This got some buzz from the 2024 year horror scene. And yeah, it’s got some interesting stuff going on. It’s both pretty and ugly, the opening scene establishes that pretty quick. Goes full Kubrick The Shining for visuals while being full Cronenberg body horror, with a dash of Aronofsy’s Requiem for a Dream and Verhoeven’s Showgirls! Yuzna’s Society comes to mind, too. Shit, just needs some spaceships or robots to stick the perfect landing!
Elisabeth Sparkle has had her time in the limelight. But like everything else, Time kicks ya in the teeth and moves on like the unrelenting unfair bastard it is. But ‘Liz’ (Demi Moore going full 60s Striptease here), she doesn’t want to relinquish her time in that spotlight. When a totally suspect and really not even legitimate opportunity comes up, she jumps at the chance for re-relevance, and ‘Sue’ is...unleashed (with a full whizbang performance by Margaret Qualley). What some people will go through to hold on to that torch is...disturbing. But there are strict rules. Weird. The process reminds me of...damn, I can’t quite place it… Andromeda Gnome? No..that’s not quite right. Shit. I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually.
This is a pretty good slow burn kind of flick looking at Beauty, Fame and, I dunno, some weird take on feminism? Nothing lasts forever unless you’re the Highlander and obviously, there can be only one there, so everyone else needs to find their own ride! Using the obvious Narrative Device here, I guess it’s kind of a MacGuffin? It’s the premise made flesh, so to speak, as it plays out in hyper-inflated misogynistic roles, it goes high class strip club gyrating for televisonal “exercising” entertainments full of Glory. Yeah. But seriously, this is some new Cronenberg body horror kinda shit with a good gut-kick or two. The Ending is...spaceship and robot-free, unfortunately. It reminds me of Meet the Feebles for whatever reason. The twisted journey to get there is pretty good though. Id vs Ego? Naw, basically just Ego vs Ego. Fucked up premise, it’s executed well.
