The best horror movies draw their power from their allegorical significance.
Starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley,The Substanceaddresses a range of resonant themes throughout its story.
While its themes are somewhat different, this approach is redolent of the 1989 horror movie,Society.
Directed by Brian Yuzna, the movie takes place in an eerily familiar world where class is everything.
Societyis available to stream on Apple TV+.
Once seen, it is difficult to forget.
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The design of Elisasue owes a clear debt toSociety.
Likewise,Societyuses its genuinely disturbing horror to make an important social point.
The fact that the aristocratic elites literally suck their victims dry isn’t exactly subtle.
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InSociety, the metaphor is extremely straightforward.
By contrast,The Substanceutilizes a multifaceted societal critique that is open to interpretation.
This makes for a much more rewarding viewing experience that yields more meaning with each rewatch.
Societyholds a mixed 64% score onRotten Tomatoes, compared toThe Substance’s 90%.
There are also more prosaic elements that work better in the 2024 movie.
The script is sharper, and more bleakly funny although both films use humor effectively.
Moore and Qualley also deliver outstanding performances that surpass anything inSociety.
As evidenced by itsmultiple horror movie references,The Substanceis acutely aware of its genre heritage.
However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t capable of improving on tried and tested formulae.
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