The Substance

InThe Substance , Elisabeth and Sue are considered to be different version of the same person , yet the two woman have many difference of opinion that make them stand out as their own freestanding ( and flawed ) individuals . Released in 2024,The Substanceisa body repulsion moviethat follows an aging celebrity advert Elisabeth . When Elisabeth is unexpectedly sack from her task due to her age , she seeks the help of a mysterious new procedurethat supposedly create a youthful version of herself . Thus , Elisabeth make Sue . Yet , Sue and Elisabeth begin to disagree , and their mutual destruction begins from there .

Part of the illustriousness ofThe Substanceis the great performances by Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley . As Elisabeth and Sue , respectively , the women manage to act as off each otherin incredibly interesting ways . They prove that they are deeply connect , yet have irrevocable conflict that ultimately head to their undoing . Overall , The Substance’scasthelps boost the movie to fantastic altitude that are intriguing , horrifying , and perfectly disgusting . There is so much to analyze about the movie , and one great shoes to start is the distinctions between Elisabeth and Sue .

9Elisabeth Is Older Than Sue

Elisabeth Is Wiser Than Sue

One of the most obvious and most significant differences between Elisabeth and Sue is their ages . In real life , Moore is 61 , while Qualley is 29 . In this way , Sue is half of Elisabeth ’s age , and is do by otherwise because of that . Where Elisabeth is considered to be out of style and less attractive to gild , Sue is check as perfect in every direction . She is beautiful , gumptious , and bestow a Department of Energy - eyed innocence that makes her resistless to everyone around her .

The Substance explores egress of agism , misogyny , and the pursuit of young person through its body horror , never losing sight of the accelerator of the events .

Yet , at the same clock time , Elisabeth is much wiser than Sue because of her age . Although select to use the sum likely was n’t the best alternative for Elisabeth , she seems to be thrifty about the procedure . She trace all the pedagogy and is determined to stick to the rule . Sue does not experience the same , and that end up being her and Elisabeth ’s downfall . Sue ’s covetousness for her own young person leads to Elisabeth ’s speedy aging and both of their demise .

The Substance (2024) Official Poster

8Sue Looks Physically Different Than Elisabeth Does

How Sue & Elisabeth Differ Physically

The other major departure that interview notice right off the bat is thatSue and Elisabeth look different . While they both have dark tomentum and somewhat similar physiques , there are key difference between them . Sue has blue eyes while Elisabeth has fleeceable ones . Sue ’s haircloth tends to curl up and bounce whereas Elisabeth ’s is long and straightforward . Sue has a gap between her teeth that Elisabeth does not have . These distinctions are more than just geezerhood ; they makeSue and Elisabeth feel like whole unlike people .

The Substancewas organise by Gallic filmmaker , Coralie Fargeat .

There are also deviation in what Sue and Elisabeth can physically do with their bodies . Sue is incredibly pliable , but Elisabeth never shows that side of herself . Sue also seems to have more vim than Elisabeth does , and this disruption between them only widens as Elisabeth stay on to senesce . At a certain percentage point , Elisabeth can barely take the air commonly , while Sue is in prime physical health . Elisabeth ’s flaming destiny proves that Sue is stronger than she is .

Elisabeth and Sue from The Substance

Custom Image by Yeider Chacon

7Elisabeth Is Less Provocative & Trendy In Her Style Than Sue

Sue & Elisabeth’s Style Explained

An interesting level of departure between Elisabeth and Sue is their manner sense . When Sue is behave out of Elisabeth ’s back , she quickly gathers a Modern closet to fit her personality . This is mostly made up of harvest teetotum , footling shorts and skirts , and sneakers . She also wears tight athletic gear and fancy dresses . In this way , Sue is happy to show off her bodyand her match seem to love it . She is voguish , sexy , and dressed fittingly for her age .

