The Substance is one of the trippiest horror films of the modern era, and one clever fan theory makes it even more mind-boggling. The 2024 critical darling stars Demi Moore as an aging actor who uses a mysterious new drug to recapture her youth. Through not-so-subtle commentary, The Substance picks apart the ageism and Sєxism of Hollywood.
Instead of relying on conventional scares, The Substance opts instead for a body horror approach, combining gross special effects with a distinct visual style. The horror-as-metaphor approach is all the rage in modern cinema, but The Substance takes things one step beyond by exploring the furthest reaches of its own heady ideas.
Naturally, this sort of movie has inspired a lot of conversation and fan theories regarding what The Substance actually means. While some theories are as outlandish as the movie itself, others are grounded and could actually be true. One particular theory completely recontextualizes the movie, but it doesn’t necessarily make it a better experience.
One Fan Theory Suggests The Substance Takes Place In Elizabeth’s Head
The folks over at Reddit provide no shortage of fan theories, but user Clear-Rest-988 posted a theory on the r/TheSubstance that actually makes sense. The user wrote, “I had a thought. What if it was all in Elizabeth’s head?” They went on to explain, “after the first hit…Elizabeth pᴀssed out, possibly hits her head and then has this crazy nightmare.“
Demi Moore was nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars for her role in The Substance.
Essentially, the theory presents the idea that the bulk of the film was just a dream before dying. Elizabeth has vivid nightmares about her journey using the тιтular drug, and her own anxieties influence the way the story plays out. She is aware of her own replacement, so that fear alters the trajectory of her dreamscape.
The user supports this theory by pointing out that the entire process of attaining “The Substance” looks like a scam. The fact that it’s “marketed towards desperate people” is another tip-off, suggesting an illicit recreational drug instead of a miracle cure for aging. The movie offers few clues to support any theory, so the user’s ideas sound plausible.
Elizabeth & Sue Being Awake At The Same Time Supports The Theory
One aspect of the movie that the Reddit user failed to mention actually further supports their theory. As the film gets weirder and weirder, there comes a time when Sue and Elizabeth are awake at the same time and can interact with one another. This shouldn’t be possible according to the movie’s established rules, suggesting an almost dreamlike state.
Since Sue and Elizabeth are supposed to be the same person all along, their uncoupling could be seen as evidence for the fan theory but leaves questions unanswered. If everything is Elizabeth’s dream, it stands to reason that she may forget how the drug is supposed to work, and allow her imagination to color outside the lines.
In that way, Sue can embody all of her worst fears, and manifest physically. It does get a bit muddled when Sue seems unaware of the plan to terminate her, almost as if they share no actual connection. This could be more proof of the theory, since it uses dream logic instead of a strict adherence to the facts.
The Themes Of The Substance Still Work If This Theory Is True
The best part of the fan theory is that it doesn’t change the movie’s message. Since The Substance is a wild ride to begin with, the “it was all a dream” theory doesn’t detract from the brilliant themes that the film is putting forward. The story is all about Elizabeth’s inward experience, and that’s unaltered.
The horror is window dressing for the film’s message about aging and Sєxism, and that point is made even in a dream. If Elizabeth’s nightmares are so disturbing, it reveals more about her character than any specific scene. If she views herself as a monster in her dreams, she doesn’t need to be that monster in the real world.
Elizabeth can live vicariously through Sue in her dreams, but she can also imagine parts of herself that don’t really exist. Sue and Elizabeth are quite different, and in that way, the younger woman can be a dreamlike manifestation of what Elizabeth wishes she could have been all along. She dreams of a youth that couldn’t possibly exist.
This Theory Being True Would Make The Substance A Worse Movie
While the fan theory doesn’t take away from the movie’s deeper message, it would make The Substance a worse horror film. Body horror can be outlandish and weird, but it relies on an ounce of plausibility to be terrifying. If Elizabeth’s descent is only a dream, it makes the shocking climax a lot less effective.
Part of the value of The Substance is its bombastic finale, and the story builds its suspense to a fine point. If that scene isn’t real, it strips away the gross-out factor and turns it into a farce. The over-the-top ending is the payoff to the rest of the story, but without its reality, it’s just one big joke.