid (as do I...as a chronically ill person who will die without insurance... but I am trying not to focus too hard on the intense fear around that yet). I know how much worse things are going to get for all of us. There isn't much in the way of a cohesive community center around here and I have no idea how to get one going but over this winter I intend to look into it. Surely there's something I can find to do something... My biggest bright spot since the election was hearing a Christo Fascist who is close to JD Vance and knows Trump say that Pagans are the biggest threat to this Christo Fascist government Trump and the Heritage Foundation are trying to force on us...Pagans and the Constitution. He thinks Crystal Mommies (and the other rich white women who prove white people can even find a way to appropriate traditionally European religions) are actual Pagans. Right now, we don't have the numbers he thinks we have. But who knows? Amidst all of this misogyny and Christian Nationalist bullshit, maybe Goddess worship, Pagan or otherwise, will start looking hella appealing to a lot of people for real. But regardless of the numbers thing, I intend to be one Pagan who proves him right. That's my goal now. 😂😂😂 Sorry this was an essay. Stay safe and stay well, Kennie. Much love from Ohio. 💜💜💜

[@emhu2594]

Get out before you end up in a camp. The Nazis started with socialists and communists.

[@MightNotBeAndy]

I went to theaters with my friend specifically for this movie. By the time monstro elizasue was introduced, the theater was shocked and I just lost it. I laughed so hard throught that third act that I CRIED. Great movie.I loved it.

[@fuzzyapple]

Do you usually go to the theater without a plan? :D

[@MightNotBeAndy]

@fuzzyapple usually, yes lmao. There's also very few movies that I REALLY need to see in the big screen bc I know it's gonna be an experience 👀

[@chloe41120]

The mirror scene had me tear up. I would say that most have had this same scene play out irl. The hyper awareness of every flaw we think we have and the aggressive swiping at our faces...whew, was a lot.

[@HorrorBabyxo]

That last scene was absolutely hilarious I was smiling when she finally came out and revealed herself something about the gruesome acceptance of her new form and her “oh I’m going out there for my moment” attitude was so refreshing to see

[@fumzsimmer1992]

It's that time again to have Kennie watch things for me that I'm too scared, too 😂

[@avam.3632]

Foreal!!! I’m too scared !! 😂😂

[@trinity9792]

same. I couldn't do all the body horror and shots of that executive guy.

[@raquelbumgarner]

0:16 girl same

[@xrrgr]

real

[@ElleSayuri]

Girl... 😢

[@byronwills6214]

I interpreted the movie as an allegory to the trauma that parents put on their children through unrealistic expectations. Sue was like a child of Elisabeth that was forced to endure the jealousy that mothers sometimes have of their daughters. Sue pleading “please make a better version of myself” at the end was her hoping to break generational trauma by birthing again only to continue the cycle..

[@Asande]

In watching this movie, I couldn't take it seriously as Demi Moore is beautiful and Sue wasn't that much better looking, but this made me realize that maybe that's the point.

[@kkuudandere]

Yeah, that's the rough part. Somebody can be the most beautiful, smart, talented person in the room, but if everyone (your family, your industry, society, etc) says otherwise... well it would be difficult to see past that

[@R0mbVs]

​@@kkuudandereand/or your own brain. I found this movie also incredibly relatable from my ongoing experiences with GAD/depression. I have improved my self-confidence a lot but breaking thought patterns is HARD.

[@gbb23]

I love that "recommended by Cole" is a new horror sub genre 😂

[@eloyawlliams2844]

KENNIEEEE!!! Loving your hair (and I feel you on the election for sure. Community is crucial!!! Same on critical and equitable education access, excellent message)

[@Kuraiinu]

I. Was. HYSTERICAL. With laughter during the last act of this film. We peaked with this one I fear, I may never see a movie as incredible as this one ever again in my LIFE

[@JacobEspinoza-xs2jd]

I'm SOOO glad I wasn't the only one who laughed at that end part. That shit had me dying; and hearing Elizabeth say she hates herself when she almost killed Sue was honestly so heartbreaking.

