The Substance is undoubtedly one of the year’s most talked about movies, and if you missed it in theaters, you don’t have to wait long to watch it at home because Coralie Fargeat’s body horror triumph is hitting streaming on Halloween. Starring Demi Moore as the aging host of a TV aerobics show that injects herself with a life-changing serum to hopefully become a younger, more beautiful, more perfect version of herself, The Substance is one of those movies that has to be seen to be believed. Also featuring Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, it hit theaters here in the United States on September 20, and is still the subject of many conversations more than a month after its debut.
Per Bloody Disgusting, The Substance debuts on Mubi on October 31, so before you jet off to any Halloween parties, be sure to check it out to get in the festive spirit – though we don’t recommend gorging yourself on candy beforehand. Produced on a budget of $17 million, the film generated a little over $34 million dollars in box office receipts to become Mubi’s biggest theatrical release ever. Yes, they’re more than just a streaming service, as they regularly distribute films internationally, including the highly-anticipated Daniel Craig movie Queer, which hits cinemas here in the United States on November 27.
A Mubi subscription will run you $12.99/month, but if you already pay for Prime Video, you can save a couple of extra bucks and subscribe to it through there at just $10.99/month. The good news is that they also offer a seven-day free trial, so if you’re not sure if you want to commit, you can sign up, watch The Substance for free, and decide from there if it’s worth keeping. Pro tip: it totally is, because there are some damn fine films on there.
Demi Moore Delivers an Oscar-Worthy Performance in The Substance
It’s hard to believe that in her more than four-decade career, Demi Moore has never been nominated for an Academy Award. The argument could be made that she at least deserved a nod for her performances in Ghost and The Scarlet Letter, but alas, the Academy thought otherwise, leading to her being shut out.
The Substance will surely change all that, however, as she’s expected to finally get her first nomination next year thanks to what is an unbelievable portrayal of a woman on the brink of social extinction. Like the movie itself, it really has to be seen to be believed, as she manages to run the gamut of the emotional spectrum with ease over the course of the film’s 141-minute runtime. Not to mention all the make-up she had to have applied to her body to do it, either, which only adds to her remarkable presentation.
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7 Horror Movie References You May Have Missed in The Substance
Coralie Fargeat’s body horror film The Substance has caused quite a buzz. Fargeat sprinkled multiple movie references throughout, did you catch them?
Needless to say, The Substance needs to be added to your watch list ASAP, because if you only see one movie this year, this is the one it has to be. Fargeat’s direction is sublime, Quaid is deliciously disturbing, and Qualley gives an equally wonderful performance that’s on par with Moore’s, which may end up earning her an Oscar nod as well.
Elisabeth Sparkle, renowned for an aerobics show, faces a devastating blow on her 50th birthday as her boss fires her. Amid her distress, a laboratory offers her a substance which promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself.
- Release Date
- September 20, 2024
- Director
- Coralie Fargeat
- Cast
- Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia , Olivier Raynal , Tiffany Hofstetter , Tom Morton , Jiselle Burkhalter , Axel Baille , Oscar Lesage , Matthew Géczy , Philip Schurer
- Main Genre
- Horror