The Substance

"Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?"

2024 2h 21m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

🍅

89%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 6,555🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes●78Metacritic★7.2IMDB · 416,556

HorrorScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.

“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Demi Moore
Elisabeth
Margaret Qualley
Sue
Dennis Quaid
Harvey
Edward Hamilton-Clark
Fred
Gore Abrams
Oliver
Oscar Lesage
Troy
Christian Erickson
Man at Diner
Robin Greer
Male Nurse

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Coralie Fargeat
Writers: Coralie Fargeat
Languages: English
Countries: France, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.4× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 2 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CAST

Did you know

276+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Coralie Fargeat, shot by Benjamin Kračun. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Raffertie. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jérôme Eltabet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Coralie Fargeat directs. Benjamin Kračun behind the camera. Raffertie scores. Jérôme Eltabet cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in France, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 4.4× over at the box office.
2Released 2 years ago.
3International production across 3 countries: France, United Kingdom, United States of America.
4276+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
5Directed by Coralie Fargeat, shot by Benjamin Kračun. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Raffertie. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Jérôme Eltabet shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?".
10IMDB entry: tt17526714 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 26 themes, including "new year's eve", "capitalism", "birthday", "black market".

The technical file

Cinematography: Benjamin Kračun
Original score: Raffertie
Editing: Jérôme Eltabet
Production design: Stanislas Reydellet
Costume design: Emmanuelle Youchnovski
Makeup / hair: Frédéric Balmer
VFX supervisor: Bryan Jones
Sound: Valérie Deloof
Stunt coordinator: Jérôme Gaspard
Runtime: 141 min · 2h 21m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.78:1 (16:9)
Status: Released
Budget: $17,500,000
Box office: $77,316,812
Return: 442% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Substance (2024)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 78/100
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 416,556 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 147 wins & 289 nominations total

Meeting Point Europe Award
Best Screenplay Award
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Coralie Fargeat

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2024-09-20
★ 8/10
The Substance delivers an intense, visually mesmerizing commentary on the entertainment industry's obsession with youth and outward beauty. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley offer remarkable, maybe even career-best performances, with Dennis Quaid excelling in his role as well. Coralie Fargeat explores how aging stars, particularly women, are discarded when they no longer meet the industry's strict beauty standards. Moore's character, haunted by the memory of her former fame and beauty, goes down a dark path in pursuit of a "better" version of herself. The story is also a sharp critique of power dynamics, with white men controlling who's in front of the spotlight, while women are pitted against one another for validation. The film's production is equally impressive, especially the makeup and prosthetic work that elevates its body horror elements. While the first half of the movie is more subdued, the gore ramps up significantly as the plot unfolds, culminating in a chaotic "fourth act" that will leave audiences bewildered. The fast-paced editing, paired with an impactful score, heightens the tension and surrealism of the narrative. Though there's a part of me who prefers a version of the film that ends before the wild final act, the overall experience is an unforgettable, audacious exploration of vanity, control, and desperation in the entertainment world. Rating: B+
good.film2024-09-23
For a film that’s laser-focused on the human body, it’s gloriously on point that THE SUBSTANCE begins with a freshly cracked, bright yellow egg yolk. Eggs are the ‘giver of life’, right? They’re the origin of all of us. Gleaming and plump, the yolk suddenly gets pricked – not by a fork, but a syringe. That’s the first juicy visual metaphor of many in this meaningfully bonkers body horror, for which French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat picked up the prestigious Best Screenplay prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. To call the film ‘bold’ is a weapons-grade understatement. It’s an audacious, jaw-dropping examination of what screens & billboards demand of women (especially as they age), and how laughably impossible it is to meet those demands. Well, if you didn’t laugh, you’d cry. After watching THE SUBSTANCE, you might do both. Here's our deep dive for good.film: https://good.film/guide/holy-sh-t-the-substance-is-a-weapons-grade-takedown-of-the-male-gaze
griggs792024-09-26
★ 10/10
Demi Moore's performance in The Substance is so potent that it's hard to tell what's more intoxicating; her inevitable Best Actress win or Coralie Fargeat's razor-sharp screenplay that's already got the Oscar in the bag.