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The Substance

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for The Substance R Released Sep 20, 2024 2h 21m Horror Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 371 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Verified Ratings
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You, only better in every way. You should try this new product, it's called The Substance. IT CHANGED MY LIFE. With The Substance, you can generate another you: younger, more beautiful, more perfect. You just have to share time -- one week for one, one week for the other. A perfect balance of seven days each... Easy right? If you respect the balance... What could possibly go wrong?
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The Substance

The Substance

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Critics Consensus

Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore's finest hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat.

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Audience Says

While it may not suit everyone’s stomach, those with an appetite for the grotesque will succumb to Demi Moore’s Kafka-esque performance and feast on the bodily horrors of The Substance.

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Critics Reviews

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Rachel Syme The New Yorker For my money, one of the best things you can do this season is to run to see the French director Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance while it is still playing on the big screen. Oct 21, 2024 Full Review Claudia Puig FilmWeek (LAist) Falls into the category of films that men like to claim as feminist. Oct 8, 2024 Full Review Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) Extraordinary... This is daring and stylish. Oct 8, 2024 Full Review Stephen Garrett Book & Film Globe It’s a fantasy-turned-nightmare that owes a deep debt to David Cronenberg’s pulpy existential ruminations but blazes a new vision for femme phantasms. Long live the new flesh, even if it means creating the Monstro Elisasue. Rated: 4/5 Aug 26, 2025 Full Review Marta Medina mundoCine The Substance is a wild and daring descent into the horrors of contemporary beauty standards. Driven by Demi Moore’s brilliant performance, Coralie Fargeat crafts a devastating and timely reflection. [Full Review in Spanish] Rated: 4.5/5 Aug 17, 2025 Full Review Matthew Koss The Wandering Screen (YouTube) This is one of the best films of the year and even of a body horror gore fest isn’t exactly your thing, the film is darkly funny, captivatingly original and a bloody good time. Rated: A+ Aug 16, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ryan M I don’t know what I thought this movie would be like, but it exceeded my expectations. That last act is gonzo! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/06/25 Full Review MBQ I was excited to see this film when I got on Blu Ray sucks that I missed my showtime because I fell asleep after coming back home from the gym. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/24/25 Full Review Shroom The Substance instantly became one of my favorite horror films of all time. Tops notch acting, amazing filmography, and an excellent relatable story. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/23/25 Full Review David For being 140min it moves at a pretty quick pace. Great elements of modern and classic horror. All the comparisons made to Corman, Carpenter, Argento, and even a little early Karine or Peter Jackson are on point. Reminds me of going to Chart Hits as a teenager and grabbing that movie off the bot knowing I would be WAY too high for what I was about to watch, and I mean that in a wholly positive manner. Those with a good theater system will appreciate the excellent sound design. Great film, glad I chose to see it in theater. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/07/25 Full Review Lynn The special effects/Makeup were top notch. Oscar material Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/03/25 Full Review Ape-Scape7 Loved the beautiful demi moore and what the represented about older women. People want newer, better, etc. sometimes classics and well seasoned is the way to go. I saw myself in some parts. Love the view of dennis quad on the lens. loved the concept. loved the gore. Thank you for a fantastic movie! Thank you for bringing it to the theater! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/02/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Substance

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Movie Info

Synopsis Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You, only better in every way. You should try this new product, it's called The Substance. IT CHANGED MY LIFE. With The Substance, you can generate another you: younger, more beautiful, more perfect. You just have to share time -- one week for one, one week for the other. A perfect balance of seven days each... Easy right? If you respect the balance... What could possibly go wrong?
Director
Coralie Fargeat
Producer
Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
Screenwriter
Coralie Fargeat
Distributor
MUBI
Production Co
Working Title Films
Rating
R (Graphic Nudity|Gore|Language|Strong Violent Content)
Genre
Horror, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 20, 2024, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 31, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$17.6M
Runtime
2h 21m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Digital 2.39:1
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