On the other hired hand , Elisabeth is far more demure . Her wardrobe typically consist of business organisation dress , including colorful pantsuits , blouse , and jackets . Her yellow peacoat often appear in the movie , and is something she seems to hide behind , despite its bright color . Even when she raiment up , Elisabeth ’s date night dress is not especially bring out . Unlike Sue , Elisabeth ’s fashion is good , but it is used to cover up her body morethan it is to show it off . Thus , no one seems to notice her , even though she is technically a celebrity .

6Sue’s Birthmark Is In A Different Place Than Elisabeth’s

Why Did The Birthmark Change Places

One very subtle but secernate difference between Sue and Elisabeth is their nevus . When Elisabeth is cook to take her first shot of the Substance , audiences see that she has a birthmark on her torso . subsequently , when Sue look out of Elisabeth ’s body , she is show to have a standardised birthmark , but in a slightly different area of her torso . The reappearance of the birthmark shows that Sue and Elisabeth are made of the same deoxyribonucleic acid , but the change in location at the same time prove that the women are fundamentally unlike .

OneThe Substancequestionthe movie never really plunk into is the science of how Sue is created from Elisabeth . The birthmark clues audiences into how the process works . Sue is different from Elisabeth , but aspect of the two women are very standardized , so parts of Elisabeth have transferred to Sue . It seems that the nevus is a pernicious detail that shows hearing how the fair sex are connected . It also sets up the shocking reveal that the old human race in the diner is also the young man from the doctor ’s part .

5Elisabeth Is More Self-Conscious Than Sue

Elisabeth’s Missed Opportunity Explained

When it come to personality , one of the biggest differentiation between Elisabeth and Sue is thatElisabeth is very self - conscious while Sue is far from it . The whole reason whyElisabeth use up the Substancein the first place is because she begrudge her age and wants to look different . At the same time , Sue puts herself like a shot into the limelight and eats up the attention . Elisabeth is surely jealous of all the love Sue is get , but ca n’t manage to put herself out there in the same way .

One particularly upsetting part of the film that reflects Elisabeth ’s want of self - confidence is when she has a engagement with one of her sure-enough high school classmates .

One particularly disconcerting part of the picture show that reflect Elisabeth ’s lack of self - confidence is when she has a date with one of her erstwhile high school day classmates . Elisabeth is seemingly delirious about the day of the month and is await onward to the care he previously show her . Yet , when she gets all dressed up , she overthinks how she calculate and stop up ghosting her date . Elisabeth easy could have gotten the validation she wanted , but instead , became overwhelmed by her own ego - cognisance .

Margaret Qualley as Sue scared and on the floor with blood on her face in The Substance

Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading celebrity, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth by creating a younger, more beautiful version of herself. But splitting time between her original and new body leads to horrifying consequences as her alternate self, Sue, begins to unravel her life in a disturbing body-horror descent.

4Sue Isn’t Disgusted With Harvey But Elisabeth Is

What Harvey Represents In The Substance

Although much ofThe Substancerevolves around Elisabeth and Sue , other characters create obstacles for the two women . One of those obstacle is Harvey . play by Dennis Quaid , Harvey is Elisabeth and Sue ’s misogynistic and disgusting boss . From the very commencement , it is clear that Harvey is a terrible person , and Elisabeth does n’t seem to like him very much . However , Sue does n’t seem to have any squeamishness with Harvey , even when he objectifies her . William Harvey is certainly nicer to Sue , but the substance of his character does n’t really change all that much .

The physical structure horror film The Substance , starring Demi Moore , has gotten rave revaluation since its release .

Ultimately , it seems like Sue can put up with Harvey well than Elisabeth because Sue is still utile to Harvey . Harvey needs Sue to make money , and on the flip side , Sue needs Harvey to keep her famous . Elisabeth is entirely out of this equivalence after Harvey discharge her , so it is easier for her to detest him . However , at the destruction of the 24-hour interval , Harvey continues to represent the atrocious ideals that lodge can defend about women and their age , no matter who he is talking to .

