The Substance facts for kids

The Substance is a 2024 satirical 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 substance 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, 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. The film score was written by Raffertie and also features "Pump It Up!" covered by DJ Endor.

The Substance premiered 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. At the box office, the film grossed $77 million on a $17.5 million production budget and became Mubi's highest-grossing film. It was a critical success and received numerous accolades, including five nominations each at the 97th Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and the 82nd Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy). For her performance, Moore won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and earned Best Actress nominations at the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Cast

Margaret Qualley, Coralie Fargeat, and Demi Moore at TIFF 2024

See also

In Spanish: La sustancia para niños