If standing ovations are any indication, Coralie Fargeat’ssecond feature, The Substance, will certainly be a sure-fire winner with audiences around the world. Standing amid other heavy hitters, The Substance did more than carry its own weight, receiving an unprecedented eleven-minute standing ovation, making the film’s Best Screenplay win no surprise for Cannes audiences. 

The film, a combination of body horror and drama, tells the story of Elizabeth Sparkle, a former Hollywood darling now coasting on the fame of her younger years as the host of an ’80s-style aerobic fitness show. After being unceremoniously fired, Elizabeth goes to extreme measures to regain her youthful beauty, relying on the titular substance to do so. But in true horror film fashion, the outcome is not at all what she had in mind, resulting in grotesque violations of the human body, characteristic of the body horror genre. 

Demi Moore shines as Sparkle, starring alongside Dennis Quaid and Margaret Qualley, who plays her sleazeball boss and the “younger, better version” of herself, respectively. Just like in her directorial debut Revenge, Fargeat’s excessive use of blood and carnage should be given a role in the end credits. Special effects designer Pierre-Olivier Persin is certainly worth noting as his work brings Fargeat’s vision to life, showcasing the spectacular and revolting carnage brought forth by Sparkle’s desire to retain the life of her past. 

Fargeat said the film’s extreme violence, reminiscent of body horror giants like David Cronenberg and Brian De Palma, reflects the extreme violence that women are faced with daily. Both The Substance and Revenge follow this theme, with the focus on reclaiming women’s bodies and the way they’re perceived.

Leading up to the film’s Best Screenplay win, The Substanceall but sold out worldwide, with deals ranging across Europe and Asia, and theatrical dates set by global sales agent MUBI for later this year throughout the Americas and the UK. No release date has been announced, though the MUBI trailer can be watched here. With the amount of enthusiasm garnered by the film so far, an overwhelming theatrical reception is no doubt imminent, as are more thought-provoking and revolutionary films by Coralie Fargeat.