As ever, Cannes is providing serious buzz. It’s a key part of the festival circuit – films screen, conversation proliferates, and exciting must-sees come out of it all. And amid the myriad takes on Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, the debut of Kevin Costner’s Horizon, and the arrival of another new Yorgos Lanthimos joint Kinds Of Kindness, there’s one film that’s got everybody talking: The Substance. It’s an upcoming body horror from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat (previously behind Revenge), and has provoked all kinds of conversation – in part for giving Demi Moore her biggest role in years.
Since The Substance has been acquired for distribution by MUBI, there’s already a teaser for the film. It’s only brief, but give it a watch here:
There’s not a huge amount to go off here, but the cryptic teaser does offer hints at the premise – of a scientific treatment promising to deliver a young, better version of yourself through cell-division. What are the chances it all goes horribly wrong? Or, alternatively, that it goes exactly right, but with consequences that are worse than feared? Early reactions from the film have likened it to Robert Zemeckis’ black comedy Death Becomes Her, in the vein of Julia Ducournau. The film also stars Margaret Qualley (most recently seen in Drive-Away Dolls and Poor Things), as well as the one and only Dennis Quaid.
Fingers crossed we won’t be waiting long for this one – MUBI will be releasing it in the UK (as well as the US, Latin America, Turkey, Canada, the Netherlands, India and more), so expect it later in 2024. Here’s hoping all that evident style comes with serious… well, substance.