The Substance (2024)

The Substance is a 2024 body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. It follows a fading celebrity (Demi Moore) who is fired by her producer (Dennis Quaid) due to her age and uses a black market drug that creates a younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley) with unexpected side effects.

Fargeat wrote the screenplay to explore societal pressures surrounding women's bodies and aging. Principal photography took place in France from August to October 2022. The film is noted for its use of satire and grotesque, hyperrealistic imagery, accomplished through prosthetic makeup and other practical effects, including bodysuits, puppetry, dummies, and approximately 21,000 liters (5,500 U.S. gallons) of theatrical blood. Originally set for distribution by Universal Pictures, the rights were later acquired by Mubi after a dispute between Fargeat and Universal over final cut privilege.

The Substance premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2024, where it won Best Screenplay and was nominated for the Palme d'Or. The film was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and the United States on September 20, 2024, and in France on November 6, 2024. It received widespread acclaim, with particular praise for Fargeat's writing and directing, the special effects, and Moore's performance. At the box office, the film grossed $77–82 million on a budget of $18 million, becoming Mubi's highest-grossing film. Moore's performance earned her a Golden Globe Award, Critics' Choice Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and BAFTA Award. The film also received nominations for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards, Critics’ Choice and Golden Globes.