The Substance | |
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Directed by | Coralie Fargeat |
Written by | Coralie Fargeat |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Benjamin Kračun |
Edited by |
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Music by | Raffertie |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 141 minutes[1] |
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Language | English |
Budget | $17.5 million[2] |
Box office | $76.6 million[3][4] |
The Substance is a 2024 body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. It follows a fading celebrity, Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) who, after being fired by her producer (Dennis Quaid) due to her age, uses a black market drug that creates a much younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley) with unexpected side effects.
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. Filmed in France over 108 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.
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. At the box office, the film grossed $76.6 million and became Mubi's highest-grossing film. It was a critical success and received numerous accolades, including five nominations each at the 97th Academy Awards and the 82nd Golden Globe Awards (winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for Moore).
opening
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).The Substance is produced by Working Title (UK) and A Good Story (France) together with Universal Studios, in co-production with French firm Blacksmith.