The events ofThe Substancelead to a shocking ending during which Monstro Elisasue appears.The Substanceis a rare horror movie to be nominated forBest Picture at the Academy Awards. This is because of its deeper themes, as the horror film tackles ideas such as body image, beauty standards, and aging. After losing her job as the host of a workout show and becoming increasingly self-conscious of her age, Elisabeth decides to take “The Substance,” a mysterious serum which allows her to create a younger copy of herself.
Thus, Sue, a younger version of Elisabeth, is born. InThe Substance,Elisabeth and Suemust switch every seven days for the serum to continue working. Once the rules outlined by the company who provides The Substance are not followed in the film, Elisabeth and Sue’s bodies begin to degrade. At theend ofThe Substance, Sue has such contempt for Elisabeth that she refuses to switch back to her, which eventually leads to Monstro Elisasue appearing.Monstro Elisasue is the monstrous combination of both Elisabeth and Suethat appears at the end ofThe Substance.
Why Sue Becomes Monstro Elisasue In The Substance’s Ending
Sue Abuses The Substance At The End Of The Movie
At the end of the film,both Elisabeth and Sue want to stop taking The Substance. At this point in the movie, Elisabeth is unrecognizable, and appears to be much, much older than she actually is. During the climax ofThe Substance, Elisabeth and Sue get into a fight in their apartment. This ultimately results in Sue killing Elisabeth. After killing Elisabeth, Sue naively believes she will be able to live her life on her own terms. However, of course, this is not the case.
The Substance’s Best Picture Oscar Nomination Is Even More Surprising Considering This Horror First
The Substance might only be the eighth horror movie to receive a Best Picture nomination, but something else makes its success even more shocking.
As she is preparing for the New Year’s show, her body slowly begins to fall apart without the serum. Therefore, Sue tries to reuse the one-use-only Activator serum. Instead of fixing her appearance, this combines Elisabeth and Sue and turns them into Monstro Elisasue, who actually serves as the main character of the final part ofThe Substance.Monstro Elisasue is a monstrous hybrid of both Elisabeth and Sue who looks horrifyingand can hardly be understood. However, despite her appearance, Monstro Elisasue is still determined to perform at the New Year’s show.
The Meaning Of Monstro Elisasue In The Substance
Elisabeth & Sue Both Have Tragic Endings In The Substance
After the audience members at the New Year’s show are utterly horrified by Monstro Elisasue, she flees the studio and eventually collapses and explodes, spewing blood and flesh everywhere. Even though Elisabeth is killed earlier in the film, she is revived when Monstro Elisasue is born. Therefore,since Elisabeth and Sue are both parts of Monstro Elisasue, they both see the consequences of their actions. While Sue is more of a villainouscharacter inThe Substance, this final transformation is tragic for Elisabeth.
The Substance’sfinal moments are a warning against pursuing perfection instead of finding happiness in your own skin.
InThe Substance, Elisabeth is insecure about her age and appearance, which leads to her taking the serum. After Monstro Elisasue explodes, Elisabeth is technically still alive, even though she is only connected to a small piece of flesh. Regardless, she makes her way to her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Substance’sfinal moments are a warning against pursuing perfection instead of finding happiness in your own skin. Overall,the film examines the unrealistic beauty standards in the entertainment industry, and Monstro Elisasue is a result of the pressure that the industry put on Elisabeth.
How The Substance Practically Created Monstro Elisasue
A Lot Of Work Was Put Into Designing Monstro Elisasue For The Substance
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, special makeup effects artist Pierre Olivier Persin claimed that when designing Monstro Elisasue,The Substancedirector Coralie Fargeat wanted Elisabeth and Sue to look like they had been “put in a blender.“Monstro Elisasue is actually a custom-made suit that was designed from full body scans of Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, the actors who play Elisabeth and Sue in the film. VFX was then used in post-production so that Moore’s face could be added to the back of Monstro Elisasue.
Demi Moore Winning Best Actress Would Achieve This Oscars First For The Substance
Demi Moore is favorite to win 2025’s Best Actress Oscar, for her role in The Substance. If she wins, it’ll be a historic moment for a niche subgenre.
The whole process ofcreating Monstro Elisasue forThe Substancetook Persin and Fargeat over two months. All their hard work was worth it though, since the film has received rave reviews ever since its release. For its Monstro Elisasue design and the makeup Moore wears earlier in the film to make her look far older and more decrepit,The Substancewas nominated for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar. After all the hard work that was put into the film, it is great to seeThe Substancereceive so much praise.
