Horror's Perspective on Beauty

Even though the Halloween season has already passed, I can’t stop thinking about The Substance, directed by Coralie Fargeat. This body horror movie starring Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore blends grotesque imagery with dark comedy in a way that feels deeply personal and relatable, especially as a woman. Aside from the horror concept, this movie has strong commentary on the intense social fixation on women’s appearances. 

The film opens with Elizabeth Sparkle, who is portrayed by Demi Moore. The once confident influencer thanks her coworkers for their birthday wishes. However, her optimism collapses when she learns that her media value has plummeted due to her age. This moment of vulnerability begins her downward spiral, as she begins making self-destructive decisions that you can’t help but sympathize with. The substance first appears when Elizabeth enters a dilapidated building and injects herself with the radioactive-looking substance. The substance causes Elizabeth’s body to generate a newer, younger, and hotter version of her that she named Sue. As the plot unfolds, you witness Elizabeth begin to sabotage herself. 

The tension escalates as Elizabeth’s relationship with Sue becomes increasingly toxic. Even as Sue’s selfish actions turn Elizabeth into a barely humanoid form, Elizabeth couldn’t bring herself to terminate Sue. Sue represents both the part of Elizabeth that she still loves and the beauty standards that have marginalized her. This inner conflict is powerfully conveyed through the film’s visual and symbolic storytelling. The relationship between Elizabeth and Sue is a powerful metaphor for the fractured identity many women experience. Sue represents the version of Elizabeth that society values: youthful, beautiful, and in line with modern beauty standards. However, this idealized version of herself becomes a source of resentment and self-loathing. Elizabeth cannot reconcile her current self with the societal expectations embodied by Sue, resulting in a toxic dynamic that mirrors the internal conflict many women feel as they age. Feminist theory emphasizes how this internal struggle is not natural but imposed by a culture that prioritizes appearance over substance.

Many viewers are hyper fixated on the creation of the substance and the organization behind it. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter. The substance is not a scam or social experiment by a twisted villain. It can be replaced by any medication or procedure that women are willing to undergo in order to reach the pinnacle of beauty. A woman's value is often tied to their physical beauty and youth, forcing them into a never-ending struggle to maintain relevance. Elizabeth's decision to inject an unknown substance into her body is a metaphorical act of submission to these unattainable standards, highlighting how the beauty industry profits off women's insecurities and their desperation to meet these ideals.

Only when Elizabeth appears as Monstro Elizasue is when she begins to love herself. Every previous shot where she looks in the mirror has reinforced the idea that she hates herself. But she is finally able to love herself at the end. Many viewers have commented that the ending was unnecessarily disgusting. From my perspective, it was well needed. The moment where Elizabeth truly felt happy and worth something was when she no longer had a body. As a fitness influencer who made a living from shaping her body, her final moments where she loses her body is when she finally feels appreciated. I found myself crying at the end, where she walks through the backstage wearing a mask of her older, undesirable self. This is the moment where she is finally able to express her craving to be loved and wanted. Elizabeth’s transformation into Monstro Elizasue can be interpreted as a feminist reclamation of her identity. Although grotesque, this new form frees her from the constraints of societal expectations and allows her to love herself for the first time. This moment challenges traditional notions of beauty and suggests that true self-acceptance can only be achieved by rejecting the external standards imposed on women. The transformation also critiques how society views women who refuse to conform: they are often labeled as "monstrous" or "unfeminine," yet this so-called monstrosity becomes a source of power and freedom for Elizabeth.