The Substance Isn't Just Shock Value...

[@DebOnTheWebb]

I felt like I was watching an extended episode of Black Mirror. As a midlife woman, I found it fascinating.

[@JustanObservation]

Definitely. Black mirror mixed with Requiem for a Dream

[@gleesinnpiano2653]

Specifically reminded me of Season 1 Episode 2

[@miryana79]

Midlife ?!

[@DebOnTheWebb]

@ 59 😊

[@VinnySmiles01]

Yes! I agree!

[@soulfoodie1]

Excellent thoughtful analysis. This film has really stuck with me weeks after viewing not because of the gore and body horror but for genuinely showing the impact of unrealistic beauty standards and fear of aging has on our society, particularly women. Both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley give astonishing performances

[@UlteraBurns]

I think Demi deserves at least an Oscar knod. I just have to say that Denis Quaid's Harvey is on a very short list of movie characters I cannot stand. By the end of the film I just kept saying fuck this guy every time he was in screen. So much praise for the writing and Quaid for it

[@bk138gt6]

I love how the substance gives more than is necessary of the activator serum. The makers could have given only the amount necessary for the first transformation, but by giving more, they create the possibility of that temptation

[@rxlfe7177]

It almost feels like an experiment. The vague instructions, dangerous procedure without any warning. It almost feels like the maker wants to see how far people will take it.

[@cecilereyna]

Loved the movie, and the fact that people talked about Margaret Qualley's beauty more than anything else, proves the point almost poetically.

[@Ichbinnurgutwennkeinerguckt]

I don't think that's the whole point, I believe there's much more to it. I see it more as a Greek tragedy, where the magical appearance of the substance as a tricky gift from the gods (there will be always a catch, something that will necessarily go wrong and allow tragedy to unfold) is a friendly reminder that no one (not even Olympian gods) can fight against Destiny.

[@dante6985]

Demi Moore is *gorgeous* and can't see it - that's why the movie is so insane.

[@LycoLoco]

As a male, the male gaze-turned horror of this movie, particularly and explicitly involving the shower scenes, was a FANTASTIC explosion of the decades of Hollywood exploitation. So yes, AGREED. The R rating should be for the finale, not the capture of the female body.

[@LycoLoco]

​@@Ichbinnurgutwennkeinergucktif you didn't pick up on how much this movie oozes the grossness of hollywood, it's worth taking a step back and bringing your classical Greek knowledge into the modern discourse. I'm not saying that you aren't bringing something to the table, I'm just saying that there is more.

[@Ichbinnurgutwennkeinerguckt]

​@@LycoLoco Maybe it's you who'd better take a step back on thinking that slamming Hollywood's grossness is all that matters to the whole world, that's an ant's worldview. Remember Coralie Fargeat's "Revenge" and its retelling of Parthenope and Phoenix myths among others.

[@alexdjukic8658]

This movie has a long life ahead of it. People will be discussing it for years

[@foxandeagle6790]

YOU ARE ONE , RESPECT THE BALANCE It feels like these words are like a metaphor for growing up. When you're young, you need to learn to be responsible and take better care of yourself. Only then will you become better, healthier, and well adjusted as you grow older. In the movie, when Sue starts becoming more reckless and rebellious, she takes more from Elizabeth, which leads to the latter getting worse and worse. I noticed that in the movie, whenever they switch bodies, it feels like one gains the others' previous memories. If that's true, then it makes more sense why Elizabeth hated Sue. She couldn't fully experience it. I think when she was about to kill Sue, even though she hated her, she probably saw her as a daughter and didn’t want to ruin her big day and was willing to be ONE and RESPECT THE BALANCE, only it was too late and there was no going back. In an ideal world, Demi Moore, Margaret Quaylly, and everyone who worked on this movie would win so many Academy Awards.

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

Based on how I understood it, Elizabeth and Sue are literally one. They share a consciousness. This movie to me felt like an allegory for drugs. When Elizabeth goes into Sue's body, she has everything she wants, the world is bright, she gets to have fun. But it has a cost, much like drugs. The more she takes, the more her body suffers and gets damaged. When they both become sentient at the same time, it's Elizabeth's self-hatred and anger at herself, the digust she feels for what she has become. She was always competing with her younger self this whole film, so that's a physical manifestation of it, from my perspective.

