Nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling 
Edward (Sebastian Stan) has a rare cancer that causes tumors to grow on his face. He joins an experimental drug trial that gives him back the life he thinks he should have had. By chance, he discovers the neighbor he had a crush on (Renate Reinsve) has written a play about a man with facial deformities and the girl who loved him. You can see where this is going. He auditions for the part, using his old face as a mask but is quickly upstaged by Oswald (Adam Pearson), a man with facial deformities who is comfortable in his own skin. Edward's life spins out of control as he grapples with a number of truths.
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I called this The Substance for dudes and I'm not wrong. Frankly, if either protagonist had a single (1) friend, neither one would have ended up where they did. And/or a therapist. Stan does a good job here but the material is frustratingly navel-gaze-y. Pearson is a bubbly delight, but Reinsve feels underwritten in a Manic Pixie Dream Girl way. For once, that actually serves the story since Edward mostly perceives her as an archetype, not a person, anyway.
Pacing is glacial. There are long moments where the camera just pans between characters like Iñárritu in molasses. I respect the attempt but it didn't work for me. I just started fast-forwarding in 30-sec jumps and missed nothing.
I thought this movie was a hot mess but it's streaming on (sigh) Max so you can see for yourself.
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