The Substance is available to watch on MUBI now. Read Calum Cooper’s In Focus article on Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance.
Demi Moore is Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister past her prime who is suddenly fired by repellent studio head Harvey (Dennis Quaid) from her fitness TV show. Drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug: The Substance. All it takes is one injection, and she is temporarily reborn as the gorgeous, twenty-something Sue (Margaret Qualley). The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. A perfect balance. What could go wrong?
Coralie Fargeat’s Cannes award-winning sensation turns toxic beauty culture inside out with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable for the ages. This explosive, provocative and twisted tale made audiences squirm on its release by offering us a modern take on Oscar Wilde’s classic The Picture of Dorian Gray while tackling society’s obsession with youth, cosmetics and beauty. Thought-provoking and shocking, The Substance is an absolute must-see.
Now, MUBI has released a new 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette that looks at the film’s direction by Coralie Fargeat, the cinematography from Benjamin Kračun, sound by Emmanuelle Villard, Stéphane Thiébaut, Victor Praud, Victor Fleurant and Valerie Deloof, special make-up effects by Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stephanie Guillon and Frédérique Arguello, as well as casting, production design and more.
The Substance has been nominated in six categories at the 2025 London Film Critics Circle Awards, including Film, Director, Screenwriter, Actress (Demi Moore), Supporting Actress (Margaret Qualley) and Technical Achievement – Make-up; and long-listed in eleven categories (Best Film, Director, Original Screenplay, Leading Actress (Demi Moore), Supporting Actress (Margaret Qualley), Cinematography, Editing, Make-up & Hair, Original Score, Production Design, Sound) at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards with the final nominations announced on Wednesday 15th January 2025.
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