Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance is a bold, grotesque, and satirical dive into the world of body horror, vanity, and Hollywood’s brutal fixation on youth. Following Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a fitness icon desperate to reclaim her glory days, the story explores the dark lengths one might go to for rejuvenation. When Elisabeth injects a mysterious elixir to regain her youthful appearance, it spawns her younger doppelgänger (Margaret Qualley), igniting a twisted rivalry between the two halves of her identity. In this candy-colored nightmare, The Substance exposes how our obsession with youth can lead to a moral struggle, haunted by the reflection staring back. If you enjoyed its surreal horror and piercing commentary, here are eight movies like The Substance that blend psychological depth, body horror, and biting satire.

1. Men (2022)

Alex Garland’s Men is a visceral psychological horror that delves into the cyclical trauma of grief and self-perception.