The Substance critiques the societal obsession with perfection by exposing its inherent contradiction. Beauty is both unattainable and unsustainable—fundamentally paradoxical. Beauty is a construct that is impossible to embody because it is ever-shifting.
My favorite metaphor is probably Elizabeth’s discarded body, perhaps a representation of trauma or the parts of ourselves we cast aside in shame. After creating Sue with the substance, Elizabeth abandons her own body and leaves it behind in a dark room. This act of rejection is…
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The Substance 2024
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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Blink Twice 2024
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This movie relies on an outdated plot, centered around the dumb premise of women agreeing to board a private jet with a group of random, wealthy white men—a question the characters literally ask themselves halfway through. A good 60% of the film is spent watching unlikable characters get high on shrooms and alcohol while prancing around in all-white gowns. It feels like an orgy for most of the runtime, until the violent scenes of sexual assault and murder start to…
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
In a Portrait of a Lady on Fire, love is painted in shades of longing, framed by the constraints of the late 18th century. Its Victorian backdrop binds two women in a world where their love can only bloom behind closed doors. Every shot of the film, from its delicate lighting to its magnificent composition, resembles an oil painting—art itself becomes a lover, which immortalizes that which can never truly be held. The story unfolds through the eyes of women,…
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