Film Preview: The Substance (2024)

Film Poster

Page Revisions:

(May 26, 2024) Original
(July 21, 2024) New Trailer (#2) — New Poster (#1) — New Release Date (changed from “Coming Soon”)
(August 25, 2024) New Trailer (#3)
(September 15, 2024) New Posters (#2-#5)

Release Date:

September 20, 2024

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.”

Poster Rating: C / C- (3) / B-

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Review: (#1, C) The empty red background might thematically fit with the image at the bottom but it does little to accentuate anything. The figure in the lower third is certainly a striking and shocking one, which might build curiosity in the viewer but it might not make this award-winning film appealing to the audience that can appreciate it.

(#2-#4, C-) This trio of concepts doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially without their context within the film. It might generate some curiosity but individually, they aren’t that compelling and combined, their simplistic design makes them mediocre. (#5, B-) Segmented designs allow for multiple film images to be arrayed in a way to make the viewer curious and this does well. It’s also nice to see the imbalance of the critics’ responses in balanced but differing locations.

Trailer Rating: C- / B / A-

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Review: (#1, C-) This teaser does nothing to entice the viewer. It talks about a scientific breakthrough that will make people look young again but never presents anything of the plot. Teasing something with no essence is a tricky prospect and this one fails.

(#2, B) While the artistic style of this second trailer is more intriguing the plot isn’t very obvious and that might make it difficult to sell the film to those who aren’t already familiar with it. Still, it has just enough intrigue to make some inroads with audiences.

(#3, A-) Whoever’s making the trailer’s for this film is steadily improving. The chaotic and bizarre nature of the film comes through while explaining a small bit of the plot. There are a few too many shots of the drug being injected into the leg to avoid excessiveness but the premise and intrigue of the plot come through brilliantly.

Oscar Prospects:

It’s debut at Cannes was well received but it sounds like a Yorgos Lanthimos knock-off and I suspect the same slow Oscar career start might apply here as well.