Coming out of the Cannes Film Festival, one especially grotesque and evocative movie grabbed everyone’s attention: “The Substance.” The latest film from “Revenge” director Coralie Fargeat seemed a bit at odds with other more grounded films that traditionally play at Cannes. Inevitably, like David Cronenberg’s “Crash” it produced a wide array of responses. Some walked away repulsed by the feature, while others leaped to their feet immediately to cheer it on. Either way, “The Substance” drummed up lots of conversation, especially after it won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival. This accomplishment was a tremendous and rare feat for a horror title and signaled that “The Substance” had struck a chord with its premiere audience.
With further screenings set for prestigious fall film festivals before its theatrical release from MUBI on September 20th (The Midnight Madness crowd at TIFF better prepare themselves), “The Substance” is guaranteed to float around in the ensuing 2024-2025 award season discussion. However, does it stand a chance? Is there any hope that such a gnarly and gory body horror movie will receive Oscar recognition?
North American distributor MUBI will likely build “The Substance’s” awards season promotion by comparing it to the recent fellow Cannes premiere body horror feature, “Titane.” That masterpiece won the Palme d’Or at the 2021 edition of Cannes and went on to become one of the year’s best-reviewed movies from major critics organizations. Most notably, it secured a BAFTA nomination for Best Director for Julia Ducournau. While the film did not receive a Best International Feature Film Oscar nomination or any other nominations, perhaps the boldness of “Titane” was the appetizer for Academy voters before they had their main fill with Fargeat’s full course meal. “Titane’s” awards season trajectory and Cannes victory were signs that modern awards voters can be a little more open to uber-gnarly body horror. However, its Oscar exclusion still reflects the Academy’s hesitancy in recognizing horror cinema. That reality will be incredibly difficult for “The Substance” to surmount, even building off of “Titane’s” groundbreaking nominations and wins.
If there’s any category “The Substance” could make an impression on voters at the Oscars, it’s likely Best Actress for Demi Moore’s much-lauded turn. A staple of 1990s cinema, Moore’s more mainstream-skewing roles in decades past weren’t the kind of things Oscar nominations were made out of. However, she did score a Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical nod for “Ghost,” while scoring nominations and wins for being part of the ensemble casts of 21st-century dramas like “Bobby” and “Margin Call.” In other words, the very concept of her securing a high-profile awards nomination is not inconceivable and is something that has an already built-in narrative considering the film’s plot mirroring Moore’s career as an aging actress the industry has perhaps forgotten about. Well, now, with “The Substance,” she’s looking to make the mother of all comebacks, and awards season voters could respond in kind by finally embracing her.
The Oscars love a comeback narrative, as seen by Brendan Fraser’s Oscar win two years ago for “The Whale.” Moore putting it all out on the floor in an acclaimed indie feature (one full of disgusting gore and grotesque imagery that her previous films never waded into) could be just the ticket for Oscar voters to take notice of her once again. Granted, recent iconic horror leading ladies like Toni Collette (“Hereditary“) and Lupita Nyong’o (“Us“) can attest that lots of praise isn’t enough to break through the Academy’s stigma against horror. However, Demi Moore might have some factors behind her in overcoming that problem.
Another element that must be considered regarding “The Substance” as an Oscar player is its North American distributor and, by proxy, its Oscar campaigner. MUBI is handling “The Substance” in this territory, with the indie studio/streamer planning on giving the feature its first immediate wide release. MUBI has been distributing films in global markets like the UK since 2016, and in recent years, it has taken international rights to extremely high-profile titles like “First Cow,” “Shiva Baby,“ and “Priscilla.” However, the studio has yet to score an Oscar nomination for a feature-length film distributed in North America. One or two of its titles, like “Fallen Leaves” and “Decision to Leave,” have been shortlisted in categories like Best International Feature; however, a concrete Oscar nomination has eluded MUBI thus far. That could hinder a film like “The Substance” while it’s already dealing with a plethora of issues at its back. On the other hand, every indie studio has to start somewhere. NEON and A24 didn’t just become a regular fixture of the Oscar’s Best Picture category overnight.
As MUBI expands its domestic distribution efforts, it will hone its awards season campaigning. “The Substance” could be a perfect chance for MUBI’s awards coordinators to polish their craft and get the ball rolling for future campaigns. Plus, they did have a surprisingly stealthy awards season fixture last year with recurring Best Actor nominations for Franz Rogowski in “Passages” at prominent critics’ awards shows. That didn’t translate into an Oscar nomination, but it did show that MUBI-distributed titles can score high-profile nominations. Whose to say “The Substance” can’t also go the distance?
Its chances don’t just lie with Moore. “The Substance“ is technically brilliant in its direction, and many will be banging the drum for Fargeat to break into this year’s Best Director category with enormous passion. And those crafts? They will be heralded as some of the best of the year. Whether it’s the film’s astonishingly gruesome makeup and prosthetics, the pummeling sound, or the razor-sharp editing, no matter how the film makes audiences feel about its content, there’s no denying the immaculate technical work on display.
No matter how things shake out for “The Substance” in its awards season trajectory, one can be confident that this title will add buckets of blood and unsettling imagery to the awards season discourse, giving it a shot in the arm it so desperately needs alongside the traditional Oscar-friendly fare. At a time of the year dominated by period pieces and quieter films, the maximalist horror of “The Substance” is bound to be a warped breath of fresh air for some. Who knows, perhaps that distinctiveness will catapult it to some Oscar nominations. Certainly, Demi Moore, Coralie Fargeat, and the folks at MUBI would relish the chance to be associated with that kind of a contender. One that takes no prisoners, is unashamed of what it is, and is in your face about it.
Do you think “The Substance” has a chance at the Oscars to score any nominations? Please let us know in the comments below or on Next Best Picture’s X account and be sure to check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.
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