THE SUBSTANCE

In her return to leading lady status, Demi Moore excels as Elisabeth Sparkle, an ageing actor and tv aerobics star. On her 50th birthday, she jumps at the invitation to try a treatment that creates a younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley as Sue.) She soon finds out that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This is a sad tale of hating what you see in the mirror and being desperate to turn back the clock at any cost. The cinematography and sound really add to the tension in this film. Frequent close up shots create a realistic grotesqueness you can’t look away from and the graphic, squelchy audio that accompanies them will haunt you in your dreams – or nightmares. SPOILER ALERT! This is not for the squeamish and it kicks off near the end wth more fake blood than a Tarantino movie – 36,000 gallons or 136,274+ litres to be exact. I didn’t know what “body horror” meant before watching it, but I sure do now. Demented and visceral, I couldn’t look away.