# The Substance

# The Skinny

Demi Moore plays a fading-from-fame celebrity who has a unique opportunity to share life - and reboot her career! - with a younger/better version of herself via "the substance."

# The Good

This movie is absolutely bonkers - and I mean that as a complement! I went in knowing absolutely nothing (so I'll keep things vague so you can have the same experience), but the trailer and plot summary tell us that by taking the substance, Demi agrees to a strict life-sharing rotation with her younger/better self - one of them being "alive" for a week while the other is in a hibernation state. What I'm hinting at (perhaps obviously) here is that if the two Demis don't take care of each other, there are...consequences.

# The Bad

Even though the absurdity got to a point where I started to view the story as some sort of freakish fairy tale, I squirmed uncomfortably at some of the situations Demi and Demi got themselves in as they tried to balance relationships and hold a job. Also, Dennis Quaid plays a perfect "bad" TV executive calling the shots on Demi's career. He's over-the-top repulsive, which makes for a fun watch.

# The Ugly

As visually and thematically ugly as some of the scenes and themes are, I’d have to imagine they hit home for people in careers where physical appearance is of paramount importance.

# The Bottom Line

I was glued to the screen, constantly wincing while wondering what was going to happen next.

# Score

4/5 stars