Look out! The Substance movie is spreading to streaming soon following an underdog run at the box office.
The Substance is a twisted horror film directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid.
The plot centers on a fading celebrity (Moore) who takes a black market drug to create a younger version of herself (Qualley), resulting in horrific side effects.
Premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where Fargeat won Best Screenplay, the film was released theatrically in the United States on September 20.
The Substance Movie's Streaming Release
As The Substance recently hit theaters, audiences are now speculating when the film will become available on digital and streaming platforms.
Distributed by Mubi (streaming service), the film’s streaming release date has yet to be announced, though DVDs Release Dates speculate an October 29 release. However, without any official confirmation, this remains unverified.
Mubi often doesn't distribute in the United States, most commonly doing so in the United Kingdom. For example, 2022's Aftersun was released through Mubi in the UK but A24 in the United States.
No matter the region, Mubi has historically streamed films 21 to 77 days after their theatrical release. Here's a look at some theatrical-to-streaming windows from recent Mubi-distributed films in the US:
- The Settlers
- Theatrical Release: January 12, 2024
- Streaming Release: March 29, 2024
- Window: 77 days
- Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
- Theatrical Release: March 22, 2024
- Streaming Release: May 3, 2024
- Window: 42 days
- Gasoline Rainbow
- Theatrical Release: May 10, 2024
- Streaming Release: May 31, 2024
- Window: 21 days
- Crossing
- Theatrical Release: July 19, 2024
- Streaming Release: August 30, 2024
- Window: 42 days
History suggests that The Substance could land on Mubi between October and December.
However, the movie's box office performance may also impact its digital release timeline, with potential success possibly pushing the streaming debut to a later date to maximize theater earnings.
The Substance opened in sixth place at the North American box office during its opening weekend, earning an estimated $3.1 million from 1,949 locations. The film over-performed in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
Comparisons to past Mubi releases point toward a potential December streaming debut, though this remains speculative until more details are announced.
What Happens in The Substance?
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for The Substance.
The Substance follows Elizabeth Sparkle (Moore), a fading celebrity desperate to reclaim her youth and fame.
After being fired from her aerobics show and enduring a car accident, Elizabeth turns to a black market drug called "The Substance," which creates a younger version of herself, Sue (Qualley). Initially, Sue rises to stardom while Elizabeth deteriorates in isolation.
However, as Sue ignores the program's rules, both face horrifying consequences—Elizabeth ages rapidly, and Sue’s body starts to decay. In the film’s climax, Elizabeth tries to terminate Sue, but a botched attempt severs their connection, leading to a violent confrontation where Sue kills Elizabeth.
As Sue prepares for her New Year's Eve show, her decaying body forces her to use The Substance again, but instead of a youthful version, a monstrous hybrid of Elizabeth and Sue emerges.
The creature wreaks havoc during a live performance before ultimately exploding.
The film ends with a grotesque remnant of Elizabeth's face dying near her tarnished Hollywood star, a satirical conclusion to her quest for eternal youth.
The Substance is now playing in theaters.
