The Substance
The following contains spoilers for The Substance, now playing in theaters.
The climactic final performanceof the New Years Eve show shares some visual elements with Aronofskys ballet body horrorBlack Swan.
This subverts the monstrosity aspect to connote a kind of ascension to her ideal of being adored.
InThe Shining,thecarpet’s bold pattern and vivid colorscreate a sense of unease and foreboding.
This perfectly aligns with the film’s unsettling atmosphere.
InThe Substance,a similar carpet is used, although the geometric shapes used are rectangles rather than hexagons.
Custom Image By Yailin Chacon
The colors, however, are almost identical, with the orange emphasized on the walls.
The corridor is later soaked in the bloodbath, clearly referencing theredrumscene inThe Shining.
The image of her lips is repeated across multiple analogue television screens.
…Human advancement [in Videodrome] makes self-destruction necessary.
The image of the lips references Nikki, played by Debbie Harry, in the body horror classic.
This is all part of thetheme of the seduction of technology and mediain the movie.
The realm of Videodrome leaves the audience questioning whether thenew fleshis desirable as human advancement makes self-destruction necessary.
InThe Elephant Man,love and acceptance are what Merrick craves.
The birth of the Other Self from the spine inThe Substanceechoes the backburster’s emergence inAlien Covenant.
It could also be a broader reference to the body horror aspect of theAlienfranchise.
Alien subverts the traditional image of birth by presenting it as ahorrifying and invasiveprocess.
The film depicts the birth of the Xenomorph as a violent and grotesque event.
The creature bursts out of the host’s chest, tearing through their flesh.
Much like a parasite, Sue drains the life from oreats awayat Elisabeth throughout.
At the end of the scene, thefly is seen drowning in his discarded glass of wine.
Cronenberg’sThe Flyexplores the consequences of scientific hubris and theterrifying potential of biotechnology.
The film delves into themes of identity and transformation.
A similar hubris is explored inThe Substancewith Sue repeatedly overstaying her welcome against the instructions ofThe Substance’s serum.
Both movies depict femaleprotagonists driven to extremesas a result of societal oppression.Carrieoffers a critique of societal expectations.
Monstroelisasue’s actions can be seen as a powerful expression of rage and despair about thesocietal expectations imposedupon her.
The Substanceexecutes this movie reference with itswell-established satirical aplomb.
Both stories serve as cautionary tales about the dangers of unchecked indulgence and the importance of maintaining moral integrity.
These are visual representations of the male characters' unchecked hedonism.
In the context of male privilege, the men of the stories have the power to use and discard.
This is a sly nod to thetheme of ageism in the movie.
He is, of course, referring to Jessica Langes iconic scream queen role inKing Kong.
Source:AARP,Letterboxd
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