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I totally agree with your points. Don't feel uncomfortable! You wanted to love it but couldn't (it happens all the time), and expressed clearly in detail why was that case.

I believe the problem with Fargeat's movies is that she's a better director than a storyteller. She will hook you with her rich visual style, symbolism, and suspense but fail to explore the entirety of her own ideas. That's what happened to The Substance. The premise is brilliant but Fargeat leaves half of it unexplored, and trades "substance" for shock value and sensational body horror. It's a beatifully shot and directed film, but the last 25-30 minutes felt like as if Fargeat was basically trolling us. I appreciated how she pushed the boundaries of body horror, but I felt that she got lost in it way too deep. (I had the same issue with her first feature Revenge, too. The Substance is definitely a step up, though).

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Yeah, I had a similar sentiment. I'm really surprised this film isn't more divisive and that I'm seeing universal praise for it. It's far too undisciplined and all over the place unfortunately.

https://abhinavyerramreddy.substack.com/p/the-substance-a-bloody-mess?r=38m95e

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