This study investigates how the movie script The Substance by Coralie Fargeat portrays the sexual objectification of women’s bodies through the lens of the male gaze. The research is driven by the concern that media often reduces women to visual objects, valued primarily for their physical appearance rather than their identity or capability. In The Substance, the main character Elisabeth Sparkle becomes the target of a gaze that fragments and dehumanizes her body, resulting in deep psychological turmoil. The narrative demonstrates how the male gaze functions as a mechanism of control, shaping how women are viewed, treated, and ultimately how they view themselves.
To examine these issues, the study adopts a qualitative approach, employing Fredrickson and Roberts’ (1997) Sexual Objectification Theory as its theoretical foundation. The analysis centers on three key concepts: male gaze, body shame, and anxiety. Through close reading of dialogues, scenes, and character behavior, the research explores how the masculine perspective in media narratives fosters internalized objectification and emotional distress in the female subject. This framework enables a focused analysis of how women are visually and psychologically constrained within patriarchal modes of representation.
The findings reveal that The Substance consistently constructs its female protagonist through a fragmented and sexualized lens, reinforcing dominant visual ideologies rooted in the male gaze. Elisabeth Sparkle internalizes this objectification, resulting in emotional consequences such as anxiety, shame, and a fractured sense of self. The script also illustrates how women who no longer conform to these imposed ideals are systematically replaced or erased. Ultimately, the study highlights how media representation, through persistent objectifying practices, contributes to the psychological erosion of women and demands deeper scrutiny of gendered visual narratives in contemporary media.