The Substance Is The Most Frustrating Movie Ever Made

Greg Grudt. Shutterstock Images.

It was Friday night and I had some time to check out a movie, so I decided to see what was out. I watched all the trailers of current movies and "The Substance" caught my eye. I had never heard of it before last night. Not seen a single commercial or ad on social media. But it looked thought provoking and had an interesting cover so to speak. It was also playing at a time that was very convenient for me (15 minutes after I saw the trailer), so I figured, let's go!

The movie was 140 minutes long, which I'm not opposed to as long as it keeps me interested. And let me tell you, this movie ROCKS for the first 100-110 minutes. It's broken up into three acts. And had it been kept to the first two, it would be the best movie of 2024.

The film is about an aerobics trainer, Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore on TV who is getting older. She overhears a conversation from a TV exec (Dennis Quaid) that they need to replace her with a younger, sexier aerobics trainer for better TV ratings. She's heartbroken and wants to do anything to regain her place in the spotlight and discovers a drug called, the substance. The drug basically clones yourself into a younger version of yourself with two basic rules: 

1) You must swap lives every seven days, no exceptions. So for seven days you'll be the younger, sleeker version of yourself, but for seven days, you'll be your regular, older self.

2) You are one, only one can be fully present, conscious at once.

It's a very interesting storyline of getting older, staying beautiful, and how people yearn to look younger, slimmer, and sleeker. It's brilliantly directed and acted in the first two acts. An absolutely perfect film. There is an opportunity for the dream ending, which actually happens. But then the movie goes another 30-40 minutes and whatever act was, it is the worst film ever put on the silver screen.

Coming out of the theater, I was just angry. Almost irrationally mad about why they put in that final act. The responses I'm getting is that it is body horror, so they wanted to make it gross, but they had THE PERFECT ending 40 minutes earlier. Going on the final 40 minutes was selfish. They did it to push the fountain of youth agenda and maybe fit it more into the horror/body horror genre. The issue I took with it is that THEY ALREADY HAD THAT IN SPADES! They shoved it down our throat in the most unnecessary 40 minutes in movie history.

The best recommendation I can give you is to definitely go see this movie and walk out just before the third act begins. There is the perfect time to do it. If so, you'll be blown away. If you stay for the whole movie, you risk being furious.