The Substance

The Substance
American theatrical release poster
Directed byCoralie Fargeat
Written byCoralie Fargeat
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBenjamin Kračun
Edited by
  • Jérôme Eltabet
  • Coralie Fargeat
  • Valentin Feron
Music byRaffertie
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 19 May 2024 (2024-05-19) (Cannes)
  • 20 September 2024 (2024-09-20) (United Kingdom and United States)
  • 6 November 2024 (2024-11-06) (France)
Running time
141 minutes[1]
Countries
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$17.5 million[2]
Box office$47.2 million[3][4]

The Substance is a 2024 satirical body horror film written, directed, co-edited, and co-produced by Coralie Fargeat. It follows a fading celebrity (Demi Moore) who 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 had its world premiere on 19 May 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 20 September 2024, and in France by Metropolitan Filmexport on 6 November 2024. Film critics praised the film for its screenplay and performances from Moore and Qualley, and became Mubi’s highest-grossing film to date, grossing $47.2 million on a $17.5 million production budget.

  1. ^ "The Substance". BBFC. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference opening was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "The Substance (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  4. ^ "The Substance – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  5. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (20 May 2024). "Review: The Substance". Cineuropa. Retrieved 28 September 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.