Anyone who has seen the latest Demi Moore-led movie The Substance is likely to have some thoughts about the film’s layered themes of existentialism and consumerism. But when Kim Kardashian shared her take on Instagram over the weekend, the conversation shifted entirely.
The reality TV star’s surface-level take on the film did not sit well with fans—leading to a wave of hilarious reactions and sharp critiques across social media.
Highlights
- Kim Kardashian was criticized for her take on the latest Demi Moore-led movie 'The Substance.'
- She praised the movie for its “amazing” visuals as well as Demi’s appearance.
- Fans of the film roasted the reality TV star’s seemingly shallow takeaway on a movie exploring complex existential and consumerism themes.
- “She’s going to be in law school forever,” one social media user remarked while another said, “the fact that the movie is almost about her.”
Kim Kardashian recently praised The Substance for its “amazing” visuals and Demi Moore’s appearance
Image credits: Kim Kardashian
Image credits: The Substance
Kim praised the movie for its “amazing” visuals and complimented the 62-year-old star for her looks in the movie.
“The visuals are amazing and she looks so amazing!” wrote the 44-year-old SKIMS founder in an Instagram story.
While her post seemed innocuous at first glance, fans of the film felt her immediate thoughts on the movie were missing the mark.
Fans of the film roasted the reality TV star’s seemingly shallow takeaway on a movie exploring complex themes of existentialism and consumerism
Image credits: Kim Kardashian
Image credits: Kim Kardashian
“I love that kim kardashians take away from the substance was that the visuals r amazing and demi more [sic] looks hot,” one joked, while another quipped, “she watched the movie with her eyes closed.”
Many pointed out the irony, noting that the film is “almost about her,” with one adding, “not at all surprised that she would completely miss the point.”
“She missed the point....not surprised at all tbh,” another agreed.
“She’s going to be in law school forever,” one social media user remarked, while another said, “the fact that the movie is almost about her”
Image credits: Kim Kardashian
One commented, “She’s going to be in law school forever.” Kim has been pursuing a career in law since 2018.
Comparisons also appeared in the comments section, with one user saying: “This is sort of like an AI watching the Terminator.”
“jeffrey dahmer after watching the silence of the lambs: the visuals are amazing and she looks amazing!” said another.
“This is crazy considering Kim Kardashian would absolutely not only use the Substance but market it on Instagram,” one said.
Demi Moore discussed how the movie explores the violence we inflict on ourselves through societal pressures to look young
Image credits: The Substance
Image credits: The Substance
The Coralie Fargeat-directed movie, The Substance, dissects society’s obsession with physical appearance and youth.
In The Substance, Demi Moore, 61, stars as Elizabeth Sparkle, a washed-up celebrity who is fading out of the spotlight. After being axed from her aerobics show by TV executive Harvey (played by Dennis Quaid), Elizabeth tries a black market drug to create a younger version of herself (portrayed by Margaret Qualley).
“What really struck me was the harsh violence against oneself. It’s not what’s being done to you, it’s what we do to ourselves,” Demi told The Guardian about the movie.
The film was directed by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat and also stars Margaret Qualley, who plays Demi's younger version in the film
Image credits: The Substance
She noted how the movie is unlike traditional horror movies that are created merely to terrify viewers.
“There’s a depth to the exploration of our psyches, our inner dialogue, that body horror seems to amplify,” she said.
The Hollywood star, who has been in the spotlight since the ’80s, knows what it is like to struggle with self-esteem and undergo starvation and intense exercise to fit the industry’s beauty standards.
The Substance won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year
“What I did to myself,” she said about her younger days. “What I made it mean about me. Really looking at that violence, how violent we can be towards ourselves, how just brutal.”
The actress, who recently celebrated her 62nd birthday, also said “self-judgment” is something every gender goes through.
“Self-judgment, chasing perfection, trying to rid ourselves of ‘flaws,’ also feeling rejected and despair, none of this is exclusive to women,” she told the outlet.
“We’ve all had moments where you go back and you’re trying to fix something, and you’re just making it worse to the point where you’re incapacitated,” Demi said, reflecting on body image and self-judgment
She then points to a scene where Elizabeth, preparing for a date, obsessively criticizes herself in the mirror.
“We’ve all had moments where you go back and you’re trying to fix something, and you’re just making it worse to the point where you’re incapacitated,” she said. "We’re seeing these small things nobody else is looking at, but we’re so hyper-focused on all that we’re not.”
“All of us, if we start to think our value is only with how we look then ultimately we’re going to be crushed,” she added.