Watch “The Substance” and “A Different Man” Together for a Makeover Meditation: NPR

Sometimes, by some strange coincidence, two films come out in the same week that have more than one or two things in common; They are so focused on the same topics and concepts that it seems like they are having a conversation with each other. If you have about five hours to spare and a reasonably strong stomach, I would recommend a double portion The substance And Another man. They are both boldly conceived, darkly funny cautionary tales about what you might call the horrors of extreme self-improvement.

In The substanceDemi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, who has just been fired from her long-time job as a TV fitness show host. She is the latest victim of Hollywood ageism and sexism, embodied here by the grotesque Dennis Quaid in the role of her former boss. But Elisabeth has no intention of quietly disappearing from sight. Shortly after her forced retirement, she learns of an opportunity to reinvent herself with something called “The Substance,” as outlined in a cryptic promotional video.

Elisabeth orders a Substance starter kit, the benefits of which have to be seen to be believed: let's put it this way, it involves lots of fluids, injections and stitches, and in the end Elisabeth finds herself in the body of a 20-something.

Now played by Margaret Qualley, she soon becomes the talk of the town and even gets her old job as a TV presenter. But there is a big catch: Elisabeth has to return to her original body at regular intervals so that her new body can rest. She is a person juggling two interdependent bodies – a balance that ultimately cannot be maintained.

The French author and director Coralie Fargeat is inspired by this The Picture of Dorian Grayand also from double trouble thrillers like Black Swan. As a satire on the fitness and makeover programs in LA The substance is bitingly funny. As an exercise in body horror, it's unforgettably gruesome – especially the spectacular third act, which is a must-see to a packed house.

Despite all the visceral impact, however The substance proves less effective as a feminist provocation; It's compelling in the moment, but conceptually it doesn't quite hold together. The best reason to see it is Moore, who has herself endured a lot of misogyny in Hollywood over the years and hasn't had a major role in a while. We hope this powerful yet poignant performance will be one of many to come.

British actor Adam Pearson plays Oswald Another man.

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Although radically different from The substance in style and tone, Another man is also characterized by extreme change and a consequent identity crisis. It's about mild-mannered New Yorker Edward, whose face is covered in tumors caused by the genetic disease neurofibromatosis.

Edward's unusual appearance attracts rude looks in public and he leads a fairly reserved, isolated life. But then two things happen. First, Edward falls in love with his neighbor Ingrid – that's Renate Reinsve – an aspiring playwright who seems to be creatively interested in his condition. Second, Edward undergoes an experimental drug treatment that miraculously proves successful; His tumors fall away, revealing actor Sebastian Stan's taut skin and chiseled facial features.

If you question the decision to have a movie star wear prosthetics, writer and director Aaron Schimberg questions it too. He structured Another man as a kind of thought experiment that rigorously questions its own premise. As Edward takes on a new identity and enjoys what it's like to be successful and popular for the first time, the film itself constantly shifts tones and genres; One minute it plays like a mad scientist thriller and the next it plays like a classic Woody Allen comedy.

And then Schimberg unleashes his tour de force, introducing a new character, played by British actor Adam Pearson, who himself suffers from neurofibromatosis. The less said about what is happening, the better; Suffice to say, Pearson delivers a funny, utterly charming performance that takes the film in an exciting new direction. He's a good complement to the great Stan, who responds to silent implosion as a man aware of the dangers of getting what he wanted.

All of this is just scratching the surface, so to speak, of what Another man lies on. Schimberg has made an unclassifiable, almost unbelievably ambitious film about beauty, disability, self-invention and the challenge of authentically portraying people through art. And in the end he brings all these different, often completely contradictory ideas together with a mastery that can only be described as beautiful.