Haley Hender

As someone with an intense phobia of needles, as well as being easily queasy from body horror, I had to hold my hands over my eyes for around 20% of the runtime. Other than that, I think it was a very artistically-done depiction of the horrors of two things that plague everyone, especially women in Hollywood: the inevitability of aging and forever-changing beauty standards. Since before I hit puberty, I’ve been hyper-aware of the way my body looks and the way I want it to look. This movie, in a way, pulled me back into reality. Being as young as I am now, but not forever, I can see how the fear of becoming irrelevant would drive someone into wanting it all, but risking everything. I also felt a little violated in the beginning, seeing how up-close and personal all of Demi Moore’s and Margaret Qualley’s interactions were with all of the overbearing and unsettling men in this movie, especially Dennis Quaid. It felt satisfying watching some of them getting their comeuppance in the end, however. Overall, it’s an experience I’ll never forget, mostly against my will. I’m sure people with the stomach for it will embrace it more than I’m able to.