[@junopierre2988]

You made some beautiful points that no one else in these videos mentioned. After watching it a second time I realized by the end when she was ugly and looked alien she saw the beauty in her old age. And by the time she has no body and died on top of her star…she was just happy to be alive. I loved this movie!!!

[@crystalbewriting]

I remember being a size 6 (up from my high school size 3) in my early 20s and feeling like I was fat and unattractive. I am now a size 14 and love myself not because I’m happy with my current size (I am not) BUT I decided to love myself while this size as I do the work to go down a few sizes. Looking at photos of me when I was in a six and can’t believe my mind was so warped to think I was fat at that time. Makes me mourn a little for the younger me and her mindset. Yet grateful for the older me and this mindset!

[@lisakohly2768]

Just want you to know you're totally not alone in this! Reminder that high school you wasn't even a woman yet - our bodies had tons of growing to do and that's totally healthy and normal ❤

[@leechapman-ri9rb]

Faux Hollywood tricked you! That's a bitter pill to swallow right there.

[@ajtaylor8750]

This film is a wonderful throwback to the day of prime Cronenberg, while also having the deep storytelling of his films. Coralie Fergeat deserves a Best Director nomination and the film should get a Best Picture nomination, but probably won't because horror isn't a respected genre by the Academy.

[@UlteraBurns]

This is the kind of movie and message that requires the horror genre. It made me cry when Elisabeth was going to kill Sue but said "but you're the only part of me people love", while that part is killing her. That alone shows how ridiculous it is that this may be snubbed simply for being a horror. Everything was top notch movie making, acting, directing, writing, sound design; jesus, even the framing was some of the best framing I've seen. There were so many great shots throughout the first half of the movie.

[@Andrew-Antioch-Kim]

I viewed "The Substance" twice in theaters. Prior to the initial view, I had "low expectations." Afterwards, I was convinced "The Substance" is one of the sleeper films of 2024, with David Cronenberg esque body horror.

[@jamesbok8385]

Sleeper hit? It made over three times it's budget and is in the top fifty films on letterboxd for 2024, I'm pretty sure it's just a hit.

[@ErikaRngl]

Thanks! Excellent video, love your work.

[@JustanObservation]

Thank you!

[@Olivetree80]

Thank-you, I hate movies that are more aesthetic than substance, or gore just for the sake of it, but I loved this movie.

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

Saltburn was a mess. This movie was consistent from beginning to end. Great stuff.

[@dante6985]

It was so gory it was funny. I laughed out loud.

[@bottombarrelbudgetfilms1854]

As someone who's gone in the past decade from a "pretty boy" to a balding 30 year old, i really resonate with the messages of the movie and your reading of it. Friends have asked why i don't wear wigs or do hair treatments, my answer is always just why deny the inevitability of age?

[@Reject101Personal]

Turning 40 soon had me start this year questioning what I was doing to my body (Over eating, drinking, not being active) and yeah, we only get one. Need look after that shit. FYI since I made this realisation I lost shit loads of weight and have started to really make a massive change to myself and things. Also this film is great, and going from what I said, it seems to have a point of no one is looking out for you and your body except yourslf. So maybe like, look after it.

[@leechapman-ri9rb]

You ain't gonna do nothing about taking care of your body, believe me! If you weren't doing fitness 6 times a week before reaching 40 then what makes you think you will now? Prove me wrong!

[@Jeff-q4u]

​@@leechapman-ri9rb no one has to prove to you lil man! Sad, sad lil man 😂

[@leechapman-ri9rb]

@@Jeff-q4u Nothing sadder than an unwanted white knight, SIMP!

[@Jinx301]

I thought ‘Mulholland Drive’ and ‘Sunset Boulevard’ explored some of the themes in this film excellently in the past. Yet I loved how this movie used similar camera techniques to Darren Aronofsky along with horrific scenes to illustrate the darkness behind the glitz and glamour. Importantly, in the context of ubiquitous social media influence over our life, this film made a large contribution to how society treats people for aging.

[@steve.santiago]

Great channel. Just leaving a comment so that mysterious algorithm can do its thing.

[@Jeff-q4u]

I do that as well! Hi! 👋

[@bev9708]

BRAVO, yet another thoughtful analysis of a fascinating film!! I think it might be my movie of the year!!!

[@tari111090]

I think this maybe my favourite film of the year.

[@5Heliotrope]

I found Demi Moore's performance deeply moving and in my opinion she deserves an Oscar for it.

