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HorrorSci-FiDrama Cannes 2024 · Best Screenplay

The Substance Review (2024) — 79% Celluloid Score

Directed by Coralie Fargeat · 2024 ·

Short answer

Is The Substance worth watching?

Yes. The Substance (2024) earns a 79% Celluloid Score. That puts it in our Recommended tier. Critics (89%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (72%). See the 4 inputs.

79%
Celluloid Score Recommended

4-input transparent breakdown

89% Editorial Rating
72% Audience snapshot · excluded
78 Metascore
★★★½☆ Letterboxd 3.8
7.2 IMDb /10
0
Watch Trailer
Released
Runtime
2h 21m
Age rating
R (US) · 18 (UK) · A (India) · 21+ (Indonesia) · R 18+ (Australia)
Cast
Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid
Streaming
Hulu, HBO Max, MUBI
Language
English

Also known as La sustancia A Substância サブスタンス 서브스턴스 某种物质 懼裂 Cevher สวยสลับร่าง

🏆 6 award wins · 8 nominations — Won Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Academy Awards 2025

Where to watch

  • Hulu
  • HBO Max
  • MUBI

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home

Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home

Where to watch The Substance by country

Country Streaming on
India MUBI
Indonesia KlikFilm
Japan Prime Video
South Korea Disney+
Thailand Netflix
Turkey MUBI, TV+, HBO Max
United Kingdom Paramount+, MUBI
United States Hulu, HBO Max, MUBI

Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.

Why this score?

  • Celluloid's editorial rating is positive (89/100).
  • General viewers mostly liked it (72%).
  • Metascore is generally favorable (78/100).
  • Celluloid Score 79% combines 4 rating inputs; audience sentiment is shown separately. Consult the source notes for verification dates where recorded.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded horror, sci-fi, drama pick
  • Critics' darlings — stronger with reviewers than general viewers

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

    Is The Substance worth watching?

    Yes — The Substance earns a 79% Celluloid Score. That puts it in our Recommended tier. It suits viewers who want a well-regarded horror, sci-fi, drama pick. Read our full review (4/5).

    Celluloid verdict

    A gleefully gory feminist provocation that weaponises body horror against Hollywood's cult of youth, powered by a fearless Demi Moore and a climax of pure prosthetic delirium.

    , Founder & Editor

    Critics (89%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (72%).

    What is The Substance about?

    A fading television fitness star, discarded the moment she turns fifty, injects a black-market serum that spawns a younger, better self — and the two halves of one woman go to war in a grotesque, escalating body-horror satire about the violence of the beauty industry.

    Watch the Trailer

    Critic Reviews

    Short review 4 min read English The Substance

    The Substance (2024) Review: Ageism Turned Inside Out

    The Substance is Coralie Fargeat's gory, gleefully excessive satire in which Demi Moore's fading star takes a serum that creates a younger, better version of herself.

    Yes, if you have a strong stomach. It is a bold, funny and grotesque feminist body-horror satire with a career-best Demi Moore, though far from subtle.

    Kaiser Khan Founder & Editor

    The Substance stills

    Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.

    The Substance production still 1
    The Substance production still 2
    The Substance production still 3
    The Substance production still 4
    The Substance production still 5
    The Substance production still 6

    Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.

    Reader takes

    No reader takes published yet. Send yours and we may publish it after editing.

    The Substance: frequently asked questions

    Is The Substance worth watching?

    Yes. The Substance (2024) has a Celluloid Score of 79%, averaged from the available Celluloid editorial, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb ratings. That puts it in our Recommended tier. Audience sentiment is shown separately and does not change the score.

    Where can I watch The Substance?

    In the United States, The Substance streams on Hulu, HBO Max, MUBI with a subscription, and you can rent it from Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home. Elsewhere: MUBI in India; KlikFilm in Indonesia; Prime Video in Japan; Disney+ in South Korea. Availability changes; the where-to-watch table on this page is refreshed from TMDB.

    How long is The Substance?

    The Substance runs 2 hours 21 minutes (141 minutes).

    What is The Substance rated?

    The Substance is rated R in the United States, 18 in the UK, A in India, 21+ in Indonesia and R 18+ in Australia. These are the official classifications as recorded on TMDB; check your local classification board for content advice.

    Who stars in The Substance?

    The Substance is directed by Coralie Fargeat and stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid.

    What is the Metascore for The Substance?

    Metacritic's Metascore for The Substance is 78 out of 100. It is one of the inputs to the Celluloid Score.

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