Bruno’s review published on Letterboxd:
“A perfect balance of seven days each. The one and only thing to not forget: You. Are. One. You can’t escape from yourself.”
Do you dare to take the Substance? That’s what the film asks you and it spends the next 2 hours giving you the answer. What a phenomenal watching experience this was, easily one of the best films of the year and some even considering it the best. A psychological/body horror that grasps onto your skin, makes you crawl under your seat, eats you whole and if not careful you might start hearing your spine breaking up. This is basically what everyone said it was and it delivered exactly how everyone said it would, this is almost perfection, everything is expertly crafted down to the very last detail, every scene is extremely well calculated and it never stops, once it begins it goes to the very end. The first shot of the film sets the stage for what’s to come and perfectly summarizes the film leading up to its finale as we end on the same spot where we first began. I still can’t put into words all my thoughts about this film, left me speechless.
“There’s been a slight misuse of the Substance.”
This film grabs you from the throat with its stunning cinematography and picture perfect imagery, I mean some of the shots in here are just pure photography at its best thanks to the great Benjamin Kračun. The fisheye shots, the wide shots, every kind of shot is present in here in various angles and it’s truly one of the best looking films of the year. The sound design and the score are just visceral, aggressive and it enhances every scene it’s in. If the director wants you to hear a man chewing obnoxiously then it will sound like the mic is in his mouth. Just like in its entirety, everything in this film is in your face intentionally in an off-putting way.
“Pretty girls should always smile!”
Coralie Fargeat is truly someone special. Modern day French directors seem to be the real deal and she proves it twice now, first with her debut Revenge and now with The Substance, the first being a great film and this one now entering the cult classic/masterpiece territory. She directs and writes this flawlessly and even more impressive is that she edited this, when watching it you’ll know how insanely good this is edited, every shot has its own impact and every transition is worthy of being appreciated and getting its own analysis.
“CONTROL YOURSELF!”
The performances are something to behold, Demi Moore drops an all timer, arguably her best performance to date and truly Oscar worthy although we know how the Academy works. She’s seriously remarkable and unforgettable, with plenty of scenes that are acted down to perfection, her portrayal of Elizabeth will become iconic. Margaret Qualley as Sue is another standout, she’s almost on the same level as Demi in here, giving probably a career best as well and putting her as one of the best young actresses working right now. Dennis Quaid single-handedly carries every scene he is in and casually drops one of the funniest and most ridiculous portrayals of men in a film. He’s a real gem in this.
“Old. Fat. Disgusting!”
Taking obvious inspiration from Kubrick and Cronenberg, Coralie knows exactly when to entertain the audience, when to shock and when to be just ridiculous. The film is bold and silly and it plays on that very well without lowering itself into an absurd parody and this is simply down to the writing done by Coralie. Everyone already knows this but the film is extremely gory with its body horror being some of the most violent things I’ve ever seen. This will allow depend on one’s level of resistance and not everyone may be able to get through it but I had the utmost pleasure of watching it. The ending is absurd and that’s where I have an issue or two, it turns purely into a monster splashing its blood onto the audience which in all seriousness it resembles us viewers. We’re to blame for all of this, for the usage of the Substance and we’re the real villains. I seriously cannot express how excited I am to see what Fargeat does next, she might be the future of cinema.