[@morganendicott1239]

A movie that has a similar premise to this movie but isn't as well known is A Different Man and I would strongly recommend watching it if you have not already. Great video though.

[@jordang7479]

Here's a sad. When i was young people would tell me i was beautiful but i just assumed they were lying to be nice.

[@TonyC-f6j]

Tag 305 upside down is “EOS” Elizabeth, Otherself, Sue. The blue backdrop in the beginning scene injecting the egg is the same shade as Sues dress at the end. Male nurse arm mark shouldn’t exist, the substance should have erased it. So, something occurred. Perhaps he neglected his old sleeping self and caused injury, and his old self reciprocated on his sleeping younger self. Amazing film that’s a lot deeper than many would ever guess.

[@everythingdivine]

Elisabeth and sue both had the same birthmarks on their stomachs

[@NoeActually]

Excellent video, as always!

[@gleesinnpiano2653]

My favorite scene in the movie is where Elisabeth sprints down the hallway dragging Sue’s unconscious body behind her. How did she get so fast?

[@wausjackbauer128]

Yeah I noticed that, didn't make sense

[@TikaMorganDance]

Brilliant breakdown! I loved this daring film.

[@maggiepanko7953]

Excellent commentary as well as interpretive skill as always. True, regardless of algorithm. Stiil, go get it, algorithm.

[@KhaoulaChouaya]

I don't know if the director took inspiration from helter skelter ( 2012 Japanese movie ) or it's just a coincidence but they share similar themes and similar stuff . My first thought was helter Skelter never the picture of dorian gray

[@michaelmcinerney1425]

Really enjoyed this video!

[@prestely]

Now both Moore and Willis have acted outside of their comfort zone in movies about ageism and getting old...though on different sides of the genre spectrum!

[@selemanecu]

1:01 yeah speaking of Tsunami's I recommend the Manga Kasane by Matsuura Daruma and it's prequel two Novels featuring Izana it tackles similar things in case everyone is asking

[@prestely]

Thank you so much for making this video! I wish more men would go and see the film (with their other half, no pun intended) or by themselves. When I saw the film ten days ago in theatres, I was struck by the gendered reactions; although the room was packed with couples, most of the laughters (which occurred, as you pointed out, in the final act of the film) came from men. The women around me were either too horrified to watch (as was I) or appalled by the lengths Sue then MonstroElisaSue went to. The final dressing up scene is oh so sad, but the most relatable one - and the oscar winning one - is Elisabeth failing to get ready for her date. That one completely floored me.

[@leechapman-ri9rb]

The guy who got stood up on that date dodged a massive gigantic bullet!

[@Jeff-q4u]

​@@leechapman-ri9rb way to not understand what anything you've watched or read is about, good job! 😔

[@kailovi]

I was laughing more in the beginning, at which point no one else was, I think some people hadn't understood they were watching a SATIRE. They loosened up eventually. The part where Elisabeth tried to go to her date crushed me, that was too real to be funny. The absurd horrifying parts were funny, but damn, I got so happy for her when she called the guy, and it was so devastating she couldn't get past the door. It was a clear juxtaposition with the two phonenumbers at the beginning, to choose human-connection or self-obsession?

[@rhyscooper3693]

I LOVED this movie. 10/10. Hilarious, provocative, philosophical, great tempo, great fun.

[@Druttentjock]

I enjoyed the movie quite a bit, I did feel it went downwards towards the end with more focus on body horror rather than the interesting themes focused on previously.

[@luisclovis09]

Dont matter if you are a woman or a man, if you place all your points on being pretty and young, then you are building a house on sand.

[@pudding7876]

Elisabeth had won an Oscar for King Kong (presumably for playing the part of the beauty) and in the end, she became the "beast" (the ending is similar to the original King Kong. "kill the monster!", etc.) She became Monstro

[@Kenny-the-Platypus]

Yeah it's called The Substance. It is one of the bodies of work.

[@aleighrose95]

Great video!

[@Ichbinnurgutwennkeinerguckt]

Dear Stanley, you'll be proud of it. You too, Gaspar. And you, David, of course.

[@eskimojean]

YAAAAAS new video

[@drewberriesandcream]

what frustrates me is how seemingly nobody has talked about the possible analogy of drug use and how we ruin our future selves for the sake of immediate gratification. i saw a handful of potential references to requiem for a dream. especially the way that elizabeth ended up withering away in front of the tv

[@meenakumari5861]

Dude pls make a video analysis of the character 'OZ' from the show 'The Pengiun'

[@unoalx]

Its a breath of fresh air.

