This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we’re delving into the grotesque and disturbing world of body horror. We’ll be comparing two films that explore the horrifying consequences of medical experimentation gone awry: The Substance (2024) and Body Melt (1993).

The Substance (2024)

Written, directed, and produced by Coralie Fargeat, this film centers on Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), renowned for an aerobics show and long career in Hollywood. On her 50th birthday she is fired – only to be replaced by a younger star. Amid her distress, a laboratory offers her a substance which promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself.

Body Melt (1993)

In this film directed by Philip Brophy and written by Brophy and Rod Bishop, the residents of Pebbles Court in the suburb of Homesville in Melbourne, Australia are the unknowing test subjects for a new variety of dietary supplement pills that arrive for free in their mailboxes. The pills are designed to produce the ultimate healthy human, but have unexpected side effects, including hallucinations and mutations.

Join us as we explore the unsettling themes of body horror, experimentation, and the dangers of scientific advancement in these two disturbing films.