The Substance Review — Body Horror Meets Beauty Culture

Joshua Hunter reviews The Substance, Coralie Fargeat's Cannes sensation starring Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading Hollywood star fired from her fitness show on her 50th birthday, who turns to a black-market drug promising a younger, more beautiful version of herself — Sue, played by Margaret Qualley. The catch: they share one consciousness and must alternate control every seven days, no exceptions; so c'mon how could this possibly go badly? Joshua breaks down whether Fargeat's ruthless satire on toxic beauty standards and aging in Hollywood earns its Golden Globe-winning acclaim, digs into Moore's potential career-best performance, and gives his verdict on whether the film's escalating body horror pays off — or goes too far past the point of no return. 🍍 The Reel Pineapple is your one-stop shop for honest movie reviews, trailer breakdowns, and unfiltered film talk — no hype, no gatekeeping, just reel takes from someone who actually loves this stuff. 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/thereelpineapple 🦋 Follow on BlueSky: reelpineapple.bsky.social 🎥 Follow on TikTok & Instagram: @jhunterreelpineapple 🎬 Follow on Letterboxd: BlackShazam 🎮 Catch me live on Twitch: twitch.tv/thereelpineapple ⭐ Love the show? Subscribe and drop five stars wherever you listen — it genuinely helps more movie nerds find us. Rate, Like, Share, & Subscribe! Follow me on all of our socials! linktr.ee/jhunterreelpineapple