By Holger Jacobs
06.10.2024
for english translation click here
Rating: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 (four out of five)
From an aerobics film to a splatter horror trip
I’m not usually a fan of horror films, although I have seen one in the cinema several times in my life.
Especially when I was younger, when I wanted a kick or two.
I can still remember “Carrie” by BRIAN DE PALMA from 1976, in which the girl Carrie (SISSY SPACEK) burns down an entire school assembly when a bucket of blood is poured on her on stage.
Later horror films, like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” by TOBE HOOPER from 1986 or “The Blair Witch Project” by Daniel Myrick from 1999, were no longer my thing.
I’ll only be there again if they’re filled with a lot of humor, like “Sleepy Hollow” by TIM BURTON with JOHNNY DEPP from 1999.
„Sleepy Hollow“, Poster, Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci
Now for Halloween on October 31st, many horror films will certainly be shown in cinemas and television.
“THE SUBSTANCE” fits this perfectly.
Plot
Famous actress and Oscar-winning actress Elisabeth Sparkle (DEMI MOORE *1962) was relegated late in her career to being a pre-aerobics gymnast on a television show. By chance, she overhears how the show’s producer, Harvey (DENNIS QUAID) – probably a reference to HARVEY WEINSTEIN – wants to fire her because of her age. Shortly afterwards it really happens, in a way that is very hurtful to her. Harvey calls her too old and withered and even worse words are used.
The scene becomes a crazy farce.
Demi Moore -CC- Shankbone/ Wikimedia
During a visit to the doctor, where Elisabeth Sparkle can no longer contain her frustration and hurt, an assistant doctor gives her a number to call if she wants to regain her courage to live her life. You can get an improved or rejuvenated self through a certain procedure.
After initial hesitation, she calls them, is taken to a secret location and receives a package. As soon as she opens it she realizes that it is a mysterious one Substance which she has to inject. After a few minutes, her body splits open and a second person, similar to her but 30 years younger, emerges from her body. But both people can only exist if they alternate in their existence every 14 days, triggered by an exchange of blood. Because both are still one and neither can exist without the other.
The experiment seems to be working.
Sue, that’s what the second Elisabeth calls herself, applies to succeed Elisabeth in the aerobics show and is accepted. Her career as a television star is taking off and she doesn’t say no to pretty boys either. It’s just stupid that after two weeks she always has to disappear for 14 days.
One day she begins to delay the switch between Sue and Elisabeth, but this has fatal consequences for Elisabeth. This suddenly ages faster. And Sue’s misplay doesn’t go unnoticed either. When Sue gets the offer to host the big New Year’s Eve show at the end of the year, she accepts. But to do this she has to rehearse for 3 weeks straight.
In the middle of New Year’s Eve, disaster strikes.
The Substance 2024 – Poster
criticism
As I said at the beginning, I’m actually not a big fan of horror films. But I had heard and read a lot of good things about the film. The film was screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and director CORALIE FARGEAT received the award for best screenplay.
I am also a special fan of the actress MARGARET QUALLEY (*1994), who I have already appeared in several films, such as “My year in New York“ (screened at the Berlinale 2020) and of course in QUENTIN TARANTINO’s “Once upon in Hollywood“was allowed to admire. In the latter she plays the lively hitchhiker who comes from BRAD PITT is taken in the car and wants to seduce him.
MARGARET QUALLEY is the daughter of the actress ANDIE MACDOWELL, who you probably know from “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (1994).
The film begins very “normally” and the scenes with young Sue doing the dance routine are of course a feast for the eyes.
MARGARET QUALLEY is just super sweet.
But the longer the film goes on, the more gruesome the scenes with these two bodies become, which eventually change beyond recognition.
When I went to the cinema, a number of spectators left the cinema.
Nobody expected this development at the end of the film.
Conclusion: Not for the faint of heart. But well done and exciting until the last second.
In the end everything is mopped up by a city garbage truck…
„The Substance“, by Coralie Fargeat,
with Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid. Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2024
Photo series with 10 photos from “The Substance”:
English translation
By Holger Jacobs
October 6th, 2024
Rating: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂  (four out of five)
From an aerobics film to a splatter horror trip
I’m not normally a fan of horror films, even though I’ve seen one in the cinema several times in my life. Especially when I was young, when I wanted a kick or two. I can still remember „Carrie“ by BRIAN DE PALMA from 1976, in which the girl Carrie (SISSY SPACEK) burns down an entire school assembly when a bucket of blood is poured over her on stage.
