Did Universe make a mistake by firing the director? Coralie FargeatBody horror film The substance? The film’s success at the box office undoubtedly proved that there is a desire for extreme cinema; A hypothesis further supported by the recent commercial success of horror 3. The release is now approaching a month, The substance exceeded most expectations, but its performance has raised questions about how much more it could have earned had it been released by a major studio rather than an indie upstart. In any case, it is a big win for MUBI, which wants to conquer the market that A24 only recently left.

With nearly $12 million domestic and nearly $15 million worldwide, The substance has has now surpassed the $25 million mark at the global box office. It’s a big win for an arguably unpalatable film that was reportedly made on a budget of around $18 million. With Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley And Dennis QuaidThe film is about an aging celebrity who agrees to take a drug that produces a younger, more perfect version of herself. The substance premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it received strong reviews and won the award for best screenplay for Fargeat.

The filmmaker made his breakthrough with the sensational 2017 film Revengewhich offered a feminist take on the rape-revenge subgenre of horror. This film was also very well received. The substance currently sits at a 90% “fresh” approval rating on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. The audience rating, however, is a solid 73%. In his review, Collider’s Caleb Hammond praised the film’s “completely insane, often very funny, bloody final act” and praised Moore’s central performance.

The Substance was originally created at Universal before MUBI stepped in

The substance is already MUBI’s biggest domestic hit of all time, in a year that saw both A24 and Neon enjoy company-defining success. While Neon released the successful horror film Long legsA24 published the dystopian thriller Civil War. Both films grossed over $100 million worldwide. A24 has already made it clear that it wants to explore larger releases, and Civil War was the first real step in that direction. This leaves room for new distributors in the indie market. Originally the company was in the streaming and acquisition business, MUBI is penetrating the cinema market. The team couldn’t have asked for a more auspicious start. You can watch The substance in theaters, and 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 rises to the fame that Elisabeth once craved.

director

Coralie Fargeat

Pour

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