Fearing social irrelevance, an aging superstar misuses a secretive youth generating serum causing her body to deteriorate into something unrecognizable.

As I waited outside the theater for a friend in the restroom, I watched as fellow moviegoers exited THE SUBSTANCE (2024) with huge grins, chatting excitedly having witnessed one of the sickest, sloppiest satires on the silver screen this year. We all high-fived and hugged and cried together, we sang songs about…okay I’m lying. But the film demands a large audience for a supreme viewing experience. It’s accomplishment of body horror worth sharing with others – if you can stomach it.

Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, celebrated fitness guru slash actress who senses her star power and sex appeal fading after a loathsome studio head ends her career in search of a younger replacement. Elisabeth plunges into a spiral of self-loathing, but a stranger offers her a product with an irresistible promise: an injectable substance that produces a second, younger version of yourself. However, you must split your bodily use one week at a time while you provide routine care on your dormant self.

The allure of attention and opportunity takes hold of younger version, “Sue”, who begins mishandling her allotted time, resulting in grotesque physical deformities on Elisabeth’s body.

I’m still riding a high from this one. French director Coralie Fargeat illustrates the extremes of body dysmorphia and beauty standards. And then some. Nauseating sound design, extreme closeups, and deliciously gratuitous body horror coalesce in a standout horror event that is not to be missed.