*The grotesque new horror film “The Substance” is reportedly causing audience members to walk out in cinemas worldwide due to its intense gore.
Directed by Coralie Fargeat, the film follows “Demi Moore’s Elizabeth Sparkle, a celebrity reaching the end of their journey of fame and popularity who wants nothing more than to regain everything that time has taken away from them. Enter The Substance, a mysterious liquid that promises to solve all her problems. Instead, it just introduces a new one: Margaret Qualley’s Sue,” per The Direct.
“It’s a powerful shared experience,” Moore said recently while appearing on Late Night With Seth Meyers. “It’s dealing with aging and the male perspective of the idealized woman that women have bought into.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Moore revealed that she had to wear nearly 14 prosthetic pieces on her face during some scenes.
— The Substance (@TryTheSubstance) October 4, 2024
“It’s glued,” the actress said. “You have to be as careful if not more careful taking it off so you don’t destroy your skin.”
The body horror flick received accolades at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, with The Independent predicting it would receive “a love it or hate it” response upon release. The publication noted that the movie “goes places even body horror aficionados will be shocked by.”
This Independent article cites one cinemagoer who wrote: “My review of The Substance is that people walked out of our screening and as far as I’m concerned we don’t have enough movies where that might happen,” while another stated: “Some people walked out of the screening of The Substance we were at last night. One of the most violent films I’ve ever seen.”
On X/Twitter, one person added: “I’ve seen thousands of films and it’s very hard to shock me, but this gloriously demented movie was cray-cray on 11. ‘The Substance’ is not for the faint of heart (during my viewing, several people walked out mid film), but is an instant cult classic. You’ve been warned.”
Another X user wrote: “After The Substance ended the entire theatre was dead silent and motionless as the credits rolled and then someone was just like is everyone OK? And everyone in unison said ‘no’.”
A separate post on X noted: “The Substance is the only time I’ve ever been in a cinema and everybody clapped at the end. Two people walked out 20 minutes in. Three more walked out later.”
“The Substance” is now playing in theaters worldwide.
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