We were huge fans of Coralie Fargeat’s hyper-stylized and hyper-violent debut feature Revenge when it premiered back in 2018, and we were hyped as fuck when she announced that she was bringing a new film to this year’s Cannes. Titled The Substance, it got rave reviews out of there, and captured the festival’s Best Screenplay award. What’s even more astonishing is that Demi Moore is in the lead role — she normally doesn’t do pictures like this, and apparently she did an absolutely incredible job, alongside Margaret Qualley.
So we’re here for the… Demissance? That actually works really well, so we’ll stick with it. Anyway, the film was acquired out of Cannes by streamer Mubi, and they dropped a teaser for it earlier on Thursday (July 11).
Peep it:
Here’s a synopsis:
“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You. Only better in every way. You’ve got to try this product: The Substance. It changed my life.
Demi Moore gives a career best performance as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister past her prime and suddenly fired from her fitness TV show by repellent studio head Harvey (Dennis Quaid). She is then drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug: The Substance. All it takes is one injection and she is reborn – temporarily – 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?
Deliriously entertaining and ruthlessly satirical, Coralie Fargeat’s Cannes sensation turns toxic beauty culture inside out with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable for the ages. Explosive, provocative and twisted, ‘The Substance’ marks the arrival of a visionary filmmaker.”
Well, we’d argue that Fargeat arrived when Revenge came out, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, The Substance will hit theaters on September 20, and we assume it’ll make its way to Mubi sometime after that. But why the hell wouldn’t you see this in theaters? Sheesh.