The Substance

Now that The Substance has come onto HBO Max i decided to give it another watch (even tho i own it lol). Its still a perfect movie and my favorite movie ever made. I just feel like for a long time, i haven't been satisfied with movies, they all feel derivative and easy to think of with not a lot of care or effort put into them (of course all movies have a lot of care and effort into them, its hard to explain what i mean). I don't know how to put into words why i haven't been satisfied with movies for more than a year, since emotions are complex and often hard to describe in any way. But when i saw this movie i felt it gave me a small spark, it felt so fresh and original. And as an aspiring author myself, i decided to turn that spark into a fire and use the emotions that this movie gave me that I've been looking for in a movie for ages to make my own story. so in April, i decided to put a new theme on this vibe, and i got my own story, that felt finally completely gave me what I've been looking for. the perfect thing i'd want to see in theaters. You may be asking "you said it only gave you a small spark, so why a 5/5" and thats because movie watching became so dull, that anything counted at this point. I feel the plot i created in April that i turned into a first draft of a novel that i finished in July, is all because of the reinstated love for storytelling that this movie gave me. It showed me that storytelling could be something more, and for a while a believed it couldn't. I am now working on my second draft of the novel, and I believe that this novel will connect with someone (or many people) just as this movie connected with me. The substance didn't just entertain me, it challenged me, it made me remember why i fell in love with stories in the first place. this movie has a meticulous amount of craft, with an unapologetic vision, and a refusal to dilute itself, things that stuck with me into creating my own novel. Every frame feels like it was made by someone who believes in it, and i feel as if that belief bled into me. It unlocked something inside me i thought was dead, or maybe i thought it was never there, and i don't yet know how to describe it. I’ve spent the last few months chasing that feeling, and pouring it into my own work. I feel that because this movie dared to be bold, powerful, uncompromising, daring, insane, i was unafraid to let my story be like that with a new theme. I genuinely thought we'd never get another movie like this, but who knew it would be me proving myself wrong with that. Thank you Coralie Fargeat, and i genuinely hope one day you read my novel inspired by this movie and i make you proud. This movie genuinely changed my life, and i can't thank it enough. I feel as if though the novel im creating taught me new things about myself, things i also can't put into words, and i only have this movie to thank for me learning new things about myself. I'll end it here, but know this is far from the last time ill watch this movie.