MovieChat Forums > The Substance (2024) Discussion > I didn't like these two particular aspec...

I didn't like these two particular aspects...

posted 3 months ago by jcdugger (395)
14 replies | jump to latest

1) I think they should have shared memories/experiences, something along those lines. If you're Demi Moore, why would you care so much if someone else was using a part of yourself to have fun? Demi didn't experience the things the other body was doing, didn't have any memories of it...why keep giving up parts of your body and your valuable time to essentially show a younger version of yourself a good time? This only makes sense if Demi gets something out of the deal. She still lost her job...she was miserable and eating all the time...she wasn't getting laid or out partying...she wasn't accumulating fun memories...I hardly see why she'd keep this up, especially after losing a finger.

2) Early in the movie, I thought for sure the hook was going to be that in order to continue living the fun/young lifestyle, the company producing The Substance would want more and more money. But they didn't seem to have any financial gain whatsoever out of the deal! Again, like Demi, I'm not sure what their motivation might have been. Why do they exist? They apparently pay for and maintain a staff, a 1-800 number, a storage unit, and a delivery system. I'm sure doctors/scientists which developed the drug would have to get paid big dollars as well. And for what? Just to screw over a random person? Who's funding this and why?

[–] Melton (5549) 2 months ago

Agree on both points. The script needed a few more drafts to iron these issues out, but I suspect the industry was too busy patting Fargeat on the back for being a female writer/director making a film about beauty standards that they didn't bother with pesky quality control.

The film sort-of gets away with it as an over-the-top black comedy, and while watching a grotesque mutant shit an umbilical tit out of its eye socket I wasn’t thinking about these issues, but on later reflection they really undermine the film’s more serious intentions.

[–] [deleted] 2 months ago

Very well put.

[–] macken74 (663) a month ago

Exactly !!

[–] calvinice (12) a month ago

I completely agree with you. Melton.
Once the older self realized she was getting the sour part of the deal, she should have terminated the contract.

[–] Melton (5549) a month ago

Yep, and not only should Demi have aborted the project - she never should have signed up in the first place.

The first thing anyone would do is ask basic questions like ‘and will I experience all the joys and success of my younger self?’ Once you heard that the answer is ‘no’ anyone would be like ‘WTF? no then’

The film kept reaffirming the message ‘you are ONE’ but that wasn’t true. They were two separate people with a bizarre physical dependency on each other.

Bad writing.

https://moviechat.org/tt17526714/The-Substance/673bddd27ccd5b684cf4c919/I-didnt-like-these-two-particular-aspects?reply=6780defd70f5f842abcb245d

[–] DeadMac1 (214) a month ago

You can also put it this way....If you're Demi Moore, would you care so much of coming out of your own body, as hot and young version of yourself which you desperately wanted?

The young version indeed have all the memories until they split.

So, infact both are original. It's just that the older version have to continue with her body. While the Demi Moore (who had turned old and fragile), now with younger body, got what she wanted and started to enjoy her life!

Both had to respect each other's existence, but practically, it cannot work out. And that's what the movie is about - The Susbtance's failure.

[–] jcdugger (395) a month ago

Uh, yeah, I would certainly care, if I were Demi Moore, that a young person was coming out of my body! If I'm Moore, I'd be thinking...The other girl has all the fun, while I sit at home, get no NEW memories, get no experiences, and start losing body parts while aging wildly...Yeah, great deal for me!

Ok, so the young version had all the memories before they split...again, this does nothing for Demi Moore. Everything helps the younger body, Demi gets the shaft (except she's not even getting that, the young girl gets all the pole!)...so why would Demi keep going with it? I hardly see the motivation from her end. Especially at the physical cost. Heck, even if there were no cost...I'm not giving up my time so some young version of me can have a bunch of fun. What is the current "me" getting out of that arrangement?

[–] DeadMac1 (214) a month ago

You still didn't get it. Sue (Margaret Qualley) is Elisabeth, also.

This is similar situation like 'The Prestige' where Hugh Jackman clones himself letting the original die; questioning whether the original doesn't happen to relish his achievement and simply sacrifices himself or is the clone, original?

