Starting from this issue, we will be introducing the editorial column "Around the Beautiful." Even if you are not born beautiful, you can become a wonderful person. This is a column on beauty and fashion brought to you by the editorial department of Premium Japan to help you become a wonderful person.

In the first episode, Editor N reveals his thoughts about the youth and beauty of women after watching the movie "Substance."

Aging, lookism, misogyny...
"Substance" is a film that relentlessly confronts the issues faced by women

I watched the movie "Substance." It's a film with a deep and penetrating theme that is perfect for this column that focuses on beauty. That's why I really wanted to write about it.

"Substance" is a horror movie that relentlessly confronts fears of age, prejudice against appearances, and misogyny. I can't believe that Demi Moore, the star, has gone all out in this movie... First of all, I would like to give her a heartfelt applause for her determination.

A brief synopsis.

Elizabeth, a former top actress who had been shining for many years on a popular fitness show, is suddenly forced to leave the show one day. The reason is "because she's gotten old." Though she is beautiful and has an impeccable figure, producer Harvey (how ironic is that name!) calls her an old hag, and she is deeply hurt. Then, a mysterious drug called "Substance" appears before her. Although Elizabeth is torn between distrust and a desire to be young, she accepts it, and another young and sexy girlfriend, Sue, is born. The story begins with a breathtaking plot.

From the moment Sue is born, the viewer realizes that this is not just a story about plastic surgery or rejuvenation. However, that is just the beginning. From here on, the love-hate relationship between Elizabeth and Sue unfolds with furious force and attacks.

Sue, clad in youth and radiance, violently rejects the aged Elizabeth, and while Elizabeth hates Sue as she grows more arrogant, she somehow develops admiration and attachment for her. To stop Sue, Elizabeth must give up the substance, but she is unable to make a decision and wavers. Her wavering is painfully obvious and painful to watch.

When you receive "Substance," it comes with a message that reads, "REMEMBER YOU ARE THE ONE." As the story progresses, these meaningful words strike a chord with Elizabeth, Sue, and the audience.

Two opposing selves within one woman: this is the Jekyll and Hyde story that resides in the hearts of women today.

I won't say any more than this as it would be a spoiler, but this is without a doubt a work that mercilessly exposes what lies deep within every modern woman.

We are not celebrities or models. But as women, we have been constantly exposed to evaluations since childhood. At school, at work, and even in places that have nothing to do with appearance, we know that beautiful people are praised and everyone else is silently put under a line. This tendency is especially noticeable when we are young, and we have been hurt many times by thoughtless words, so small that we don't even notice them.

If only I were a little prettier... If only I were a little thinner... The escalation of our desire for beauty and its excessive runaway is no longer something that only happens to other people. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for people to regularly get their skin treated at a cosmetic dermatologist or travel to Korea for plastic surgery. Why are we so obsessed with beauty?

At the moment when Elizabeth was finally about to end everything, the word "LOVE" on the card that read "THEY ARE GOING TO LOVE YOU" that was attached to the bouquet that Sue received was quietly brought into focus. That was the scene that made my heart flutter.

Words like "desire for approval" are not enough. There is something more earnest, a hopelessly deep desire inside women - the desire to be loved and chosen. This blind desire swells deep in Elizabeth's heart, and eventually destroys her. Her suffering overlaps with the hearts of women who undergo repeated plastic surgery, and it is unbearably sad and heartbreaking.

And the fact that youth is so strongly associated with sexual attractiveness, and that this is ultimately why so many men crave it, is a theme the film tackles explicitly and mercilessly.

For example, Harvey's line, "A woman is finished when she hits 50," is unbearable to hear. By finished, he means that once a woman hits menopause, she is no longer a woman, she is worthless. No matter how twisted that belief may be, the fact that there are people who actually believe it breaks my heart.

What's more, the new fitness show in which Sue has been cast is relentlessly shot in a sexy manner that cuts excessively of her body, and it is horrifying to see that she has been edited as a product to satisfy the desires of the viewers.

For men, getting older is considered a sign of maturity and dignity, and is even an added bonus, but for women, if they aren't young and beautiful, that's the end? In reality, that's not the case. However, as long as the role expectations that society unconsciously places on women don't change, we will probably not be able to escape this curse. Youth, beauty, sexual appeal. Deep down in our hearts, clinging to these things and desperately trying to be the one chosen, there is that hopeless longing - "LOVE / I want to be loved."

That's true for me too. I take good care of my skin, and I think I'll continue using Botox. I'm not ready to dye my hair gray just yet. But I think women think more deeply and earnestly than men about how to let go of beauty and youth, and how to get older.

Even as we get older, we want to live with pride. We want to spend each day feeling good. It's not important to keep your place as a cute girl forever, but to find something you're passionate about and create your next place in the world. That's the kind of spirit a woman needs.

"Substance" is a horror movie. It could be called a psychological horror. The dramatic ending left me speechless. Don't miss the clever structure that brings all the meaningful lines scattered throughout the film together. The spectacular ending is a homage to Stephen King's horror masterpiece, but it's even more powerful than that, and it takes you into a realm you've never seen before. I urge you to see it for yourself at the theater.

This month's recommended item: "Even as you get older, it's great to feel good!"

However, even as I get older, I want to be someone I don't mind looking in the mirror every morning... That's what I'm thinking, Editor N. I'm looking for a foundation with strong UV protection from early summer to midsummer. I'm also thinking about trying to get rid of the wrinkles on my forehead and corners of my eyes.

What is a "nice neighborhood"?

Our editorial blog "Around the Wonderful" delivers tips on beauty, fashion, aging, and more to help you live a wonderful and comfortable life. A beautiful person may need to have a natural appearance, but a wonderful person is all about how they are. Therefore, anyone can be a wonderful person, and we chose this title because our editorial staff wants them to be that way. We will also occasionally include information about presentations and other events.