The success of Substance 90% Rotten Tomatoes is a perfect reminder to watch the chilling 1989 body horror movie

The substance is simultaneously a guaranteed graphic body horror to make the audience and a sly commentary on contemporary social issues – making it very reminiscent of another underrated genre gem from 1989. The best horror movies draw their power from their allegorical significance. Over the years, horror movies have been used to unpack everything from nuclear anxiety to economic inequality, giving them a unique ability to make effective social critiques. While The substance‘s message is hardly subtle, it’s a key part of the story – much like its cult 1980s predecessor.

Starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, The substance Addresses a number of resonant themes throughout his story. Moore’s character – an aging superstar, desperate to recapture her youth after being unceremoniously fired from her show – experiments with a black market drug, giving birth to a younger, more beautiful version of herself. The two competing personalities hold up a mirror to impossibly high beauty standards, misogyny, physical obsession and ageism. Before the movie ends in spectacularly cruel fashion. Although the themes are somewhat different, this approach is redolent of the 1989 horror movie, Society.

Brian Yuzna’s Society is the perfect accompaniment to the material

The material is clearly inspired by the earlier film

From a stylistic perspective, Society is perhaps the most significant influence on The substance. Directed by Brian Yuzna, the movie takes place in an all too familiar world where class is everything. An adopted child of a wealthy family begins to notice strange goings-on – wealthy acquaintances exhibit grotesque mutations and engage in seemingly murderous behavior. When he finally comes to the truth, he realizes that his family and their cabal of wealthy associates are a different species, capable of distorting their bodies and literally sucking the nutrients from those below them on the social spectrum.

Although it is more concerned with class than beauty standards, Society And The substance Use brilliantly graphic body horror to tell their stories. For example, where The substance ends with the hideously transformed”Monstro Elisasue“attempting to host the New Year’s Eve show – disgorging breasts and various organs in the process – Society ends with the infamousshunting” sequence. In this particularly gruesome scene, the monstrous antagonists collide In a wading mass of flesh before orgiastically absorbing their victims. Once seen, it’s hard to forget.

The design of Elisasue owes a clear debt to Society. The corruption of flesh through incredibly elaborate prosthetics is a hallmark of body horror, however These two movies are perhaps archetypal examples of how effective special effects can contribute to an unforgettable finale.. As a viewer, if the carnage caused by Elisasue’s transformation appealed to you, Society is an absolute must-watch.

Both Society and The Substance address important (but separate) social issues

They are powerful metaphors that challenge the viewer

Beyond the obvious visual connection, Society And The substanceThe most significant link is in their metaphorical message. The substance Takes aim at multiple targetsSkewing the male gaze (via Dennis Quaid’s Lotsham Harvey), the inevitably doomed pursuit of physical perfection, pride, the superficiality of skin-deep beauty, and the entire modern self-improvement industry—to name just a few. This helps make it one of the most memorable horror movies in recent memory, as the evocation of such resonant themes is impossible to ignore.

so too, Society Uses his genuinely disturbing horror to make an important social point. Although it addresses beauty (and the inability to trust what you see on the surface), it is most obviously a comment on modern capitalism and the parasitic way the rich consume the poor. The fact that the aristocratic elites literally suck their victims dry is not exactly subtle. however, It is a powerful visual representation of a real concern that many people have – one that only seems more relevant, three decades on.

The substance improves on society’s pattern

The 2024 film is stronger in many ways

Society is a significant cult horror movie – if only for the unbridled weirdness of the “shuntinghowever, The substance Takes many of the elements that made Yuzna’s movie successful and refines them, resulting in a movie that maintains its visual impact and strengthens its message. in SocietyThe metaphor is very straightforward. rather, The substance Uses a multifaceted social critique that is open to interpretation. This makes for a much more rewarding viewing experience that gives more meaning with each rewatch.

There are also more prosaic elements that work better in the 2024 movie. The script is sharper, and more uncomfortably funny – although both films use humor effectively. Moore and Qualley also deliver outstanding performances that surpass everything in Society. As evidenced by his multiple horror movie references, The substance is acutely aware of its genre heritage. However, this does not mean that it is not capable of improving tried and tested formulas.