"The Substance" is a dark modern fable that starts out blaming men for reducing women to sex objects and then cuts deeper. Fargeat saves a special rage for women who conspire in their own diminishment, trading their soul in a pulse beat for a few more shining hours as a goddess.

The Substance” blowtorches a single idea for two hours and 20 minutes, and narratively it turns to ashes by minute 40. It’s easier for a movie to become a talking point that way. Film festival buzz, which “The Substance” enjoyed at its Cannes world premiere,

When it comes to upcoming horror movies, one of this year’s best may be hitting theaters this weekend, with Demi Moore’s body horror flick The Substance causing quite a stir amongst critics since its premiere at Cannes.