It’s finally time for the first few Cannes standouts of 2024 to start rolling out for the rest of us. Today, us regular folks got our first real glimpse at the sick and twisted world of The Substance, Coralie Fargeat’s Best Screenplay-winning body horror flick. The movie stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and an especially terrifying-looking Dennis Quaid.
Moore leads the film as Elisabeth Sparkle, the perfectly named star of an aerobics show, who gets fired on her 50th birthday due to her age. Mourning her youth, she decides to inject a miracle substance that promises to transform her into “the best version” of herself, one that is “younger, more beautiful, more perfect.” If you’re wondering, the answer is yes—it does look a bit like Ozempic: The Horror Movie. The first, brief teaser is chic and minimalistic, revealing next to no plot but plenty of the film’s aesthetic concerns. (Huh!) An official synopsis for The Substance is as cryptic as its title:
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.
There have been conflicting reports, but the film scored at least a nine-minute standing ovation at Cannes, if that’s a metric that matters to you. However audiences end up feeling about it after its actual release, the film’s shock and awe campaign is clearly working. Glowing reactions oozed out of France in the aftermath of the film’s May 19 premiere, including one viewer who claimed the film “is like David Cronenberg made Death Becomes Her... This one is for the sickos.” With Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds Of Kindness receiving similar, freak-positive reviews and a new Cronenberg that also premiered at Cannes, it’s safe to say 2024 is one for the weirdos.
The Substance premieres in select theaters on September 20.