005 - The Substance

The Screenplay Lab

This week, we’re diving into THE SUBSTANCE by Coralie Fargeat - the Academy Award-nominated satirical psychological body horror film that’s making waves with its visceral storytelling and extensive practical effects. We’ll explore how this screenplay drives readers to confront themes of aging, beauty, and perfection, all while dissecting its bold stylistic choices, from black-highlighted text to strategic formatting tricks that amplify tension and horror.

We’ll also take a deep dive into Fargeat’s signature storytelling - her influences from Cronenberg and Lynch, her fearless exploration of female empowerment, identity, and transformation, and how she meticulously crafted this screenplay from a 2017 coffee shop draft to an $18M Cannes-winning sensation.

🔬 What We’ll Analyze: ✅ The screenplay’s 5-act structure and how it delivers a tragic, unsettling narrative ✅ The dense, immersive writing style that reads like a literary experience ✅ The visual storytelling techniques- from bold fonts to POV shots inside objects ✅ Thematic breakdown: the cost of perfection, loss of identity, and society’s obsession with youth ✅ Symbolism - how motorcycles, spiders, and black screen transitions deepen the film’s meaning

If you’re fascinated by screenwriting craft, horror, and films that push boundaries, this episode is for you.

🎧 Subscribe, share, and join the conversation! Find me on Substack for deeper dives, follow my website Jeff-Barker.com, and connect on social media. Next week: A REAL PAIN by Jesse Eisenberg!

🚀 Keep writing, keep reading screenplays, and never let a "NO" slow you down.

#screenwriting #TheSubstance #Oscars #filmmaking #writing #horror

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