The Substance, French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat’s second film after her brutal directorial debut Revenge, has had a tumultuous road to the screen. After being developed at Universal, the movie made its way to Cannes as an acquisition title, where it made a massive splash, delighting and disgusting audiences. Although the visuals and performances in The Substance are impeccable, the bloated length and poor pacing keep the film from connecting as well as it should.

The Substance Review

The movie follows an aging, once-beloved celebrity in Hollywood who discovers what she thinks may be the opportunity of a lifetime: a black-market drug that allows her to temporarily create a better, younger version of herself. It’s an intriguing, creative premise that offers a feminist spin on a genre that is often dominated by male filmmakers and stories.

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Fargeat’s...