MUBI unveiled the official trailer for ‘The Substance,’ a new body horror/drama film by French director Coralie Fargeat (Revenge). The Cannes-winning film tells the story of a 50-year-old star of an aerobic show finds out about a miraculous substance that can transform her into a younger, more beautiful version of herself.
‘The Substance’ had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Screenplay. The film has since been screened at numerous film festivals including Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and Filmfest München. It’s also scheduled to be screened at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Starring in the film are Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Hugo Diego Garcia, Phillip Schurer, Joseph Balderrama, Tom Morton, and Robin Greer.
Release Date
Directed by Coralie Fargeat, ‘The Substance’ opens in theaters on September 19, 2024.
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 talked to The New York Times in an interview on the film, saying, “There were stereotypes about what girls were allowed to do, what we had to look like, how we behaved: We had to be delicate, smile and be nice. ‘The Substance’ is very much about what, as a woman, we have to conform to and how it impacts our life socially.”
Reviews
David Ehrlich in an IndieWire review praised the film, giving it an ‘A-‘ score, writing, “Fargaet’s movie escalates with the kind of ultra-confident audacity that leaves you laughing out loud at sights that would otherwise make you shriek instead”
Owen Gleiberman in a Variety review also praised the film, writing, “[Coralie Fargeat] draws on much of the hyperbolic flamboyance that’s come to define megaplex horror. But unlike 90 percent of those movies, The Substance is the work of a filmmaker with a vision. She’s got something primal to say to us.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for ‘The Substance’.