[@SaberRexZealot]

I liked the film but I thought the climax was bordering on parody

[@bk138gt6]

Best movie of the year

[@HolyMMA1]

Can you make a Video about the Penguin 😢

[@unfiltered8682]

Loved the movie! Thank you exploring it ❤

[@Amytianaglobal]

I’m speechless

[@Ennahdee]

The Joan Rivers biopic

[@psisky]

It wasn't made clear enough (to me) that it was about one consciousness wrestling between two bodies. And if it wasn't supposed to be that, then it's even more confusing.

[@randomrey002]

NICE

[@kingpinpasta2934]

I just figured who created the Substance: the Umbrella Corporation

[@avinashkaushal7087]

What's that?

[@floramwaniki8119]

🤔 a prequel to umbrella academy perhaps

[@franciscor390]

Serum secretly engineered by Albert Wesker.

[@martienpost2234]

For myself handsdown the best movie of 2024. Fantastic

[@haret0n]

thank you for this. not sure about all the laughers in the audience being meanies though. i went with a friend. we are both sixty year old women and laughed our heads off through the whole thing. it was just so funny.

[@pepethefrog2]

lol

[@CapitánPlopópotro]

I am not stating this is just "shock value", but I disagree mostly. Yes, there is substance to it, but it is understandable on plain sight; I am not sure it really demanded full analysis. And the idea of decaying beauty in the social media context is not new or surprising at all: it has been commented on for many years now. The issues I had with this movie are more related to the film product it is. It drags the idea for too long, adding not that much over the last segment. It has some inconsistencies, plot-wise. And the gory stuff looks like a copy-paste of the eighties' and nineties' low-budget horror films (Nekromantik, Evil Dead, etc.). Apparently it had quite a higher budget than those, but it does not improve on the final result and just ends up being tacky in a movie which was not being tacky up to that point. And some other "tributes" in filming did not seem that substantial to me, other than just paying homage to some directors this particular director liked. That last clumsily-done segment was very disappointing for me. A good movie? Perhaps it has its good segments, but I don't think it comes close to really good films in cinema history.

[@andrewmcquade9413]

Watched it again last night, great movie.

[@jaymxu]

I grew up watching Alien movies, Predator, Chucky, Freddy Krueger, Jason, and playing horror games like Resident Evil 1, 2 and 3, silent hill 1 and 2, alone in the dark, clock tower... I KNOW horror stories, what scares people, because a movie doesnt have to specifically be HORROR or Thriller 5o be good, there are sci fi, and natural movies that are just as scary. I know what is scary and i know whats good, having seen bith the worst and the best movies ever... And what i have come to find out, is that people who generally dislike a movie entirely are either... A. People who expected something else. B. People who didnt know what it was. C. Complete and utter slowpokes. Having said that, if you are somebody who is smart and knows cinema, you'll love almost every movie, or youll find good qualities about it. No natter what. Because you are able to peel every layer off.

[@Ineptitude_RR]

Demi Moore doing a nude scene at the age of 62 was certainly shocking.

[@aaliyah8215]

you’ll be ok

[@FabioSilva-hi1ek]

I just loved this film

[@Dial999its-a-good-time]

For me, as I reflect on this movie, it's not so much about the age. I wished The Substance is real because I am fat, my body is ugly that no girl wants to date me, have a bunch of scars, imperfect alignment of teeth, etc. all you can name disgusting about me to the point I could kill myself. "Please give me a better version of myself" I reflected that. I felt that.

[@Blessing369]

It was was a disgusting movie, but somehow disgusting is considered art...

[@Mjdemass]

Amazing movie

[@williamkacensky4796]

Just asked the producer of the ending script.

[@julius-stark]

I do love this movie, it's my second favorite of the year and the commentary on aging women is very interesting, but there is this myth that aging men are treated better than aging women. I don't think that's true. Yes, if you're Brad Pitt and you were born with good looks and you take care of yourself, sure. But if you let yourself go like Russell Crowe, it's acceptable to dunk on an old/ugly/fat/bald man. Making fun of an old woman is just mean though. We even lie and say older women look good even if they don't, while commenting that an older woman who still looks good for her age, people still get upset and defensive over the "for her age" part. This is why a movie like The Substance wouldn't work for a guy, because no one would care nearly as much. I guess the equivalent would be a guy who's short/fat/balding and becomes Henry Cavill, but even then I bet audiences would be rooting against both of them to die.

