One of the buzziest films from Cannes this year is The Substance. The film was selected to compete for the ultra-prestigious Palme d’Or and ultimately won Best Screenplay. Prior to premiering at Cannes, the film was already backed by Mubi and plans for worldwide distribution. Now, those not lucky enough to get to spend the summer in sunny South France are finally given a glimpse of The Substance.
The plot of The Substance looks to be just as ominous and foreboding as the film’s title. Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, the host of a popular aerobics show who is fired on her 50th birthday. She is sent a package with a strange vial inside with the promise that, by using this substance, Elizabeth will be turned into the best possible version of herself. She is promised to be turned into someone younger, more beautiful, and more perfect. Based on the trailer, it seems as though this new version of Elizabeth will be played by Margaret Qualley, who has been quite busy already this year.
The brief trailer moves at breakneck speed through a series of bizarre images. The world of The Substance has a retro futuristic appearance with 80s workout leotards, hallways with Shining-esque carpet, and stark, monochromatic rooms. With a pulsing song in the background, the beginning of the trailer is odd, but nothing too crazy until we see Elizabeth inject herself with the substance. Suddenly, the trailer turns full-on body horror and looks like The Substance might not be for the faint of heart.

Of course, those who have seen writer/director Coralie Fargeat’s previous film, Revenge, are prepared for what she has in store for The Substance. Fargeat lists David Cronenberg, John Carpenter, David Lynch, and Michael Haneke as inspirations for her career. That crew of directors isn’t exactly known for their mainstream, approachable work. Both of Fargeat’s features are feminist twists on genres that aren’t always kind to women. Revenge tells the story of a woman (Matilda Lutz) who was assaulted, left for dead, and decides to take her bloody revenge. It’s a critique of sorts of the revenge genre. The Substance is a body horror examination on the way society looks at women who age.
Dennis Quaid’s only line in the trailer is delivered in maniacally, menacing fashion, “Pretty girls should always smile.” In an instant whiplash moment, The Substance cuts to a car crash, a bloody-faced Margaret Qualley, and a person being brutally thrown across a room. It’s safe to say that no matter what expectations a person has going into the film, The Substance is going to find a way to be weirder, wilder, and more horrifying than one could imagine.