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The Substance, which was released on September 20, 2024, is a body horror dark comedy-drama film directed by Coralie Fargeat. The film follows Elisabeth Sparkle played by Demi Moore, a washed-up celeb who chugs down a sketchy drug called The Substance to rewind the clock on her looks.
That's when Sue (Margaret Qualley), her younger and more youthful doppelganger appears, and the two versions fight for dominance in a completely manic and grotesque manner. Dennis Quaid also joins the madcap as Harvey. It probably also helped that The Substance was a direct and satirical look at beauty standards, injecting a sense of morbid fascination in fame.
For those who appreciate this unique mix of horror, humor, and provocative themes about body dysmorphia and identity, here are 7 more films similar to The Substance.
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Under the Skin, Black Swan and 5 other body horror films similar to The Substance
1) Under the Skin (2013)
Under the Skin is a sci-fi thriller released in 2013 by Jonathan Glazer, where Scarlett Johansson plays an alien who lures men in Scotland into her van. Her character operates a van, seducing men to trap them men before drowning them in a questionable pool of water.
The themes of identity, humanity, and alienation are explored in the movie to the fullest and reflected in her stellar performance marked by the lack of emotions and yet being extremely mesmerizing.
Something rather interesting about the movie is that the men invited into the van were non-actors, real people who were caught on camera. Audiences were captivated by its beautiful visuals, the otherworldly music, and the eerie portrayal of the main character by Scarlett Johansson.
Similarly to The Substance, Under the Skin is about the difference between the shell and the core and can be watched with great interest by fans of body image and identity issues.
2) Black Swan (2010)
Black Swan is a psychological thriller and is directed by Darren Aronofsky. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a ballerina who is so fixated on being the best that she loses herself in the process. Co-starring is Mila Kunis as Lily, her rival and her evil twin sister. When Nina gets into the characters of the White and Black Swan in “Swan Lake”, the woman loses touch with reality and experiences severe psychological and physical changes.
Audiences were hooked on the high-stakes depiction of the struggle against perfectionism, Portman’s inspiring acting, and the visually arresting aesthetics of the movie. Like The Substance, Black Swan also deals with the issues of identity, metamorphosis, and the shadowy side of the desire for perfection.
3) The Human Centipede (2009)
In The Human Centipede, director Tom Six crafts a grotesque horror experience that revolves around the sinister Dr. Heiter, played chillingly by Dieter Laser, who kidnaps three unsuspecting tourists to fulfill his nightmarish surgical fantasy: joining them from the mouth to rectum surgically so that they form a human centipede.
The movie explores disturbing themes of body ownership and scientific experimentation, with Ashley C. Williams, Ashlynn Yennie, and Akihiro Kitamura fighting for survival in a mix of horror and dark humor. Its provocative story and visuals intrigued audiences.
Similarly, the 2024 film The Substance delves into the grotesque mix of science and morality, highlighting the ethical consequences of experiments, leaving a lasting mark on the horror genre.`
4) The Skin I Live In (2011)
In the film The Skin I Live In. the director Pedro Almodóvar explores the themes of identity and revenge in the plot about the plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Ledgard played by Antonio Banderas. After a terrible accident, Ledgard becomes obsessed with the idea of constructing a brand new, invulnerable skin; therefore, he decides to kidnap and use Vera, a very expressive Elena Anaya.
The film is filled with the themes of trauma, transformation, and the search for identity that subverts the conventional notions of beauty and power.Its narrative style was gripping, and its visuals were rich and compelling, while its characters and their emotions and relationships were daring and uncharted.
In a similar manner, the 2024 film The Substance also dwells on the dark side of scientific pursuit, raising questions on the moral implications and psychological costs of scientific advancement, and challenging the audience to face the vulnerability of humanity in a constantly shifting terrain of right and wrong and self-identity.
5) Jennifer's Body (2009)
In Jennifer’s Body, directed by Karyn Kusama, Megan Fox plays the role of Jennifer, a high school girl who turns into a man-eater after a failed sacrifice intended for a band promotion. The beautiful girl turns into a man-eating creature and begins hunting local boys, and her best friend, Needy, portrayed by Amanda Seyfried, has to face the nightmare.
This black comedy horror movie focuses on the aspects of female friendship, sexual desire, and social pressure, which helped the film to gain the status of a cult movie for its wit and the position of the female characters in the context of the male gaze.
In the same way, the 2024 movie The Substance revolves around the themes of identity and desire and tells a story that questions morality and the concept of the self, forcing the viewers to face the implications of their actions in a world that is not always black and white.
6) The Fly (1986)
In the film The Fly directed by David Cronenberg, the leading actor Jeff Goldblum breathes life into the character of Seth Brundle, a mad scientist who ends up combining himself with a fly through teleportation. The process of his metamorphosis into a monstrous creature is shown in the movie and it reveals the audience to such themes as identity, loneliness, and the price of greed.
His love interest, Veronica, is played by Geena Davis, who equally has to deal with the horror of Seth’s transformation.The audiences were hooked on the themes of body horror as well as the film’s more sensitive themes, and the groundbreaking special effects.
In the 2024 movie The Substance, the authors also explore the negative aspects of scientific probing and the instability of human essence as well as question the concepts of ethicality and sin in the context of the fast-moving world of technological progress.
7) Old (2021)
In M. Night Shyamalan's Old, a family vacation takes a sinister turn when a secluded beach reveals its deadly secret: time passes rapidly, aging the visitors years in mere hours. The film stars Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps as parents who are forced to confront the surreal reality, and the themes of mortality, time, and the fear of aging.
Its suspenseful atmosphere and thought provoking premise drew viewers in and made them think about life’s fleeting nature. Like these existential themes,The Substance also takes on the human experience through the prism of scientific experimentation, forcing characters to confront their own realities and the far-reaching effects of time and choice, furthering the exploration of what it truly means to live.
These 7 films similar to the Cannes award winning The Substance are a great watch for all that enjoy the grotesque visuals and thought provoking themes of the body horror genre.
The Substance is available on Mubi.
