Every now and then a movie comes along that truly catches me off guard. Sometimes it’s an example of a film being much smarter than the trailers made it look (2018’s Upgrade), or a film whose scope was far beyond what it appeared to be from the trailers (The Matrix.) And then there are the movies that totally transcend any idea I could have had about what I was about to watch.

The Substance falls in that last category. This new release starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid is, in my humble opinion, truly audacious. And believe me, that’s not a term I use lightly.

Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance is a bona fide body horror movie that rivals the works of David Cronenberg. In fact, as I was watching, I kept thinking that Fargeat was channeling classic Cronenberg in all the best ways. Then, at a certain point, the film goes so far off the rails I think I may have uttered ‘WTF’ aloud. I won’t give any spoilers, and as always I would recommend avoiding spoilers if at all possible. I will say that this movie really merits that old cliche that ‘ nothing will prepare you for the ending!’

The performances are excellent. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are both outstanding and stunningly beautiful. Dennis Quaid is bonkers as the outlandishly dressed, over the top producer of a wildly popular Jazzercise type TV show. The world building gives the film a unique sense that it is set in a not-quite-our-reality, combining elements that have very retro 80s feel such as corded telephones and the highly stylized workout videos, along side modern flatscreen televisions, cellphones, and cars. And the special effects are fantastic, with plenty of genuinely mind bending images. These are some spectacular moments for the body horror genre.

This was definitely a movie that I had to think about for quite a bit after I left the theater. I was so unprepared for where it went that I wasn’t absolutely sure how I felt about it. That was when I realized that it is legitimately an audacious film. It had an undeniable effect and it still is rattling around in my head a few days after my viewing.

I have to give this one 9 out of 10 stars for going all in. When that switch flips, you better hold on tight for the ride!