The Substance

Playfully and disgustingly tweaking genre conventions, The Substance works both as cutting-edge feminist body horror and as an acerbic satire of Hollywood celebrity and misogyny.

Designed for maximum discomfort in either case, this spirited takedown of the obsession with age and beauty in contemporary pop culture is ambitious almost to a fault, with style and attitude to spare.

Despite its self-indulgent tendencies, this deeply unsettling if somewhat gimmicky thriller from French director Coralie Fargeat (Revenge) is both amusing and provocative as an exploration of body image, aging, and commercial sex appeal.

Elisabeth (Demi Moore) in an Oscar-winning actress now forced to host a morning exercise show, when she’s fired by her shallow and contemptuous producer, Harvey (Dennis Quaid), who openly lobbies for a younger version of the star who looks better in tights.

Frustrated and insecure, Elisabeth channels her resentment into a desperate act of hubris and vanity. With her fame dwindling, she responds to an advertisement for a program that would enable her to clone a younger version of herself. The rules include trading places every seven days, with the other comatose, in order for both to survive.

A particularly intense birthing scene produces Sue (Margaret Qualley), a starlet who marches into Harvey’s office and proves just the charismatic fresh face he’s looking for. She takes over the morning show, replaces Elisabeth on a billboard, and lines up more gigs.

Coexistence proves challenging when egos, jealousy, and side effects get in the way. “She’s stealing time from me without consideration of the consequences,” Elisabeth insists. The final act is not for the squeamish as it descends into delirious, blood-soaked madness.

You can see why Moore felt so connected to Elisabeth given subtle parallels to her own career trajectory. Her audacious performance resonates with defiance and conviction. Qualley (Drive-Away Dolls) is equally ferocious as her doppelganger adversary, while Quaid’s over-the-top mania embodies insensitivity and nonchalant chauvinism.

For those willing to suspend disbelief in its goofy science-fiction concept, Fargeat’s screenplay never really explains the science or medical logistics behind its premise, and only delves mildly into the moral complexity.

The film is meticulous in its visual composition and sound design. However, it’s also infused with dark humor that keeps the material from turning heavy-handed.

Beneath the surface, The Substance is a story of empowerment rather than victimhood that generates hard-earned sympathy without resorting to cheap pity.

Rated R, 140 minutes.