The Substance

Rewatching The Substance after finally finishing my novel recently hits different. When i first developed the idea of my novel, this movie was the spark that nudged me back to storytelling. Now it feels like a compass that guided me through the entire journey. It’s strange to revisit something that once felt overwhelming and new, only to realize how much it quietly shaped the way I create. This is such a masterpiece i could talk about for hours, this film is so thematically rich and intellectually engaging. Watching it now, after writing an entire novel, I can feel the impact in a new way. I recognize the courage in every creative choice it makes, which was a courage I had to learn myself, page by page, draft by draft. What surprised me most on this rewatch was how emotional it felt to realize what this movie gave me. it restored my faith in storytelling. Now, I can see that it also restored my faith in myself. The novel I finished exists because this film showed me that originality is still possible, that ambition isn’t naïve, and that the emotions we can’t describe are often the ones that push us somewhere new. I’m grateful for that. Deeply. This movie didn’t just entertain me or inspire me, it changed the trajectory of something I’m proud of. And watching it again, with the knowledge of who I’ve become since that first viewing, made me appreciate its impact even more. I feel like ever since i saw this movie I've opened up a new chapter of my life, and i don’t know how many times I’ll revisit it in the future, but I know every viewing will remind me of where this chapter of my life began. I also feel like this movie changed the way i think too. now i will get into what i do and don't like about the film. First off, the directing is top notch here, and so many small shots that you wouldn't expect to have metaphors or symbolism are filled to the brim with them. second off, there is so many symbolisms and metaphors its impossible for someone to catch them all, like for example, how shrimp is the choice of food for that scene with Harvey since you don't really eat the head of the shrimp, so you just want the body. The pacing is also top notch here, its so controlled and deliberate in a way I've never seen before. along with the editing and sound design, those are top notch too. This movie is also just SO thematically rich, like you probably didn't even notice this but: people who want to be like sue encompass monstroelisasue, and she is surrounded by people she metaphorically created but refuses to embrace them, and that shows her place in society, that she is a victim of beauty standards and beauty myths, still, she crafted and benifited from those expectations, and she marketed women's insecurities right back to them in order to make people like Harvey happy. she basically constructed her own downfall, and by performing on stage as a monster, she is rejecting the beauty standards and she is rejecting the role she had in perpetuating them.Another thing i saw someone point out, this time on reddit, was the scene where Elisabeth and sue come alive at the same time shows the theme of her hitting rock bottom, realizing she needs to stop, tried to stop, but realizes its actually too late already. she is an empty shell of a person who put all her value in her looks, and no value in herself as a person, so she essentially relapses to get back into sues body for one last night, and that last high was an overdose that kills her. my point isn't to show you I'm such a film bro, but to show how engaging this movie is on an intellectual level, i can bet you didn't even catch either of those, since this film just had a meticulous and unheard of level of effort put into it. Even the name has metaphors, of course it's called the substance because there is a substance, but also because she wants to be a person of substance that other people value despite other people valuing her appearance over that. I have read and watched many reviews for this film, and each one i see makes me even further appreciate this masterpiece, one from cinema detective states that it shows how its its own type of violence when women try to conform to beauty standards and how its internal and external. As the film progresses Elisabeth and sue stop seeing each other as one reflecting how her mind is being torn apart by societal beauty standards and how sue hates Elizabeth for being older and Elisabeth hates sue for being younger. There is even addiction as a theme, like how stuff you do in the past will affect the next day and how our younger selves dont think about long term consequences. There is another side, how the older self is at war with the memory of the younger self. And i like how Elisabeth doesn't always hate who she was, she also starts hate who she's becoming. Elisabeth is a metaphor for her past, present and future in a very complex way that is very thought provoking. By far my favorite scene in the movie is when Monstroelisasue is spraying blood everywhere, and we see all of the sexist lines replayed. it's basically doing a fuck you to all those comments, but also accepting them as she let them tear her apart like this. Also Elisabeth essentially goes missing every other week and no one comes looking for her which is a sad metaphor that all she had and all people cared about was her body, and even that is fading. Sorry this review is so long, I would make this review infinitely long if i could, as my love for this film is infinite. So, I'll end it here, though a part of me feels like I'm just getting started. That's the true magic of a film like this, that it refuses to leave you. It lives in your thoughts, it fuels your own creations, and it deepens with every conversation. The Substance is more than a movie to me now; it's a landmark in my personal history. My novel is finished, but my future as an author thanks to this movie feels like it's only just beginning. For reigniting that fire, and for being a relentless, brilliant, and unforgettably visceral work of art, I am forever in its debt.