The substance finally explained

The following contains spoilers for The Substance, currently playing in theatersThe substanceThe ending is a tragic end to a wild body horror comedy, emphasizing the film’s views on self-worth and self-destruction in the entertainment industry. The film focuses on the titular “Substance,” a mysterious serum and medicine through which someone can create a younger copy of themselves. This allows them to spend a week in a “perfect” body for every week in their normal form, although there are strict rules about how to maintain this process. The substanceThe main characters are two sides of the same person, the older star Elizabeth and her younger self, who dubs herself Sue.

The film is a dark comedy about the entertainment industry, but it is also quietly a tragic horror story about the lengths Elizabeth and Sue will go to achieve their ambitions, even at the cost of themselves. Steady seeing each other as rivals for their shared time, the two sides of Elizabeth finally set about their own undoing. The themes of Demi Moore’s arc in The substance Elevate the body horror comedy and add a personal level of tragedy and gravitas to the story. Here’s how the end of The substance highlights the thematic core of the film.

Elizabeth and Sue’s final transformation at the end of the material explained

The monster at the end of the movie

The ultimate transformation into The substance is tragic and terrifying in equal measure And speaks to the rest of the themes of the film. After killing Elizabeth, Sue initially believes that she got a chance to fully live her life without the burden of her old self. However, her body quickly begins to fall apart without the serum. This leads her to try and reuse the Activator Serum for one use only, only for the resulting transformation to be a grotesque hybrid of Elizabeth and Sue. Notably, Elizabeth is resurrected by this, but only as a face trapped on Sue’s body.

Seen by the public as a monster, Sue is forced to flee the New Year’s show and is finally able to make it this far before her body collapses on itself and self-destructs. There is a melancholic turn in the film, with Sue more or less killed and Elizabeth reduced to a face With a little time left. The transformation reflects the bitter side of Elizabeth and Sue that became increasingly prominent in the film, their physical form ultimately reflecting their monstrous choices. However, the film does not celebrate the transformation and instead paints them as pitiable and tragic figures.

Why Sue kills Elizabeth and what it means

Sue’s final fate does not go well

A large element of The substance is the mysterious company’s repeated efforts to convince Elizabeth to see Sue as an extension of herself. However, as the film progresses, Elizabeth and Sue increasingly see each other as enemies Wrestling for control of the same life. The findings build until Sue decides to stay in control despite the repeated warnings of the fallout, resulting in Elizabeth being reduced to a new form. When she finally regains control, she tries to kill Sue. However, her own ego and horror at her actions result in her sparing her younger self.

But when he wakes up, Sue does not share the same compassion and ultimately kills Elizabeth. Thematically, this moment underscores how much Elizabeth has lost control of her desires and self-worth. Her younger self immediately killed her real self. In the plot, this ultimately proves to be Sue’s undoing, as she quickly falls apart without Elizabeth around to safely provide the necessary serum for her continued existence. Thematically, by destroying her true self and assuming full control of her life, Sue quickly burns out and is transformed into the film’s ultimate monster.

Who is the supplier of the substance?

One of the film’s biggest questions is never answered

One of the underlying mysteries of The substance is the identity of the organization that makes it. Elizabeth only hears about it from an unnamed nurse she meets after a car crash, who believes she would be an ideal candidate for the trial. The inventor of the serum in The substance The Demi Moore movie remains a mysteryWith the organization behind it only communicating through unseen phone calls or messages. Elizabeth picks up the serum from a dead cop in downtown Los Angeles, never communicates with anyone directly about it, and never learns who made it.

The film notably does not position the organization as the problem, however. They are open in their advice and assessment of Elizabeth’s increasing tensions with Sue, but do not try to convince Elizabeth one way or the other to abandon the serum. When Elizabeth considers ending the process, they explain the rules and leave the choice in her hands. Elizabeth and Sue’s fate is decided by them and them alone. This underlines the themes of the film About how Elizabeth and Sue’s self-destruction is caused by their own decisions.

What happens to Harvey and pump it up?

Harvey represents the predatory aspects of the entertainment industry

One of the greatest tragedies of the US The substance is the lack of clear consequences for Harvey And the other producers profiting from Elizabeth and Sue’s misery. Introduced as a slimy and misogynistic producer behind Elizabeth’s workout show “Pump It Up,” Harvey relishes getting to fire Elizabeth—inadvertently playing on her insecurities and pushing her to use the serum. Harvey’s tough attitude earns him accolades and a successful show thanks to Sue. Although his New Year’s show goes down in flames, there is no indication that he will be blamed for it.

The topics of The substance Highlight how the entertainment industry can make people feel interchangeable, with a handful of ruthless figures at the top dictating the careers and lives of others on a whim. There is no apparent compromise for Harvey, whose final prominent moment in the film sees him and a group of similarly old rich white men oking the young performers and telling Sue to smile. Harvey will likely find a new star to “pump it up” and suffer no apparent consequences. This is a tragic reminder Predatory producers like Harvey still exist and succeed In Hollywood.

The real meaning of the substance

Elizabeth becomes her own worst enemy

The true moral of The substance is a tragic Highlighting how someone can (literally) become their own worst enemy. Elizabeth is underappreciated and sidelined due to her age, despite decades of success and celebrity status. Although Harvey (a man whose age is comparable to her own) is at the height of his career, her age makes her a liability. However, he and the serum aren’t what bring Elizabeth down. Instead, her own self-doubt, sense of inadequacy, and deepening self-esteem problems lead her to ignore her own beauty and potential.

Her attempt to prepare for a date, but the inability to go through it illustrates this, an opportunity for self-acceptance and inner peace that she sacrifices in place of the admiration of others. Sue’s success forces Elizabeth further into self-loathingFusing Sue’s ambitions further. Their increasing mental division turns two sides of the same person into bitter enemies. Elizabeth and Sue are their own worst enemies, and this leads to a tragic end for both. The substance is a powerful story that uses body horror to highlight how societal expectations can shape a person into something unrecognizable.