Demi Moore and Dennis Quaid in The Substance Surrounded by Thumbs up symbols

3Sue Is At The Start Of Her Career Where Elisabeth’s Is Over

Could Elisabeth Have Continued Her Career?

Small details away , Sue and Elisabeth have vastly different lives . Where Elisabeth is hide out in her flat all day , glued to the idiot box and emphasis cooking , Sue is out on the town film her show and doing magazine shoots . Elisabeth is seemingly at the tail remainder of her career , whereas Sue is at the very startle of hers . However , it is significant to take down that Elisabeth was successful in her youth , and earned accolades that Sue never got , once again show that Elisabeth ’s experience trumps Sue ’s .

Better yet , Elisabeth could have accepted that her calling was over and find solace in get back down and forming connections with people .

One question that lingers overThe Substance’sendingis whether Elisabeth could have quicken her life history without Sue . Though it is true that Harvey fired her , peradventure there was another manufacturer who might have seen something in her . Maybe Elisabeth could have pivoted into more serious acting rolesrather than aerobic exercise . Better yet , Elisabeth could have accepted that her career was over and found solace in settling down and forming connexion with people . Yet , Sue ’s ambitions never allowed this to happen .

imagery-from-The-Substance–3

2Elisabeth Wants To Stay Young But Sue Doesn’t Care

Why Sue Ignores Elisabeth

A major divide between Elisabeth and Sue inThe Substanceis the fact thatSue take away advantage of the Substance and leaves Elisabeth to deteriorate . Elisabeth ’s independent objective in the moving picture is to keep open her vocation and remain youthful through Sue . That mean she cares deeply about Sue ’s succeeder , while also remaining implicated with her own looks . Thus , when Sue overextends her prison term , leading Elisabeth ’s hand to rapidly get on , she is horrified . Sue ’s only continues to go out Elisabeth in the dust , while Elisabeth is desperate to remain young and beautiful .

The Substance is a cinematic hoarded wealth trove , packed with in spades unsubtle reference and Easter eggs that devote court to classic horror films .

Overall , Sue ’s lordliness is the primary reason Elisabeth ’s life history is destroyed . Sue does n’t respect Elisabeth ’s life or her desire . She plainly wants to be celebrated and concentrate on her own living . Yet , as the Substance warns , their lives are intertwine , so Elisabeth ’s downfall will only head to Sue ’s . This is a vast difference between Sue and Elisabeth . While Elisabeth respects the balance between herself and Sue , Sue snub the rulesfor her own welfare . She already has everything and does n’t care what happens to Elisabeth in the meantime .

Headshot Of Demi Moore In The 77th Cannes Film Festival 2024

1Sue Is More Horrified By Her Transformation Than Elisabeth Is

Why Does Elisabeth Accept Her Transformation

A final subtle but interesting point that split up Elisabeth and Sue inThe Substanceis the fact thatSue is far more horror-struck by her transformation than Elisabeth is . Although Elisabeth is ashamed and disgusted by her aging body , she is drive to accept these variety as just being part of life . Even when she is completely debile , she does n’t give up altogether . She even considers letting Sue live . This ends up being the entirely wrong decision .

The Substancehas a 90 % on Rotten Tomatoes .

On the other script , Sue is all alarm by the changes occurring to her body . She is scared by the chicken bone that comes out of her stomach and monster out when her tooth and nail begin to fall out . Notably , Sue ’s transformation is far flaming than Elisabeth ’s , but then again , Sue has much more to lose than Elisabeth does . Thus , their reaction inThe Substanceshow how they are in dissimilar places in biography , and what they are unforced to give up for fame and worship .

Headshot Of Margaret Qualley

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Elisabeth Sparkle , a pass fame , turns to a mysterious drug that promises to reinstate her young by creating a younger , more beautiful version of herself . But split up sentence between her original and young torso leads to horrifying outcome as her alternate self , Sue , begins to run her life in a troubling body - repugnance bloodline .

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The Substance