THE SUBSTANCE (in the film of the month slot)
Credit: MUBI
Body horror might not be a genre that the casual viewer naturally gravitates towards, but I urge you all to catch writer/director Coralie Fargeat’s sublime satire on female aging in show-business, featuring two stunning leading turns from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) is the nation’s favourite fitness celebrity. At least she used to be. Having graced TV screens for quite a few years now, the TV network head Harvey (Dennis Quaid) is putting her out to pasture, chasing a newer and younger model to take the reins and lead the network into the future. After being unceremoniously dumped from her idyllic life, she has a car accident. Once in hospital, Elisabeth meets a mysterious male nurse who prompts her to try a special off-the-market drug that promises to change her life. Grotesquely entertaining, with a crazy finale not for the squeamish!