[@bryancancoon6565]

Hey, what happened to "how walter white evolves"..?

[@king-my3ps]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE smart people

[@crystalpowell8619]

Demi was great!

[@Ax-xN]

She wrote it as menopause approached

[@kb4903]

This movie seems really hard to find to watch.

[@Tom-wn6bm]

best movie ever !!!

[@francescosegre]

Are you seriously arguing that the substance is a deep movie? Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it very much, but being screamed in the face the theme throughout the the entire thing is not exactly what qualifies for subtleness. It gives you no space to think about the subject, you can either accept it or (if you are crazy) reject it. There's no room for a discourse about it, there's no complexity. Imo it's not just shock value, agree, but it's incredibly shallow.

[@hieronymusvonlipschitz]

The final monster wouldn't look out of place in The Thing (1982)

[@VincentAmadeus]

Heretic, please? 🙏🏻

[@MarkFilipAnthony]

I still don't feel the movie has that much substance as it spend quite a long way around only to boil the narrative down to the simple cliché message: "vanity is toxic, love yourself" Which I feel has been done many times in better ways. Also the Movie wasn't that shocking, there are worse body horrors out there, it was more bloated and kept repeating and hammering it's message which was understood the first 10 min. Don't get me wrong. The movie is well done, and I understand why so many women relate to it, but I didn't feel it was thar groundbreaking at all

[@SYNTAAX84]

This was not a good movie at all.

[@Hilz28]

Absolutely dreadful, this movie.

[@TheGahta]

is it genuine filmmaking? I wouldnt know It just has a wiff of irony that it doesnt seem to be the "young&good looking" get preferential treatment you seem to take offense ut that those benefits cease when that isnt true anymore. Sorry, they are just back with the rest of us by then, no injustice being done but by themselves thinking the gravy train keeps going

[@RuRu2041]

This is the first time I can't agree with you. The messages you counted were too obvious and we don't need something so revolting to know all this. For instance, never was I ever an appreciator of Incendies plot twist, we don't need those kind of disgusting revelations to know how bad antiemetic and religious wars are.

[@moomoomang]

"Take this substance and you'll black out for a week and someone else will go and live their life. You get nothing from it. Yes, I you could just watch any other hot young woman take your job and have exactly the same experience, minus losing every other week."

[@SSJ2Aesthetic]

Great movie but twerking scene too long😭🗣

[@ytubeanon]

nah, the story was inherently flawed, Elisabeth doesn't get a single benefit out of making Sue

[@andreeeos]

That’s the point dummy

[@Olivetree80]

That's the point....

[@MrDancinKID]

First !!!!

[@mvrcielago9533]

The movie has as much substance as chicken nuggets have actual chicken in them, but I think the poduction design, makeup and overall look kinda make up for that. Overall, I think it's just and OK film.

[@joneslaakso]

It was a bad comedy.

[@vik.1903]

But it is, though.

[@jimmoyjahns]

Notice how you have no argument for it being just shock value as opposed to his 11 minute argument for it not being just that

[@TranceGemini12]

So superficial

[@skybowl456]

This movie was stupid and as deep as a teaspoon. It really wasn't deep

[@danzigmcnaniel5226]

It was fun if you went in without knowledge or expectations outside of b movie body horror. Outside of that it was about as deep as puddle.

[@vik.1903]

This is the only answer. It's not deep. It's not groundbreaking. It's just something that people like because it supports their previous beliefs. (I'm not judging the execution of the film, obviously)

[@crazymcjesus]

​@@vik.1903 It's not trying to be deep, but it is nuanced and intelligent with how it conveys its messaging. The movie tackles the fear of aging on multiple different layers from different perspectives in a way that is very hard to pull off. The fact that they succeeded with that while also having amazing body horror is what makes it groundbreaking imo.

[@Olivetree80]

Can you explain why you feel that way? Is it because the focus was on the visuals and the body? That was highly intentional, the body spoke for itself, the visuals were the driving force in telling the story, but everything had a meaning, it's just that the meaning wasn't spoken in words. It didn't devolve into chaos just for shock and horror.

[@Olivetree80]

​@@vik.1903It's rarely something framed in this way and it's super poignant in a way that will stand the test of time.

[@subnormality5854]

I know it isn't meant to be, but it's impossible to see this as anything but sour grapes.

[@tedtawk2783]

In what way?