The Substance (2024)

When one sees a tagline that a movie is "absolutely insane," whether or not it includes modification from the universal adjective, one has to take it with a grain of salt. What mainstream critics and studios consider insane is usually something that those of us who enjoy the fringes of cinema are familiar with. It is familiar territory for writer and director Coralie Fargeat who has an unquestionable knowledge of horror. This was obvious in Revenge , which took inspiration from past exploitation films such as I Spit on Your Grave , but put an angry feminist spin on it. The Substance finds Fargeat doing the same for body horror. The obvious go-to on this is David Cronenberg, and the influence is there, particularly from The Fly . What The Substance most resembles, however, is Brian Yuzna's cult favorite Society . Her movie is full of practical effects that recall those of Screaming Mad George. It also has that same satire of a specif...