The other girl has all the fun, while I sit at home, get no NEW memories, get no experiences, and start losing body parts while aging wildly...Yeah, great deal for me!

Nope! At that moment when she decides to use the substance she thought of turning young! And that happened; After she went unconscious, she woke up to find herself with a younger body.

Point is that you can view it this way also - Original Demi Moore transformed but got bagged with one old stranger whom she will have to take care. And you can view it this way also - Original Demi Moore gave birth to some stranger. Paradoxically true it is and that's why this method will never work with anyone and hence the whole project failed - and that's what the movie is about.

[–] jcdugger (395) a month ago

No, I completely get it. It just should have been written differently to include Demi getting something out of the experience. Sure, Demi Moore wanted to be young and sprouted a young version of herself. But, again, without shared memories/experiences, Demi just sits at home and ages badly while someone else is out having all the fun. This is not a great deal for Demi, as the movie shows. So my point still stands...if you're Demi, why continue the charade then? You're not the one having the fun, yet you're suffering the consequences.

Like I say, if it was written better...Demi should have "felt" the joy, had the memories/experiences of the younger girl. You know when you have one of those nights where you had a great time, yet in the morning you don't remember many actual details (other than having a great time)...Somehow it should have been written like that. Have a feel for Demi thinking "I'm having too much fun in this other body, no way I'm giving this life up". Instead, Demi was simply enabling a younger version of herself to have a great time while she lost fingers and ate junk food and aged badly and so on. Again, not sure why anybody would continue with that transaction. Sure, she wanted to be young...but as herself I'm sure. Not as a different person (a younger "you") who you share no memories or experiences with.

I just think it would have worked a whole lot better if Demi woke up and knew/felt/experienced how much fun she was having in her young body. Then of course you wouldn't want to give that up at any cost. But to just "birth" a younger version of you who takes 2 weeks of your life at a time, ages you badly, and your older self gets nothing out of the ordeal in return, that's dumb. And also the makers of the Substance should have been getting paid somehow. They also seemed to get nothing out of the situation, other than humiliating someone.

[–] DeadMac1 (214) a month ago

Demi just sits at home and ages badly while someone else is out having all the fun.

This is true.

Demi is having all the fun while someone else sits at home and ages badly.

This also very much true.

Hence the paradox and a problem for the one who ages. That's why the Substance is not a workable product since it does not provide shared memories - but anyone can get carried away and get infatuated with it first - thinking about the second option. Just like how one can get carried away with drugs/alcohol/cigarettes and then repent later. That's human nature.

[–] Melton (5549) a month ago

Yep, and not only should Demi have aborted the project - she never should have signed up in the first place.

The first thing anyone would do is ask basic questions like ‘and will I experience all the joys and success of my younger self?’ Once you heard that the answer is ‘no’ anyone would be like ‘WTF? no then’

The film kept reaffirming the message ‘you are ONE’ but that wasn’t true. They were two separate people with a bizarre physical dependency on each other.

Bad writing.

[–] DavidM (908) a month ago

Exactly, is a bad written film which doesn't respect its basic premise, I don't understand why it has had such a big succes, to be honest.

[–] macken74 (663) a month ago

Absolutely poor writing !

It's crazy how folk are ignoring this ! If you are not sharing the same experiences etc then wtf is the actual point in taking the substance!

In saying that , I still enjoyed the hell out of the movie !

[–] mooville (49) a month ago

*spoiler*

I feel some are looking at this point at face value, which on the surface is a bit basic, and yes cannot be overlooked. If you think of this from a psychological point of view, the mere thought of a older woman being one with a younger version of herself was reason enough for her to go along with it.

Keep in mind the type of woman she is as well, she grew up and spent most of her life with a ritzy "forever young" mentality, think of the many women in Hollywood that get plastic surgery, they do this to look, or even feel younger. I get the points you're trying to make, but even if, I can still see a woman of Demi's kind in the movie going along with something like this.

Later on in the film, your points were met when she started screwing with the younger version of herself when she realized there's no going back, so it's not like these topics were ignored.