Part 4/5:
The Substance is praised for its ambitious and audacious approach, its stunning cinematography, and its exceptional performances, particularly from Demi Moore, who delivers a potentially career-best turn. The reviewer acknowledges that the film's exploration of the complexities of body image and aging may create a conflict within the audience, as they are asked to empathize with the characters' insecurities and also be repulsed by the more extreme body horror elements.
However, the reviewer argues that this conflict is a reflection of the nuanced and multifaceted nature of how we perceive our own bodies and the aging process. There is no simple, binary response, and the film's ability to capture this emotional volatility is what makes it so disturbing and powerful.