The Substance Explained

The Substance
Director:Coralie Fargeat
Producer:Coralie Fargeat
Tim Bevan
Eric Fellner
Starring:Demi Moore
Margaret Qualley
Dennis Quaid
Cinematography:Benjamin Kracun
Editing:Coralie Fargeat
Jérôme Eltabet
Valentin Feron
Music:Raffertie
Runtime:140 minutes
Country:United States
United Kingdom
France
Language:English

The Substance is a 2024 body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, and starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid.

The film premiered on 19 May 2024 at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, and was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in its main competition section, where Fargeat won the Best Screenplay award. It is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on September 20, 2024, and in France on November 6.

Plot

Elisabeth Sparkle, star of an aerobics show, is fired on her 50th birthday by her boss because of her age. When she returns home, her morale at its lowest, she receives an unexpected proposal. A mysterious laboratory offers her a miraculous "substance": if she injects it, she will become "the best version" of herself, "younger, more beautiful, more perfect".

Cast

Production

In January 2022, it was announced that Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley would star in the film, with Working Title Films producing and Universal Pictures distributing.[2] [3] [4] In February 2022, it was announced that Ray Liotta had joined the cast.[5] Liotta died in May 2022, which led Fargeat to later recast the role with Dennis Quaid.[6]

Filming was projected to begin in Paris in May 2022.[7] In August 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that the film was "currently in production."[8] Later that same month, Qualley confirmed in an interview with W that she was currently doing work on the film.[9] Filming officially wrapped in October 2022.[10]

Release

The Substance was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 19 May 2024.[11] [12] The film received a standing ovation with conflicting reports that it lasted either nine minutes,[13] 11 minutes[14] or 13 minutes.[15]

Prior to, Mubi acquired worldwide rights to the film, planning to distribute it theatrically in North America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America, Benelux as well as holding rights for Turkey and India, while its subsidiary The Match Factory will handle sales elsewhere.[16] Metropolitan Filmexport acquired French distribution rights from The Match Factory,[17] [18] and will release the film on November 6, 2024.[19]

Reception

Critical response

David Ehrlich of IndieWire graded the film an A, calling it "an epic, audacious body horror masterpiece... an instant classic. The most sickly entertaining theatrical experience of the year".[20]

Nicholas Barber of the BBC awarded the film four stars out of five, while singling out Moore's performance: "Ripping into her best big-screen role in decades, Demi Moore is fearless in parodying her public image."[21]

Phil de Semlyen's five star review in Time Out says it is "Moore who glues it all together, going full Isabelle Adjani-in-Possession in a vanity-free performance full of bruised ego, dawning horror and vulnerability".[22]

Owen Gleiberman in Variety praised the film's director: "Coralie Fargeat works with the flair of a grindhouse Kubrick in a weirdly fun, cathartically grotesque fusion of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Showgirls."[23]

Radhika Seth in Vogue called it "audacious piece of filmmaking... the most exciting release to have debuted on the Croisette so far" and that it was her "current pick to win the Palme d'Or".[24]

Damon Wise in Deadline said it is "a riotous, dreamlike horror-thriller that ends in a delirious symphony of blood, guts and otherwise undefinable viscera".[25]

