A single raw egg with a perfectly round yolk is injected with a green liquid.
The yolk begins to quiver.
The scene draws viewers into the universe ofThe Substance,the new body horror film starringDemi MooreandMargaret Qualley.
Courtesy of MUBI
DirectorCoralie Fargeatmasterfully uses elements of body horror to interrogate the tyranny of societal beauty standards.
At a certain point, how voluntary are these procedures, really?
The Substanceexposes how the pursuit of perfection inevitably leads to self-destruction.
Courtesy of MUBI
The protagonist, 50-year-old TV aerobics star Elisabeth Sparkle(Demi Moore), wears saturated primary colors.
In the giant framed photo hanging in her apartment, she poses confidently in a midnight blue leotard.
Standing in the films sterile white tiled bathroom, she resembles something like a Rubiks Cube.
THE SUBSTANCE, Demi Moore, 2024.
But perhaps the most meaningful garment in the entire film is Elisabeths yolk yellow coat.
Once the egg, she is now its shelldiscarded, shattered.
She lies comatose, living on the life support of the Soylent-esque food matrix IV pouches.
THE SUBSTANCE, Demi Moore, 2024. © MUBI / Courtesy Everett Collection
As Elisabeth and Sue split time living between two bodies, their color palettes grow increasingly distinct.
Elisabeth sticks with her tailored pieces in solid primary colors and never leaves the house without her yellow coat.
When she gets ready for a date, she wears a crimson dress and a red lip to match.
Photo: Courtesy of MUBI
THE SUBSTANCE, Demi Moore, 2024.
The more sparkle she steals from Elisabeth, the more glitter and sequins we see her wear.
Life as Sue is exhilarating.
Public adoration, male attention, and professional opportunities fall into her lap.
Instead, she withdrawsnever leaving the house except to collect her refill kits.
Her apartment becomes a prison of self-surveillance as images of perfect Sue taunt her from billboards and television.
As the film barrels toward its destructive end, the color symbolism becomes even more pronounced.
The path to self-destruction is paved with murky colors.
A pus-oozing purple abscess.
As Sues hunger for control grows, Elisabeths body becomes increasingly discolored with signs of age and damage.
The use of color symbolism isnt new in contemporary cinema.
Think, for example, ofPoor Things, whichdepictsthe arc of self-actualization through the colors of a rotting apple.
The horror was onscreen, but it also might be in your makeup bag.
The glow of your red light mask looks a bit more sinister.
The sticky yellow residue of tanning cream feels a bit more disturbing.
