Just say no to these drugs. 

Summer was too long this year. For those of us who live in places like Tennessee, Summer is too long every year unless you moved here from California to complain about the freezing 71-degree cold fronts of September. Here we are knee-deep in October and some of us are ready for colder weather, soup, and good horror movies. While I have been underwhelmed by both the quality and quantity of new horror this year, I was taken by surprise by The Substance,  and I am ready to talk about it. Let’s go! 

Demi Moore may have one-upped Nicholas Cage in the role of Elisabeth Sparkle. Moore has championed intense roles in the past in films like G.I. Jane, Mr. Brooks, and Ghost, but The Substance stands out as the most important film of her career. The 61-year-old actress plays Elisabeth Sparkle, an actress who is best known as a television aerobics instructor who hosts a popular show on network television. On her 50th birthday, she is handed the surprise birthday gift of getting booted off the air as the network begins its search for a younger and more attractive host for this show. Of course, this leads Sparkle to the most obvious course of action. She buys into a black-market miracle drug that provides an unconventional cure for her aging. 

You will have to trust me when I tell you that this film has it all. We have all been duped into going to see “the scariest movie of the year.” The Substance is not the scariest movie of the year, but it is possibly the most disgusting movie I have ever seen. The social commentary could not be more perfectly displayed with statements on age and sexism, all while remaining entertaining and even hilarious at moments. There is something to be said for a film that is bold enough to lead its audience to walk out of the theater. I observed a few, and good riddance, I did not need them snitching on me for sneaking my own can of soda! Dennis Quaid plays a cringey network executive appropriately named Harvey who is as sickening as the body horror the film will be remembered for. This film is not for the faint of heart or stomach, but it is for lovers of directors like David Cronenberg, Brian De Palma, and David Lynch.  

While I have enjoyed films like Men and Mother that have delivered social commentary on women’s issues, these films were directed by men. This does not take away from those films in any way. However, one thing that The Substance brings to the table is a feminist perspective from a female director. Coralie Fargaet delivers a provocative film that is equal parts body horror and dark comedy.  

About Nathan Conrad:

He’s best known as the Nashville-based Hip Hop/Indie Pop emcee Spoken Nerd, but this isn’t your typical rap project. He rhymes playfully at times, singing and/or rapping, juxtaposing his style with real-life situations and subject matter. Occasionally Spoken Nerd will find inspiration in films and will put it into song. With eight full-length albums into his career, the rapper has built a healthy catalog of music, which doesn’t include the number of EPs and singles released. His most recent release is Magical Powers.

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