Movie Review

Demi Moore has much more than just style in The Substance

Demi Moore in The Substance.

Photo courtesy of MUBI

The beauty standards put upon women (and, occasionally, men) in the movie and TV industry have long been ridiculous, although little has changed over the years. Many actors still feel the need to cosmetically enhance themselves in order to appear younger than they are to, in theory, snag roles for which they normally wouldn’t be considered.

In The Substance, Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading star who’s about to be kicked off of her long-running exercise show because a network executive, the not-so-subtly-named Harvey (Dennis Quaid), wants someone “younger and hotter.” Soon thereafter, Elisabeth learns about a treatment called “The Substance” that would allow her to transform into an idealized version of herself.

Ah, but there’s a catch: She can only do it for seven days at a time, and if she fails to change back after a week, there are consequences. At first, her "younger" self, who goes by Sue (Margaret Qualley), is diligent about switching back and forth, but as Sue’s rising fame goes to her head, she becomes greedy, borrowing time from Elisabeth in a way that is detrimental to them both. It’s only a matter of time before things come to a head.

Written and directed by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, the film is one of the most stylish of the year. Fargeat uses unusual perspectives and eye-grabbing colors to enhance her storytelling, and the visuals and the plot complement each other extremely well. Particularly notable is her depiction of Harvey, an obnoxious and sexist person made even more disgusting by the way Fargeat zooms in on his face while he’s spouting nonsense, eating prawns, and more.

The wild premise of the film only increases in insanity as it goes along, and little can prepare viewers for just how off-the-wall it gets. Gradually, the stylishness gives way to grotesqueness, and Fargeat holds little back in this regard. Without divulging exactly what happens, suffice it to say that the unattainable sexiness that is shown in part of the film is counteracted by some extreme ugliness, and it’s as hilarious as it is off-putting.

Even as it exposes the shallow part of the entertainment industry, the film has a weird anachronism to it. The fall of Elisabeth and rise of Sue revolves around, of all things, a network TV exercise show, something that’s rarely been a ratings monster, and certainly not at the levels stated in the film. It could be argued that, with all of the other strange stuff going on, Fargeat wanted to divorce the film from any semblance of reality, but it still stands out.

While it’s easy to read parallels between the 61-year-old Moore and Elisabeth, the real genius in casting Moore in this particular part is that she has long been confident in her own body, appearing nude while pregnant on the cover of Vanity Fair and starring in Striptease, among other things. This role requires her to be more vulnerable than most other women her age would be willing to be, but her confidence still shines through. The combination of her physicality and her acting makes a big impact, especially as things start to devolve for her character.

On the other end of the spectrum is the objectification of Qualley in order to prove Fargeat’s larger point. Rarely is a moment missed to zoom in on her body as she takes over the dance show or to have Quaid’s character comment on her looks. Both Qualley and Quaid play their over-the-top roles very well, with each seeming to know exactly what they signed up for.

You may not find a more intensely entertaining film in 2024 than The Substance, one that effectively makes its argument about unreasonable body standards in Hollywood while delivering visuals audiences won’t soon forget. With standout performances by Moore, Qualley, and Quaid, it’s not to be missed for those who don’t have queasy stomachs.

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The Substance opens in theaters on September 20.

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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