The Substance ending explained- Who is the monster in the end?

The recent Demi Moore starrer, The Substance, has been garnering love and accolades everywhere. Directed and written by Carolie Fargeat, this body horror satire carries a powerful, upfront, and an urgent social commentary.

The Substance is also raved due to its execution, performances, and its storyline. Along with Demi Moore, it is joined by a cast of wonderful actors, including Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, among others.

The Substance has been honoured with multiple nominations at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Demi Moore has received a Golden Globe in the category of Best Actress, along with a nomination at the Academy Awards as well.

The Substance follows the plot of an aging superstar, Elisabeth Sparkles (essayed by Demi Moore), and her deadly quest of preserving her beauty, youth, and fame.

Desperate, Elisabeth goes on to mutate a youthful alter ego of herself, named Sue (portrayed by Margaret Qualley). It can be possible through an enigmatic 'substance', only if one abides by its rules.

At the end of the film, there is an appearance of a monster. But who could that monster be? The monster is none other than a combined new version of merging both Elisabeth and Sue, that is, Monstro Elisasue. This version is not youthful at all, but is a hideous, distorted beast that has both of these women's faces.

But, what leads to the creation of this monster that erupts in the end? Let us find out its details.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers of 'The Substance'. Reader discretion is advised.

Who is the monster in The Substance?

After Elisabeth dies in the hands of Sue, she finds her own body to be declining. As her only means of survival, Sue uses the 'substance'. But the plan backfires as the fluid can only be used once. The backfiring leads to the creation of Monstro Elisasue.

Monstro Elisasue is born out of Sue, which is an amalgamation of both Sue and Elisabeth. This mutated body is terrifying and unpleasant, completely opposed to the youthful body that Sue had imagined.

The monster attempts to disguise itself into Elisabeth by donning a mask of her face, and a pair of diamond earrings. It steps into the TV show where Elisabeth was thrown out of, and was taken over by Sue.

All hell breaks loose when the audiences panic at the sight of the monster, followed by a great deal of bloodshed and mutilation to take place. However, the monster gets destroyed in the end.

The Substance - How did it all begin?

The film begins from the time when Elisabeth, who, a once sought-after superstar, finds her fame to be declining due to the industry's prevalent ageism. Her life falls into shambles when she is fired from her successful TV show. Adding to her angst, she witnesses a billboard featuring her being dismantled at the same time.

All these string of incidents leads her to believe that she is fading off the face of the earth. Eventually, she gets involved in a car accident.

After waking up at the hospital, Elisabeth comes to know about the 'substance'. She gets seduced by its captivating marketing, as this illegal drug claims to bring her youth and beauty, in short, 'perfection'. Little does she know what she is signing up for.

Nonetheless, she proceeds to use the fluid, something that can be used only once. She shoots the liquid inside her, and Sue, a younger version of Elisabeth, breaks into the world from Elisabeth's body.

The only rule of the substance usage is that either of the bodies remains conscious, and it must consistently keep interchanging at an interval of a week. The dormant body survives through drip, as it lies insentient. Sue's body is dependent on Elisabeth's, as a fluid is being taken out of Elisabeth's body and injected into Sue's body regularly.

Even though they are one, they are also separate people at the same time. Sue, the youthful form of Elisabeth is now enjoying stardom and celebrity status whereas the original celebrity Elisabeth has fallen into the depths of self destruction.

However, one day, owing to Sue's carelessness, the cycle of the drug intake gets disrupted. Elisabeth's condition sadly breaks down, as she is rapidly aging. She and Sue are at odds with each other. Their power dynamics shift as Sue does not cooperate with Elisabeth anymore and thus, holds all the fluids with herself.

But soon, all the fluids that Sue had reserved are depleted. Upon contacting the provider, she realizes that she must interchange again with Elisabeth to preserve herself. Elisabeth, who has now aged significantly into a geriatric woman, is set to bring an end to Sue.

However, Elisabeth's situation does not go accordingly, but rather Sue becomes the one who causes an end to Elisabeth. But as the original body dies, Sue's body starts to decline. She hurriedly proceeds to take the same road as Elisabeth, to make another youthful version of her. But as we now know, her plan backfires and calls for more chaos.

It ends on a very symbolic as well as a poignant note. Upon the destruction of the face of Monstro Elisasue, Elisabeth's face parts away from the monster's body and falls over her monument, the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Her smiling face dreams of being loved and accepted by the audience, before completely dissipating into a bloody mess. Later, all her traces are washed off the pavement by a worker.

The Substance is a tale of the grave impact the patriarchy plays in the role of women in relation to their bodies and their relationship with one another. It provides us a lens showcasing the diabolical nature of showbiz and the beauty industry.