Commentary: The Unoriginality Of ‘The Substance’ Is A Strength
by Frank Martin
A lot of stories are praised for their uniqueness and originality. Audiences like to be surprised and experience something fresh. So logically speaking, if something isn’t original but derivative and formulaic, then it is often looked at as bad. But art and storytelling, specifically, are more than just leaving audiences on the edge of their seat with suspense. There’s power in taking something familiar and trying to deliver the best version of it possible. This is where The Substance finds its strength.
The film is about a washed-up starlet, Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), who loses her televised exercise show on her birthday. Determined to reclaim her fame and beauty, Elisabeth agrees to take a black-market drug called The Substance. This regimented plan causes Elisabeth to shed a completely younger human from her skin that can exist for a week before having to switch back. Adopting the name Sue (Margaret Qualley), this new version goes on to take over Elisabeth’s show, but the two sides grow resentful of one another as Sue fails to follow the regiment, causing Elisabeth to rapidly deteriorate.
There aren’t any real twists or turns in the story. The plot sets a very clear track in front of it and more-or-less stays the course. It even goes so far as to come up with generic names that highlight the superficial and vapid industry it’s satirizing. However, what makes the film exceptional are the exaggerated artistic techniques it takes to tell that story. There are so many influences within it that the movie itself could be viewed as one giant homage to body horror and absurdist science fiction. If it tried to be too original and do too much with its story, those elements would have been diluted. Through bizarre camera work, color, lighting, production design, costumes, and the multitude other factors that go into making a film, The Substance stands out. Any sort of uniqueness to the story would have been a distraction from the other areas it does so well.
The Substance is now streaming on HBO Max.
