The Substance
Trailer, Teaser & Videos
Poster & Photos
Movie Details
Country | France, United Kingdom, United States |
Language | English |
Genres | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi |
Release date | May 19, 2024 (Cannes) September 20, 2024 (United Kingdom and United States) November 6, 2024 (France) |
Running time | 2hr 21min |
Age rating | R |
Starring | Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid |
Directed by | Coralie Fargeat |
Written by | Coralie Fargeat |
Produced by | Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner |
Cinematography by | Benjamin Kračun |
Edited by | Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, Valentin Feron |
Music by | Raffertie |
Casting by | Laure Cochener, Léa Moszkowicz |
Production Design by | Stanislas Reydellet |
Art Direction by | Stéphane Becimol, Arnaud Denis, Gladys Garot, Helena Kacic, Amélie Meseguer, Julie Plumelle, Nathalie Vaïsse |
Set Decoration by | Cécilia Blom, Marion De Villechabrolle, Jacques Oursin |
Costume Design by | Emmanuelle Youchnovski |
Production Company | Working Title Films Blacksmith |
Distributor | Mubi (United Kingdom and United States) Metropolitan Filmexport (France) |
Cast & Characters
- Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle
- Margaret Qualley as Sue
- Dennis Quaid as Harvey
- Edward Hamilton-Clark as Fred (as Edward Hamilton Clark)
- Gore Abrams as Oliver
- Oscar Lesage as Troy
- Christian Erickson as Man at Diner
- Robin Greer as Male Nurse
- Tom Morton as Doctor
- Hugo Diego Garcia as Diego – Boyfriend
- Daniel Knight as Casting Director
- Jonathon Carley as Assistant Casting Director
- Jiselle Henderkott as Girl Auditioning / Dancer – New Year’s Eve Show
- Akil Wingate as TV Host
- Billy Bentley as Man in Suit #1 – Harvey’s Office
- Vincent Colombe as Man in Suit #2
- Lennard Ridsdale as Man in Suit #3
- Jordan Ford Silver as Assistant Director – Pump It Up Show
- Oscar Salem as 2nd Assistant Director – Pump It Up Show
- Viviane Bossina as Sue’s Assistant
- Matthew Luret as Floor Runner
- Jana Bittnerová as Maria (as Jana Bittnerova)
- Olivier Raynal as Alan – 2nd Agent
- Tiffany Hofstetter as Stylist
- Nicolas Royer as Guy in the Elevator
- Nathan Rippy as Assistant Director – New Year’s Eve Show
Storyline
Have you ever dreamed of a better version of yourself? You. Only better in every way. Seriously. You’ve got to try this new product. It’s called the Substance. It changed my life. It generates another you. A new, younger, more beautiful, more perfect you. And there’s only one rule: you share time. One week for you. One week for the new you. Seven days each. A perfect balance. Easy, right? If you respect the balance…what could possibly go wrong?
About The Substance Movie
The Substance is a body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. It stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid in the lead roles.
An international co-production between France, the United Kingdom, and the United States,[5] the film followed the critical success of Fargeat’s first feature film, Revenge. Motivated by societal pressures on women’s bodies and aging, she wrote the screenplay in two years with detailed descriptions and minimal dialogue.
Principal photography took place entirely in France, with an all-French film crew except for cinematographer Benjamin Kračun and composer Raffertie (both from the United Kingdom).
The Substance began filming on May 9, 2022, and wrapped in October 2022, spanning 108 shooting days. The film made extensive use of prosthetic makeup designed by Pierre-Olivier Persin, insert shots, a variety of sets, and approximately 21,000 liters of fake blood.
The film score was written by Raffertie and also features “Pump It Up!” covered by DJ Endor. The prosthetic design included a series of grotesque and hyperrealistic suits, puppets, and dummies for Elisabeth’s drug-induced transformation.
Fargeat used extensive practical effects, prosthetics and makeup, accounting for 70–80% of the final film, resisting the push toward cheaper digital effects. She felt that the use of practical effects was crucial to convey the themes of violence. The effects were created by Pierre-Olivier Persin and his company, Pop FX, based in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis.
The Substance Release Date
The Substance had its world premiere on May 19, 2024, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival main competition, where Fargeat won Best Screenplay. It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom and the United States by Mubi on September 20, 2024, and in France by Metropolitan Filmexport on November 6, 2024.
Budget & Box Office Collection
Budget | $17.5 million |
Domestic Opening | $3,205,212 |
Domestic Collection | $16,873,967 |
International Collection | $59,732,017 |
Worldwide Collection | $76,605,984 |
Soundtracks
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1 | Elizabeth Sparkle | 1:59 |
2 | The Substance | 2:30 |
3 | Change of Heart | I’d Like To |
4 | Only | Byron |
5 | Activation | 4:10 |
6 | You Stabilise Everyday | 1:26 |
7 | Apartment | 0:41 |
8 | Home Improvement | 0:28 |
9 | Nose Bleed | 1:37 |
10 | Zip | 0:21 |
11 | Alteration | 1:21 |
12 | Followed | 0:19 |
13 | Red Dress | 1:00 |
14 | Make Up | 1:03 |
15 | French Cuisine | 4:13 |
16 | Control Yourself | 1:20 |
17 | Golem | 0:45 |
18 | Your Final Kit | 1:38 |
19 | They Are Going to Love You | 0:30 |
20 | I Hate Myself | 3:43 |
21 | Single Use | 1:41 |
22 | Everything in the Right Place | 1:03 |
23 | Monstro | 0:13 |
24 | On Air | 0:41 |
25 | Shoot the Monster | 1:37 |
26 | Blood | 1:11 |
27 | More Blood | 0:22 |
28 | Pirouette | 1:53 |
Where to Watch The Substance Movie Online?
Awards & Nominations
The Substance has garnered multiple accolades. At the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Fargeat won Best Screenplay and the film competed for the Palme d’Or, though it lost to Anora. At the 32nd International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, Benjamin Kračun was nominated for cinematography in the Director’s Debuts Competition, but Fargeat withdrew the film due to festival director Marek Zydowicz’s controversial remarks about women in film.
At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, the film earned five nominations: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Director for Fargeat, Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Moore, Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Qualley, and Best Screenplay for Fargeat. Moore won in her category. She also received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards.
At the 97th Academy Awards, The Substance received five nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Fargeat, and Best Actress for Moore. Fargeat also became the ninth woman ever nominated for Best Director.