The Substance is a 2024 body horror film with satirical elements written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. It follows Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a fading celebrity, who, after being fired by her producer (Dennis Quaid) due to her age, uses a black market drug that creates a much younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley) with unexpected side effects.
The film has received various awards and nominations from critics and industry organizations. It had its world premiere on May 19, 2024, in the main competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, competing for the Palme d'Or, where Fargeat was awarded Best Screenplay. At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, Moore won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, while the film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
At the 97th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Fargeat and Best Actress for Moore, winning Best Makeup and Hairstyling; Fargeat became the ninth woman nominated for directing.
Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Cannes Film Festival May 25, 2024 Palme d'Or Coralie Fargeat Best Screenplay CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival September 14, 2024 Emeric Pressburger Prize The Substance Toronto International Film Festival September 15, 2024 People's Choice Midnight Madness Award Hamptons International Film Festival October 5, 2024 Career Achievement in Acting Award Demi Moore Savannah Film Festival November 2, 2024 Icon Award Luminary Award Margaret Qualley Cinémathèque française November 5, 2024 Career Tribute Demi Moore Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 20, 2024 Best Original Score – Horror/Thriller Film Raffertie Camerimage November 23, 2024 Director's Debuts Competition Benjamin Kračun Gotham Awards December 2, 2024 Outstanding Lead Performance Demi Moore European Film Awards December 7, 2024 European Film The Substance European Screenwriter Coralie Fargeat European Cinematography Benjamin Kračun European Visual Effects Bryan Jones, Pierre Procoudine-Gorsky, Chervin Shafaghi, and Guillaume Le Gouez Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards December 8, 2024 Best Picture The Substance Best Horror or Thriller Feature Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller Margaret Qualley Best Supporting Actress Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat December 8, 2024 Best Casting Laure Cochener and Léa Moszkowicz Best Makeup and Hairstyling Pierre-Olivier Persin, Frederique Arguello Los Angeles Film Critics Association December 8, 2024 Best Lead Performance Demi Moore Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association December 8, 2024 Best Actress Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat San Diego Film Critics Society December 9, 2024 Best Director Best Actress Demi Moore Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Visual Effects The Substance SFFILM December 9, 2024 Maria Manetti Shrem Award for Acting Demi Moore Chicago Film Critics Association December 11, 2024 Best Film The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Art Direction / Production Design The Substance Best Use of Visual Effects San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle December 15, 2024 Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat St. Louis Film Critics Association December 15, 2024 Best Actress Demi Moore Best Horror Film The Substance Best Scene New Year's Eve performance Toronto Film Critics Association December 15, 2024 Best Lead Performance Demi Moore IndieWire Critics Poll December 16, 2024 Best Film The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Lead Performance Demi Moore Best Screenplay The Substance New York Film Critics Online December 16, 2024 Best Picture Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Seattle Film Critics Society December 16, 2024 Best Picture The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress in a Leading Role Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Editing Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, and Valentin Féron Best Visual Effects Bryan Jones and Guillaume Le Gouez Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association December 18, 2024 Best Film The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Black Film Critics Circle December 19, 2024 Top 10 Films of the Year The Substance Dublin Film Critics' Circle December 19, 2024 Best Film Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Florida Film Critics Circle December 20, 2024 Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Visual Effects The Substance Kansas City Film Critics Circle January 4, 2025 Best Film Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Original Score Raffertie Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror The Substance Golden Globe Awards January 5, 2025 Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Margaret Qualley Best Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Austin Film Critics Association January 6, 2025 Best Picture The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Cinematography Benjamin Kračun Best Editing Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, and Valentin Féron Alliance of Women Film Journalists January 7, 2025 Best Film The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Editing Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, and Valentin Féron Best Woman Director Coralie Fargeat Best Female Screenwriter Georgia Film Critics Association January 7, 2025 Best Picture