'The Substance' Continues Defying Global Box Office Expectations

In a year when both A24 and Neon delivered some of their biggest-ever hits, the art-house marketplace saw a new challenger enter the race. MUBI picked up director Coralie Fargeat’s body horror film The Substance after Universal appeared to get cold feet, and pushed it to a considerable level of success at the box office. Ahead of its debut on the MUBI streaming service on Halloween — this was the company’s bread and butter before it entered the theatrical space — The Substance is approaching a solid milestone at the global box office.

The film has grossed a hair under $15 million domestically, and another $24 million in overseas markets, for a cumulative global gross of nearly $39 million. MUBI distributed the film theatrically in the United States and the United Kingdom, while other companies handled overseas territories. The Substance was produced on a reported budget of around $17 million, and was picked up by MUBI for a reported $12 million from Universal. The Substancepremiered at the Cannes Film Festival to tremendous acclaim, and went on to win the Best Screenplay award for Fargeat.

She broke out with the splashy rape-revenge film Revenge a few years ago, and The Substance marks her English-language debut. The movie stars Demi Moore as Elizabeth Sparkle, an aging showbiz icon who takes an underground drug through which she creates a younger version of herself. Played by Margaret Qualley, the younger Elizabeth engages her older self in a battle for survival that ends in a grotesque third act that several viewers have noted as the film’s greatest highlight. The Substance currently sits at a “fresh” 91% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, and considering its out-there ideas and tone, earned a surprisingly solid B CinemaScore from opening day audiences.

'The Substance' Is MUBI's Biggest Domestic Release

In his review, Collider’s Caleb Hammond praised Moore’s central performance — she’s already earning Oscar buzz — and the film’s “often very funny, gore-filled final act.” The Substance’s biggest overseas market is Mexico, where it earned around $8 million, followed by the U.K., where it earned over $4 million. Crucially, the film hasn’t yet been released in Fargeat’s home country of France; there’s a solid chance of it passing the $40 million mark worldwide when it does in November. The Substance will hit MUBI on October 31, just after hitting PVOD platforms. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

A fading celebrity, Elisabeth Sparkle, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth. The drug temporarily creates a younger version of herself, named Sue, who quickly ascends to the fame Elisabeth once craved.

Director Coralie Fargeat

Cast Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia , Olivier Raynal , Tiffany Hofstetter , Tom Morton , Jiselle Burkhalter , Axel Baille , Oscar Lesage , Matthew Géczy , Philip Schurer