Here are review links for this film submitted by our members:
- Allen Almachar @ The MacGuffin
- Excerpt: It grabs us by the collar, slaps us across the face, and forces us to pay attention.
- Rick Aragon @ Rick’s Texan Reviews
- Excerpt: The Substance will divide viewers in terms of its visuals. I found it neither horrifying nor brilliant, more lukewarm of a film that will thrill some and appall others.
- David “DC” Bolling @ DC’s Take
- Excerpt: Its unusual blend of sexiness and grossness is not for everyone, but I found it to be a captivating and thought-provoking experience. Whether it’s Demi Moore’s best performance or Coralie Fargeat’s satirical approach to youth standards, this film left a lasting impression on me, and I’m sure it will do the same for many others.
- Gregory Carlson @ southpawfilmworks.net
- Samuel Castro @ El Colombiano [Spanish]
- Excerpt: “La sustancia” es repetitiva e insistente porque en realidad es una fábula macabra sobre el culto a la belleza y a la juventud que domina a nuestra sociedad. No es un fenómeno nuevo, claro. Desde hace siglos los pintores de la realeza sabían que debían atenuar cuanto pudieran los defectos físicos de sus retratados porque era esa figura la que guardaría la memoria de la mayoría.
- Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: Fargeat explores Hollywood’s commoditization of women, the ageism which makes them disposable and the lengths aging stars will go to retain relevance in a film that also plays as Stanley Kubrick homage
- Christopher Cross @ Asynchronous Media
- Excerpt: Fargeat gives a platform for Moore to turn in one of the best performances of her career, and it’s the kind of performance that horror fans will celebrate for years to come. The same can be said about Fargeat’s direction, as The Substance isn’t just an over-the-top bloodbath with a heavy-handed message but also one of the most finely crafted body horror films of the 21st century.
- Bavner Donaldo @ Cinejour [Indonesian]
- Sarah Gopaul @ Digital Journal
- Excerpt: Writer-director Coralie Fargeat treats nudity as not only one of life’s essentials, but as a method of exposing all of our insecurities — there’s nowhere to hide from the mirror or the camera.
- Mark Hobin @ Fast Film Reviews
- Excerpt: It’s not subtle, and the screenplay hammers the same idea to an almost surreal vision of outrageousness, but what saves this account is the sleek and polished style of it all.
- Anne Hoyt @ Diario La Cronica [Spanish]
- Excerpt: The Substance incorpora otro gran tema de la literatura y el cine, el del Doppelgänger (doble). Pero, a diferencia de esos entes malvados que se desdoblan y revelan el lado oscuro del original, el doble de Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) que, eventualmente se convertirá en su enemiga, es ella misma en su juventud.
- Wesley Lovell @ Cinema Sight
- Harrison Martin @ Flixfrog
- Excerpt: The 4th Annual JanuScary Special continues with #TheSubstance! A decent body horror flick with a gross lackluster ending. Overall it felt like an extended episode of Black Mirror.
- Jared Mobarak @ Hey, have you seen …?
- Excerpt: This is a satire first and foremost. It leads to an unforgettable finale that’s about as hilariously over-the-top as you can get both in its themes and genre aesthetic.
- [New] | Bev Questad @ itsjustmovies.com
- Excerpt: No matter how this affects you, “The Substance” will provoke a strong reaction that you’ll be analyzing for a while.
- Diego Salgado @ Sofilm [Spanish]
- Josh Thayer @ The Forgetful Film Critic
- Excerpt: The Substance is as nasty as any Cronenberg, as bonkers as any Lynch, and is so horrifically hilarious that I often found myself laughing as I was wincing and looking away from the screen.
- Andrew Wyatt @ The Take-Up
- Sebastian Zavala @ Cinencuentro.com [Spanish]
- Excerpt: It’s the kind of movie that could only have been made by a woman, telling us a lot about the expectations society and show business have of women, and how they must stay young, vital and smiling forever.
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