The 13-minute standing ovation at Cannes proved the undeniable appeal of "The Elixir". Coralie Fargeat has created a unique horror film where the line between human and monster becomes blurred. With terrifying images, impressive special effects and excellent performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, "The Elixir" is not only an entertaining film but also an experimental work of art.
When fame becomes an obsession
The famous British newspaper gave the film a glowing review: “A pounding work of true art”. “The Substance” not only brings a fresh perspective on the image of the female body, but also deeply explores the chaos and loss of control when youth and fertility begin to fade, highlighting the obsessions of beauty and time in modern society.
The film tells the story of a Hollywood superstar Elisabeth Sparkle (played by Demi Moore) who is past her prime. Unable to accept the harsh rules of showbiz, Elisabeth accepts the game of changing her fate through cosmetic surgery.
A syringe, an egg, and a star. Three seemingly unrelated images are hauntingly connected in the first few shots. An anomaly appears: a newly born yolk, separated from the old one. The scene then cuts to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where Elisabeth Sparkle’s prestigious star is being placed. The brief scene depicts how cruel time can be, when people once excitedly check-in with Elisabeth Sparkle’s star, then in no time at all can remember the name engraved on it.
Metaphorical images carry many profound messages.
For Elisabeth, the journey to regain her beauty is the journey to rebirth her halo. Living in the adulation of her fans, she sees herself as valuable, even though all those values are self-imposed. Elisabeth trades her life to regain her youthful beauty. “The Substance” contains a darkly humorous and cautionary story, where the image of a mirror reflects an amazing transformation – something that seems like a miracle but gradually turns into a nightmare. The woman’s dream of eternal youth becomes a reality when she “gives birth” to a youthful, attractive clone of herself. Through each frame, the main character’s life world and inner conflict are gradually revealed, when two individuals have the same origin but increasingly different consciousness. The tension and tragedy are then pushed to a climax.
Body horror is one of the most selective film genres when it comes to exploiting images of gruesome, terrifying bodily injuries.
Film critic Le Hong Lam said: “The Substance has a very creative script, although it inherits from many previous masters such as David Cronenberg and Stanley Kubrick. The film also incorporates many profound messages about the entertainment industry, about women's obsession with aging or how to maintain the halo of a star. What is special is that they are expressed in an exaggerated way through the creepy images of the body horror film genre. However, the film's appearance is very impressive and full of art, not simply a purely entertaining film.”
Many people still consider this a "cheap" genre when using 18+ elements and blood to attract customers. But The Substance has changed that prejudice with a story with many twists and meanings.
The footage is raw and chilling until the very end.
As a film that directly talks about the difference between youth and aging, The Substance has many nude scenes. The film especially emphasizes Sue's hot body compared to Elizabeth. Director Carolie focuses on many close-ups and sensitive parts of Sue, curves, seductive lips, seductive eyes... Her choreography also shows off her sexuality to the maximum. However, this is not a factor to attract viewers but is intended as a hidden meaning of the female director.
The film shows the despair and fear of the elderly when they see their bodies gradually aging, wrinkled, and losing vitality.
Coralie Fargeat has cleverly used metaphors to create a haunting picture of the pursuit of fame. From the image of a chicken egg yolk symbolizing the beginning, fragility and vulnerability of life, to the famous star on Hollywood Boulevard representing human dreams and ambitions. The horrifying images of deformed bodies and exposed organs are not only shocking but also a warning about the unpredictable consequences when people try to overcome natural limits. They show Coralie Fargeat's satirical view of the lost journey to find fame, about how the victims struggle within the standards that society places on them.
It can be said that The Substance is a movie of "style over substance" type.
In addition, the erotic scenes of “The Substance” are an allusion to the way men always sexualize women in the film capital. The eyes of the producers looking at Sue always contain perversion and lust. The close-up shots of Sue’s body imply that when men look at her, they only focus on those sensitive parts. In reality, many films are using women or 18+ elements to attract customers, as Carolie reflects. Actresses have to wear extremely revealing outfits, their role is nothing more than to attract male audiences to the cinema or TV.
Through Sue and Elizabeth, Carolie wanted to emphasize the desire of women to hold on to their youth. Elizabeth's fear of being ugly in the eyes of others was so great that she was willing to endure extreme pain just to make Sue have a halo.
However, behind that goddess-like beauty and haunting disgust. Right from the first minutes, “The Substance” made many people cover their faces because of the scene where Sue crawled out of the “shell” Elizabeth. While one person was active, the other had to lie motionless in a dirty toilet. The images of the devastated, twisted bodies were shown so realistically that it made people shudder. Even just sitting and watching, many people could still imagine the pain that the characters had to endure.
Hot or horror scenes are just the female director's way of conveying metaphorical meanings, showing the harsh truth of old age.
The Substance takes a theme that is not new, and has been exploited by many cinemas. However, director Coralie's implementation is extremely unique and different.
With a compelling script and convincing acting, it is no surprise that The Elixir received a lot of praise from critics. The Guardian, IndieWire and Timeout all gave the film "winged" compliments, calling it a "classic" while other praises were reserved for Demi Moore (as Elisabeth Sparkle) shining after more than two decades away from the spotlight. Instead of being a manifesto, preaching about feminism, the film has the appearance of a dark postcard about gender discrimination, where the struggle becomes a creepy mess. With a hauntingly realistic body horror style, the film leads the audience through each impressive horror scene.
