Already during its preview at Cannes last May, Coralie Fargeat's body horror “The Substance” aroused mixed impressions. Starring a Demi Moore in great form who finally returns to take a well-deserved space in the spotlight, the Hollywood satire staged by the French director has disconcerted the public on the Croisette with gruesome and limitless horror scenes, fueling the debate between those who cry scandal and who sees a courageous provocation in the grotesque and nauseating contents.
The plot is driven by the character of Elisabeth Sparkle played by Moore, a former film star unjustly fired because she was deemed too old. After a profound crisis, he agrees to react by relying on a company that promises to bring out a "better version of himself" by injecting a mysterious yellow substance. From the treatment Sue comes to life, the younger and more attractive variant of Elizabeth who will quickly become a successful star. But the drug has precise rules of use which, if violated, can lead to horrible consequences.
Further details on “The Substance” are anticipated in the official synopsis: «Have you ever dreamed of a better version of yourself? You are always simply better, in every sense. Really, you have to try this revolutionary product. It's called "The Substance". It changes your life. Generate a new version of you, a younger, more beautiful version, a perfect version. There is only one rule: you have to divide your time. A week is up to the old version of you. The next one is the new one. Seven days each. A perfect balance. Easy, right? If you respect the balance… what can go wrong?”.
The aim of the film - as declared by the director during the preview - is to address the chauvinist vision of the star system, to reflect on the condition of women who, subject to an inhuman system of rules, find themselves committing violence against themselves : « I don't know any woman who doesn't have eating problems or do other things that lead to violence towards her body. I think this violence is truly extreme."
Even the actor Dennis Quaid wanted to intervene in support of the director : «People will say that Fargeat hates men. No, she hates idiots. But those are so fun to play." After the award for best screenplay at Cannes and the enthusiastic reviews of critics, “The Substance” is expected in Italian cinemas on 17 October. In anticipation of the release, Demi Moore compared the film to the nineties classic “Ghost”, declaring that it could be a success or a flop in the same way: «Reading the script of Ghost I thought it could be a disaster or work in some way. The Substance falls into that category. I thought: wow, we have a love story, a thriller and a comedy. My team sent it to me with a warning, they didn't want to tell me anything about it, they told me to just read it."
