‘A parasite who destroys your body:’ ‘The Substance’ ending exposes the dark underbelly of a world we thought we knew

Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance has been more or less constantly in the news since May when it made its festival debut at the Cannes Film Festival. The body-horror flick is currently playing in theaters, drawing critical acclaim for its subject matter and Demi Moore’s performance.

Depicting the plight of an aging star who has to bear the brunt of the movie industry’s unrealistic beauty standards, a majority of the viewers have been left shellshocked and confused in equal measure by its ending. The gruesome conclusion is extremely poetic while simultaneously gory, and highlights the director’s intention in a near-perfect manner.

Spoilers to The Substance follow!

Towards the end, Sue (Margaret Qualley) is seen gearing up for New Year’s Eve, albeit in crisis mode: her teeth and ears both fall out as her body clearly indicates that it’s time for a new dose. However, following her scuffle with Elisabeth (which results in Elisabeth’s brutal death), there is no spinal fluid left for her to inject herself with, which prompts her to come up with a new plan.

Sue proceeds to inject herself with the fluorescent yellow black market drug (which is meant for single use only, by the way), which then results in a horror of epic proportions: instead of a young, beautiful progeny, a mutilated version, which is a combination of Sue and Elizabeth, pops out. With disproportionate organs that are misplaced all across her body, the viewers are introduced to a new protagonist — Monstro Elisasue.

In utter panic, the new version puts a paper cutout of Elizabeth on its face and decorates itself with pretty earrings and red lipstick, ready to face the audience and host the NYE gala, with Harvey (Dennis Quaid) and the producers in attendance. They are amused to see her in the cutout mask, but once it comes off, both the audience and the film break out in a frenzy.

The monstro’s body starts to give away, with blood gushing out from every possible opening. The scared audience gets drenched in it while desperately trying to escape the auditorium, simultaneously cursing Elisasue. Some of them are able to get up to the stage, and one man tries to put an end to the debacle by decapitating her with a sword.

A part of Elisasue’s body, which includes her face, manages to crawl out of the venue. She makes it to her Hollywood Star Walk of Fame tile, and the movie comes full circle, ending where it began. As she lies on the star and reminisces about her career, the mutilated mass gives away overnight, and a janitor cleans it up in the morning, bringing a gruesome end to an equally grisly tale.

The horror in Fargeat’s flick lies more in the message than the body horror elements of it. The film shows how women are discarded and deemed “old” at the convenience of the so-called “producers” (mostly men in powerful positions in the entertainment industry). The Substance is also a social commentary on the unrealistic beauty standards women are subjected to constantly, with even actresses, who are considered conventionally beautiful, being judged on the basis of ridiculous parameters.