Movies

The Substance

This is a weird movie. It wasn't what I was thinking it was going to be and honestly I didn't life it. I just think movies that show grotesque events, Dennis Quid chewing life a maniac, for the sake of just being gross. It doesn't add anything to the movie, and removes from the substance

Garrett

Feb 26, 2025 — 3 min read

Synopsis

An aging actor decides to take a suspicious new drug that will make a copy of herself. However, the copy is younger, better, and just as selfish as they are.

Review

This is a weird movie. It wasn't what I was thinking it was going to be, and honestly I didn't life it. I just think movies that show grotesque events, Dennis Quid chewing life a maniac, for the sake of just being gross. It doesn't add anything to the movie, and removes from the substance (no pun intended) of the movie.

So I like this premise of this story. As we get older, most people don't really want to die, and so I could totally see people doing something this crazy. I guess I should give a little more context for those that haven't seen it. Without giving too much away, the picture on the poster is pretty accurate. "The Substance" makes a double of your cells inside your current body so it has to be expelled somehow.

Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are outstanding in this movie. Being basically the same people and just doing a fantastic job of playing off each other when they are barely in the same scenes.

Where I don't like this movie is that instead of being a conflict of conscience or a redemption story. It ends up being this mishmash monster story that just looks ridiculous and the people reactions to the monster are even worse.

My Rating

This is a terrible plane movie (Especially when sitting next to a clinical psychologist based on the slideshow he was working on), which I didn't know going in. It is a lot of repeat actions from ever-increasing levels of selfishness. It just gets to be stupid at times and highly predictable. I like the premise of the story, but I think it ends poorly and that makes it a waste of your time to watch. I am giving this a 5.

Parental Rating

Absolutely not will my parents go near this. 1) It is a horror film in the worst possible horror way, gore for the sake of gore. 2) There is an excessive amount of language for my dad. 3) The amount nudity and sexual content is crazy. I didn't expect to have full nudity multiple times while watching this. 4) No family content whatsoever. Rejected by both.