But there’s no denying that every single one of them is a strange and fascinating experience at the same time. It’s the kind of concept that could have been a sci-fi movie, but it chooses body horror and never stops escalating. Because of that, The Substance is definitely one of the two films that I would genuinely say traumatized me. Its central idea is brilliant, but it’s the way that idea is told that deserves all the attention. It sounds like a joke when you hear that, but the movie takes the idea completely seriously.