The Substance (2024)
Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?
A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 18 September 2024 |
| Genre | Horror, Science Fiction |
| Director | Coralie Fargeat |
| Starring | Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid |
| Runtime | 141 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Metacritic 78/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 89% · TMDB users 7.1/10 |
| Budget | $18 million |
Where to watch The Substance
The Substance is streaming on Hulu ($21.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Hulu is $21.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 27 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent or buy The Substance on Apple TV, Prime Video and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Substance in 51 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Andorra | Max |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Netflix about |
| Argentina | Netflix $8999 ARS |
| Australia | Max $15.99 AUD |
| Austria | Paramount+ |
| Bahamas | Netflix about |
| Barbados | Netflix about |
| Belize | Netflix about |
| Bermuda | Netflix about |
| Bolivia | Netflix about |
| Brazil | Netflix R$51.90 |
| Canada | Paramount+ |
| Chile | Netflix $7190 CLP |
| Colombia | Netflix $18900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Netflix about |
| Czechia | Max |
| Denmark | Max 129 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Netflix about |
| Ecuador | Netflix $5.99 |
| El Salvador | Netflix |
| Finland | Max €11.99 |
| French Guiana | Netflix |
| Germany | Paramount+ |
| Guatemala | Netflix about |
| Honduras | Netflix about |
| Hungary | Max |
| Ireland | Paramount+ |
| Jamaica | Netflix about |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY |
| Mexico | Netflix $269 MXN |
| Moldova | Max |
| Netherlands | Prime Video €4.99, Max €11.99 |
| Nicaragua | Netflix about |
| Norway | Max 149 kr NOK |
| Panama | Netflix $5.99 |
| Paraguay | Netflix about |
| Peru | Netflix S/28.90 |
| Romania | Max |
| Slovakia | Max |
| South Korea | Disney+ ₩9900 |
| Spain | Prime Video €4.99, Filmin, Max €10.99 |
| St. Lucia | Netflix about |
| Sweden | Max 149 kr SEK, SVT Play free |
| Switzerland | Paramount+ |
| Thailand | Netflix ฿169 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Netflix about |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Netflix |
| Türkiye | Max |
| United Kingdom | Paramount+, BBC iPlayer free |
| Uruguay | Netflix about $U481 |
| Venezuela | Netflix about |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Coralie Fargeat directs a 141-minute horror that treats body modification as a literal consumption of self. The film leans into its own ugliness, trading shock for a slow, viscous decay of the body politic. It is a mirror held up to a culture that worships youth until the reflection cracks. The hook is simple: what happens when the upgrade requires the original to be discarded? Fargeat answers with a camera that refuses to look away, making the gore feel less like spectacle and more like consequence. It is a film that wants you to feel the weight of every wasted second of your own life.
What the critics said
Critics found it easier to praise than to ignore. Rotten Tomatoes reports 89% positive reviews as of June 2025. Metacritic gives it 78 out of 100 as of May 2025, a score it labels generally favorable. The consensus leans heavily on Demi Moore. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it "a cheerfully silly and outrageously indulgent piece of gonzo body-horror comedy." Javier Ocaña of El País offered a dissenting view, noting that subtlety is not Fargeat's greatest virtue. The film seems to work best when you stop expecting it to be subtle.
How it did with audiences
The film cost $18 million and grossed between $77.3 and $82 million worldwide, a margin that makes the accounting department smile. In the United States and Canada, it earned $17.6 million, while other territories contributed $59.7 million. It opened to $3.2 million, finishing sixth, then dropped just 39% the next week. On TMDB, users rate it 7.1 out of 10. It also became Mubi's highest-grossing film, surpassing Priscilla (2023). A modest hit that quietly outperformed expectations.
What came next for the cast
Margaret Qualley moved from 2019’s Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood to a string of 2025 and 2026 releases, including Honey Don't! Dennis Quaid, known for The Day After Tomorrow, followed with War Machine in 2026. The timeline offers no causal link, just a sequence.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Substance.
Sources
- The Substance on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q113380226 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Substance” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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