[@abstractfvlogs7389]

GIRL HOLD ON🤚🏾🤚🏾🤚🏾🤚🏾 im still watching the love is blind reunion omg this is overwhelming

[@plmitch]

I saw this movie this past Friday here in L.A. and when I tell you THIS MOVIE CHANGED MY LIFE!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤ I just turned the same age (50) this past summer that Elisabeth fictionally turns (Demi is 62 I believe AND IS DROP DEAD GORG), and any little fleeting moments of dismay I had about aging are GONE!!! All throughout the time period that Sue was using up Elisabeth' spinal fluid, I was mentally bracing myself for what she would turn into and I STILL WAS NOT READY!!! I just kept chanting, "I AM BEAUTIFUL, I AM BEAUTIFUL" over and over again in my head!!! CTFU 😆 😆 😆 I will NEVER beat myself up about aging EVER, EVER, AGAIN. and I also ❤ this movie!!! Btw, I am a native Detroiter (what up doe) and it tickles my spine everytime you rep us.. .you do it well... ❤🥰❤🥰❤

[@colekayve]

53:06 stop...stop talking...I need a minute...i just need a minute

[@alyssak3714]

Girl I got chills the entire last 20 minutes of this video. Thank you for explaining this movie because there’s no way in hell I’d be able to get thru watching all of it I am truly shook to my core 😭😭

[@ladydiamond6611]

the natural hair, period✨

[@rebelks88]

I heard about the gore aspect so knew I needed a Kennie recap but the tinnitus really cements it. I already have it so any media with it is out of the question.

[@decaffeinatedhearts1872]

the way I JUST finished this movie an hour ago and you posted a video on it now is WILD

[@LuSiaisirritated]

Kennie thanks for the PSA. You are huge role model for me I have been watching you for a while now (probably at ages i shouldnt have but shhh) I really appreciate the levelheadedness you have provided and the bounty of advice. Love ya and thanks for creating such a great community.

[@daarmonet]

your curls looks amazing kennie ❤❤❤

[@jahipalmer8782]

I watched this movie in theatres and it kicked my entire *ss. My emotions and I barely made it out alive. Edit: I had to come back to this video just to tell you how much I enjoyed the movie. I've posted on so many different videos my take on it so I won't repeat myself here. But the Substance is top notch cinema. I have never had seen a movie that affected me so hardcore.

[@CanIswearinmyhandle]

Ass

[@nyarawr3192]

The first time I watched The Substance was knowing literally nothing like my roomate was going and just asked me to come and when we got to the part where she had become a Blood Fountain just geysering everywhere I started laughing so hard I fully had an asthma attack. I love a movie that commits so strongly and a truly beautiful blind watch 10/10

[@sneakysnek572]

As absurd as this movie is, it's really sad. The disassociation of Elisabeth and Sue especially stuck out to me. They start to think of each other as different people, like how a lot of people think the worst parts of them aren't them. They ARE you, but it's so hard to acknowledge it when it hurts less to detach yourself from it. It's different, but I fall into the trap of referring to my past self pre-transition as a separate person. "They were weird," "they were naive," "they were stupid," when it's all me. That person is still me. I just hadn't discovered myself yet. There's a weird sort of detachment from us and the parts of us we don't like, rather than accepting our flaws or accepting who we once were. The self loathing in Elisabeth is so sad to see, and the constant reminder that no, Sue and Elisabeth are the same person, is so important. It isn't about being different people. It's about accepting who you are and who you were in the same breath, because at the end of the day, it's still you.

[@MoyAmaro]

The irony in ending their shows with "take care of yourself" then seeing how horribly they treated each other (herself) will always stick with me.

[@zoeykay7353]

I was JUST walking around work thinking I wanna listen to Kennie, the universe said “yes”😌

[@zenosintherain]

Thank you Cole

[@koko-s3g13]

OMG Kennie... so glad that you are back. I was getting really worried about you, specially after the shit show that were those elections. I wish you the best and like you said now is the time to resist and to be active and seen. Sending you loads virtual hugs and good vibes. 💕🫂

[@julesrules7297]

50:28 i laughed too, Kenneth.

[@RBstationable]

The message for the intro was SO needed and SO well done 👏👏

[@junjidiot]

YOUR HAIR LOOKS SO NICE