The fascination of society with youth and unattainable beauty standards has been around for a long time. However, Coralie Fargeat's "The Substance" explores this theme in a unique way. Set during the Olympic era, the film introduces a substance that promises rapid weight loss, previously only achievable through surgery. Social media advertisements entice viewers with the opportunity to "regain their old self" with minimal cost and immediate results. While this substance resembles GLP-1 weight-loss medications, it has a darker side. Fargeat, the film's writer and director, transforms the pursuit of a "fountain of youth" into a thrilling spectacle of blood and neon.

Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), once a dazzling actress, has seen better days, much like her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A ruthless executive named Harvey (Dennis Quaid) cancels her fitness show to make way for "younger" talent, leaving her heartbroken and discarded solely because of her age. In a desperate attempt to stay relevant in the youth-obsessed entertainment industry, Elizabeth discovers The Substance, a mysterious product that allows her to generate a younger version of herself. However, the substance comes with strict rules, similar to the creatures in "Gremlins." Elizabeth can only activate her younger self once, and both she and her younger counterpart, Sue (Margaret Qualley), must shut down every seven days. Despite sharing the same consciousness, Elizabeth and Sue soon discover the hidden consequences of pursuing youth at any cost.
In "The Substance," Fargeat skillfully employs body horror, similar to David Cronenberg's "The Brood," "Re-Animator," and "The Invisible Man," to convey the disastrous consequences of insane scientists' experiments. The film also references James Whale's "The Invisible Man" and Brian De Palma's "Carrie," utilizing copious blood and destruction to depict a girl's anguish. Perhaps the use of Bernard Herrmann's "Vertigo" theme is overly obvious, but it fits the narrative's obsessive atmosphere.

 While "The Substance" employs horror tropes to critique the entertainment industry and its obsession with youth, it does so with finesse, ensuring it remains enjoyable. Fargeat and Kracun frequently use fish-eye lenses and uncomfortable close-ups to emphasize Harvey's grotesque and hypocritical nature, as he conveniently omits Elizabeth's performance. The stylized layouts by production designer Stanislas Reydellet and his crew contribute to the film's heightened reality, evident in the TV studio's "The Shining"-inspired hallway and the pharmaceutical depot's haunted house-like appearance.