Cannes 2024: Coralie Fargeat’s Freaky Body Horror

What would you do to stay beautiful forever? This is a question that remains on the minds of many human beings on this planet. What will they do, how far will they go? What will they sacrifice? It’s pretty much the Monkey’s Paw concept mixed with an obsession with “beauty above all, always.” The immensely talented French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat takes this concept for a totally bonkers ride in her exciting new body horror film The Substance, a vibrant spin on this trope about sacrificing oneself for endless beauty. The Substance in question is a mysterious medicinal creation from an unnamed company that allows anyone to stay beautiful – as long as they follow the rules. Much like in Gremlins, however, someone is going to break the rules and the rest of the film becomes “fuck around and find out” with the most grotesque, horrifying consequences anyone could imagine. And the crowd goes wild! The Cannes press screening audience nearly lost it – cheering and hollering and applauding ferociously at the end. This is what great horror is all about. // Continue Reading ›