Peter Bradshaw's 4-star review in The Guardian called it "a cheerfully silly and outrageously indulgent piece of gonzo body-horror comedy".[26]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Cannes Film Festival25 May 2024Palme d'OrCoralie Fargeat[27]
Best Screenplay[28]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: British Council Film: The Substance . 2024-04-15 . film-directory.britishcouncil.org.
  2. Web site: Romanchick. Shane. 'The Substance': Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley to Star in Body Horror Film From Coralie Fargeat. February 1, 2022. Collider. April 14, 2022.
  3. Web site: Mathai. Jeremy. Revenge Filmmaker To Direct Body Horror Movie The Substance With Margaret Qualley And Demi Moore. February 1, 2022. /Film. April 14, 2022.
  4. Web site: Fleming. Mike Jr.. Demi Moore & Margaret Qualley To Star In Universal/Working Title's 'The Substance'; 'Revenge' Helmer Coralie Fargeat Directs Her Script. January 31, 2022. Deadline Hollywood. April 14, 2022.
  5. Web site: Hamman. Cody. The Substance: Ray Liotta joins Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley in body horror film. February 16, 2022. JoBlo.com. April 14, 2022.
  6. Shafer. Ellise. 19 May 2024. 'The Substance' Director Coralie Fargeat on How Her Feminist Body Horror Film With Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley Mirrors #MeToo: 'We Need a Bigger Revolution'. Variety. 16 June 2024.
  7. Web site: Fleming. Mike Jr.. Ray Liotta Joins Demi Moore & Margaret Qualley In Coralie Fargeat's The Substance'. February 15, 2022. Deadline Hollywood. April 14, 2022.
  8. Web site: Grobar. Matt. Universal Partners With Working Title For First-Ever Global Writers Program; Applications Open Now. August 10, 2022. Deadline Hollywood. August 25, 2022.
  9. Wally. Maxine. For Margaret Qualley, Dorothy Zbornak Is the Epitome of Cool. August 16, 2022. W. August 25, 2022.
  10. 1586035009407791104. And that's a wrap!! Thank you to the amazing cast and crew who surrounded me during this amazing shoot. Coralie. Fargeat. coraliefargeat. October 28, 2022. April 16, 2024.
  11. Web site: The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2024. Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2024.
  12. Elsa . Keslassy . Ellise . Shafer . Alex . Ritman . Peter . Debruge . Cannes Film Festival Reveals Lineup: Coppola, Cronenberg, Lanthimos, Schrader and Donald Trump Portrait 'The Apprentice' in Competition . April 11, 2024 . . April 11, 2024.
  13. Feinberg. Scott. Cannes: Body-Horror Flick 'The Substance' Wows Fest, Getting Nine-Minute Standing Ovation. May 19, 2024. The Hollywood Reporter. May 19, 2024.
  14. Shafer. Ellise. Donnelly. Matt. Cannes Goes Apes— for 'The Substance,' Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley's Flesh-Shredding Body Horror, With 11-Minute Standing Ovation. May 19, 2024. Variety. May 19, 2024.
  15. Web site: D'Alessandro. Anthony. Tartaglione. Nancy. Demi Moore's 'The Substance' World Premiere Gets A 13-Minute Ovation At Cannes. May 19, 2024. Deadline Hollywood. May 19, 2024.
  16. Web site: Mubi Acquires Coralie Fargeat's Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid Body Horror Movie 'The Substance' Ahead Of Cannes Debut. Deadline Hollywood. Melanie. Goodfellow. May 8, 2024. May 8, 2024.
  17. Web site: Buzzy Cannes Competition Title 'The Substance,' Starring Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore, Sells to France's Metropolitan (EXCLUSIVE). 13 May 2024 . Variety.
  18. Web site: 'The Substance', Starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Sells Wide. Variety. 24 May 2024 .
  19. Web site: THE SUBSTANCE - Metropolitan Films . 2024-08-16 . Metrofilms . fr-FR.
  20. Web site: Ehrlich. David. 'The Substance' Review: Margaret Qualley Helps Demi Moore Feel Young Again in an Epic, Audacious, and Insanely Gross Body Horror Masterpiece. May 19, 2024. IndieWire. May 19, 2024.
  21. Web site: Barber. Nicholas. The Substance review: 'Magnificently tasteless' horror comedy is Demi Moore's 'best big-screen role in decades'. BBC. May 19, 2024.
  22. Web site: The Substance. May 20, 2024. Time Out.
  23. Web site: 'The Substance' Review: Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in a Visionary Feminist Body-Horror Film That Takes Cosmetic Enhancement to Extremes. May 19, 2024. Variety.
  24. Web site: Dispatch From Cannes: Demi Moore's Mind-Melting Body Horror The Substance Is a Total Knockout. May 20, 2024.
  25. Web site: 'The Substance' Review: Demi Moore And Margaret Qualley Pair Up For The Year's Smartest, Goriest Horror Breakout – Cannes Film Festival. May 19, 2024.
  26. News: The Substance review – Demi Moore is game for a laugh in grisly body horror caper. The Guardian . May 19, 2024. Bradshaw . Peter.
  27. Web site: Cannes Film Festival Lineup Set: Competition Includes Coppola, Audiard, Cronenberg, Arnold, Lanthimos, Sorrentino & Abbasi's Trump Movie — Full List. Ntim. Zac. 11 April 2024. Deadline Hollywood. 9 May 2024.
  28. Debruge. Peter. 25 May 2024. Cannes Awards: Female-Centered Stories Win Big in Cannes, as Sean Baker's 'Anora' Earns Palme d'Or. Variety. 25 May 2024.

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