The Substance

Spooky Season 2024 #3 Ofcourse this movie talks more specifically about women's beauty standards and the horrible work environment that is Hollywood, and for those parts of the movie I'm not the target audience. But the themes of food consumption and the more broader themes of wanting to look better the movie explores incredibly well. Body horror is not a genre I'm entirely familiar with but right now I can't really think of a more gross movie I've seen. And it's not only the gory situations in the movie, but the movies strongest part is how it uses the incredible cinematography and especially the sound design to enhance these situations to feel even more gross. Some criticism I've heard about it is that it is too long, in which I do not agree and I think it has a pretty perfect pacing. Another criticism is that it is style over substance (no pun intended) and in your face, but for me that felt intentional is one of the strongest parts of the movie. The only real criticism I had is that it could've delved more into the themes of food. This is (next to Dune: Part II) possibly my favorite movie of the year. I really think it is a good candidate for several Oscar categories this year like Best Actress and best Makeup and Hairstyling.