The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Houston Film Critics Society January 14, 2025 Best Picture The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Women Film Critics Circle January 15, 2025 Best Movie by a Woman (directing) Coralie Fargeat Best Woman Storyteller (Screenwriting Award) Best Actress Demi Moore Adrienne Shelly Award The Substance Satellite Awards January 26, 2025 Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Demi Moore Best Actress in a Supporting Role Margaret Qualley Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Online Film Critics Society January 27, 2025 Best Picture The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Editing The Substance Best Visual Effects Technical Achievement Award: Makeup &/or Hairstyling London Film Critics' Circle February 2, 2025 Film of the Year Director of the Year Coralie Fargeat Actress of the Year Demi Moore Supporting Actress of the Year Margaret Qualley Screenwriter of the Year Coralie Fargeat Technical Achievement Award Makeup (Stéphanie Guillon and Pierre-Olivier Persin) Saturn Awards February 2, 2025 Best Independent Film The Substance Best Actress in a Film Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress in a Film Margaret Qualley Best Film Make Up Pierre-Olivier Persin Costume Designers Guild Awards February 6, 2025 Excellence in Contemporary Film Emmanuelle Youchnovski Critics Choice Awards February 7, 2025 Best Picture The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Supporting Actress Margaret Qualley Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Hair and Make-Up Pierre-Olivier Persin, Frederique Arguello, Stephanie Guillon Best Visual Effects Visual Effects Team Set Decorators Society of America Awards February 7, 2025 Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Contemporary Feature Film Cécilia Blom and Stanislas Reydellet AARP Movies for Grownups Awards February 8, 2025 Best Actress Demi Moore Producers Guild of America Awards February 8, 2025 Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner International Cinephile Society February 9, 2025 Best Picture The Substance Best Actress Demi Moore Best Production Design Stanislas Reydellet Best Sound Design Valérie Deloof and Victor Fleurant Santa Barbara International Film Festival February 10, 2025 Outstanding Director of the Year Coralie Fargeat Dorian Awards February 13, 2025 Film of the Year The Substance Director of the Year Coralie Fargeat Film Performance of the Year Demi Moore Supporting Film Performance of the Year Margaret Qualley Screenplay of the Year Coralie Fargeat Wilde Artist Award Genre Film of the Year The Substance Visually Striking Film of the Year Campiest Flick Irish Film & Television Academy Awards February 14, 2025 Best International Film Best International Actress Demi Moore Art Directors Guild Awards February 15, 2025 Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Feature Film Stanislas Reydellet Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards February 15, 2025 Best Contemporary Make-Up in a Feature-Length Motion Picture Stéphanie Guillon Best Contemporary Hair Styling in a Feature-Length Motion Picture Frédérique Arguello Best Special Make-Up Effects in a Feature-Length Motion Picture Pierre-Olivier Persin British Academy Film Awards February 16, 2025 Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress in a Leading Role Demi Moore Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Make Up & Hair Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, Frédérique Arguello, and Marilyne Scarselli Best Sound Valérie Deloof, Victor Fleurant, Victor Praud, Stéphane Thiébaut, and Emmanuelle Villard Vancouver Film Critics Circle February 18, 2025 Best Female Actor Demi Moore Best Supporting Female Actor Margaret Qualley Independent Spirit Awards February 22, 2025 Best Feature Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, and Eric Fellner Best Lead Performance Demi Moore Screen Actors Guild Awards February 23, 2025 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture César Awards February 28, 2025 Best Foreign Film Coralie Fargeat Golden Raspberry Awards February 28, 2025 Razzie Redeemer Award Demi Moore Academy Awards March 2, 2025 Best Picture Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Actress Demi Moore Best Original Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Best Makeup and Hairstyling Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli The Queerties March 11, 2025 Film Performance Demi Moore American Cinema Editors Awards March 14, 2025 Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy, Theatrical) Coralie Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, and Valentin Féron Bodil Awards March 15, 2025 Best English Language Film The Substance Edda Awards March 26, 2025 Foreign Film of the Year Ivor Novello Awards May 22, 2025 Best Original Film Score Raffertie Golden Trailer Awards May 29, 2025 Best Teaser Mubi / Mubi Lab Bram Stoker Award July 07, 2025 Superior Achievement in a Screenplay Coralie Fargeat Critics' Choice Super Awards August 7, 2025 Best Horror Movie The Substance Best Actress in a Horror Movie Demi Moore Fangoria Chainsaw Awards October 19, 2025 Best Wide Release The Substance Best Director Coralie Fargeat Best Screenplay Best Lead Performance Demi Moore Best Supporting Performance Margaret Qualley Best Cinematography Benjamin Kračun Best Score Raffertie Best Costume Design Emmanuelle Youchnovski Best Make-Up FX Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon Best Creature FX Pierre-Olivier Persin
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