The Substance has die-hard fans floored and is getting praise at Cannes as the movie looks to be the next smash horror hit.
Starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, the bodyhorrormovie The Substance received a 13-minute standing ovation at this year’s Cannes,accordingto Deadline. By French director Coralie Fargeat, the movie is described as being horribly bloody with a feminist edge that takes body modification to the extreme.
Moore stars as Elizabeth Sparkle who was once a top actor and now works as an exercise host. When she’s fired for being “too old,” she calls a mysterious number that was handed to her. She then falls into the world of sci-fi body enhancement that takes a dark turn.
Using provided medications and tools, her back splits open like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and hatches a younger version of herself. But there’s a catch as only one version goes out and about for a week while the other hibernates.
It’s so far received an almost perfect scorefrom Rotten Tomatoeswith a 92% rating. The BBC gave the movie a glowingreviewwriting, “Fargeat’s twisted tale is good fun, especially if you like to hear squelching, cracking and crunching noises as gruesome things are done to human flesh.”
On X/Twitter, Beyond Festcommented, “Cannes just got splattered. THE SUBSTANCE is the most batshtfckinginsane movie of the last 20 years. It is on such a freakish level that it’s impossible to believe it exists. Demi Moore goes there and @coraliefargeat has carved a contemporary horror unlike anything you’ve seen.”
The Substance hasn’t released an official trailer for the movie. Only a teaser and a harrowing still image. “I hate when tweets like this come out of festivals & I can’t find a trailer or anything other than 1 still image. Grrr,”saidone fan on X/Twitter.
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Based on the reception of the movie so far, fans are eager to watch it for themselves. “I don’t know anything about this but I need to see it,”commentedone fan.
Moore has broken into her first Cannes success story, with Varietycallingher on-screen nothing short of “fearless.”
Gabriela Silva was a Senior TV & Movies Writer on Dexerto’s US team, specializing in Netflix originals, K-Drama, and Disney+ shows. She also has bylines at ScreenRant, Pop Br, and Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
