film

Coralie Fargeat’s latest film, The Substance (2024), will be screened at La Filmoteca. If you missed it on the big screen last year, now’s your chance to catch it again. 

The film follows an ageing Hollywood celebrity, Elisabeth Sparkle, as she loses her long‑running fitness show and feels she has no choice but to try a mysterious drug known as the Substance. It creates a younger, more glamorous clone called Sue. Together the pair must alternate living in a single body on a strictly timed schedule. But, as Sue’s star power rises, Elisabeth’s physical and mental state deteriorates, transforming her into a grotesque, decaying version of herself.

The film blends horror, dark comedy and satire, taking aim at beauty standards and age-related issues within Hollywood. Demi Moore delivers a stellar performance as Elisabeth, while Margaret Qualley performs as the beautiful, younger twin Sue.