Later horror movies, such as „The Texas Chainsaw Massacre“ by TOBE HOOPER from 1986 or „The Blair Witch Project“ by Daniel Myrick from 1999 were no longer my thing.
I only watch them if they are filled with a sense of humor, like „Sleepy Hollow“ by TIM BURTON with JOHNNY DEPP from 1999.
„Sleepy Hollow“, Poster, Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci
Now for Halloween on October 31st, many horror fmovies will be shown in cinemas and on television.
„THE SUBSTANCE“ fits in perfectly.
Story
The famous actress and Oscar winner Elisabeth Sparkle (DEMI MOORE *1962) has been relegated to being an aerobics instructor on a television show in her late career.
By chance she overhears how the producer of the show, Harvey (DENNIS QUAID) – probably an allusion to HARVEY WEINSTEIN – wants to fire her because of her age.
Shortly afterwards, it actually happens, in a way that is very hurtful to her. Harvey calls her too old and withered and even more nasty words are thrown at her.
The scene turns into a crazy farce.
Demi Moore -CC- Shankbone/ Wikimedia
During a doctor’s visit, where Elisabeth Sparkle can no longer contain her frustration and hurt, an assistant doctor gives her a number that she can call if she wants to regain her courage to live. She can achieve an improved or rejuvenated self through a certain procedure.
After initial hesitation, she calls the number, is led to a secret location and receives a package.
As soon as she opens it, she realises that it is a mysterious substance that she has to inject. After a few minutes, her body splits and a second person, similar to her but 30 years younger, emerges from her body. But both people can only exist if they alternate in their existence every 14 days, triggered by an exchange of blood. Because both are still one and neither can exist without the other.
The experiment seems to work.
Sue, as the second Elisabeth calls herself, applies to be Elisabeth’s successor in the aerobics show and is accepted. Her career as a TV star takes off and she doesn’t say no to pretty boys either. The only problem is that after two weeks she always has to disappear for 14 days.
One day she starts to delay the switch between Sue and Elisabeth, but this has fatal consequences for Elisabeth. She suddenly ages faster and faster. And the wrong game does not go unnoticed for Sue either. When Sue is offered the opportunity to host the big New Year’s Eve show at the end of the year, she says yes. But she has to rehearse for three weeks straight.
Then, in the middle of New Year’s Eve, disaster strikes.
The Substance 2024 – Poster
Critics
As I said at the beginning, I’m not really a big fan of horror movies.
But I had heard and read a lot of good things about this one.
The movie was in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and director CORALIE FARGEAT received the award for best screenplay.
I’m also a particular fan of the actress MARGARET QUALLEY (*1994), whom I’ve had the pleasure of admiring in several movies, such as „My Year in New York“ (which ran at the Berlinale Filmfestival 2020) and of course in QUENTIN TARANTINO’S „Once upon in Hollywood“.
In the last one, she plays the lively hitchhiker who is given a ride by BRAD PITT in his car and who wants to seduce him.
MARGARET QUALLEY is, by the way, the daughter of the actress ANDIE MACDOWELL, who you probably know from the movie „Four Weddings and a Funeral“ (1994).
The film also starts very „normally“ and the scenes with the young Sue during the dance routines are of course a feast for the eyes.
MARGARET QUALLEY is just super-sweet.
But the longer the film goes on, the more gruesome the scenes become with these two bodies, which ultimately change beyond recognition.
When I went to the cinema, a number of viewers left the cinema.
Nobody expected this development at the end of the film.
Conclusion: Not for the faint-hearted. But well done and exciting until the last second.
At the end, everything is cleaned up by a municipal garbage truck…
“The Substance”, by Coralie Fargeatwith Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid. Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2024
Image series with 10 photos of “The Substance”:
Author: Holger Jacobs
Founder & Editorial Director of kultur24.berlin ug.
Founder & Editorial Director of kultur24 TV on Youtube.
Former correspondent for fashion in Paris.
Photographer, writer and filmmaker.
