Back المادة (فيلم) Arabic The substance Catalan The Substance Danish The Substance German The Substance Esperanto La sustancia Spanish The Substance Basque ماده (فیلم) Persian The Substance Finnish The Substance French
| The Substance | |
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 American theatrical release poster | |
| 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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Release dates |
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Running time | 141 minutes[1] |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $17.5 million[2] |
| Box office | $79.2 million[3][4] |
The Substance is a 2024 body horror film written, directed, co-edited, and co-produced 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. Moore was cast in the leading role after a series of interviews, Qualley was cast second, and Ray Liotta was originally cast in Quaid's role prior to his death. 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. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $79.2 million on a $17.5 million production budget. The film received numerous accolades, including five nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for Moore, seven nominations at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards including Best Picture, and a Best Actress nomination for Moore at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards.
- ^ "The Substance (18)". BBFC. September 11, 2024. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
openingwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Substance". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
- ^ "The Substance (2024) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
- ^ Lemercier, Fabien (May 20, 2024). "Review: The Substance". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on December 23, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
The Substance is produced by Working Title (UK) and A Good Story (France) together with Universal Studios, in co-production with French firm Blacksmith.