‘The Substance’ Is Disgusting, Twisted, and Instantly Divisive

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( cannes 2024 [The Substance Is Disgusting, Twisted, and Instantly Divisive]( The graphic body-horror film starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley is lighting up debate at Cannes. Photo: MUBI Everyone’s talking about The Substance today at [Cannes](. It premiered last night to a shocked and delighted audience and has already engendered a fascinating debate about its intentions. French writer-director Coralie Fargeat’s second film after the 2017 thriller [Revenge,]( the explicit body-horror fable follows Demi Moore as a Jane Fonda–esque starlet named Elisabeth Sparkle, who’s being unceremoniously fired from her decadeslong position as the host of a successful daytime exercise show. The head of the network, played with grotesquerie by Dennis Quaid, shoves wet, oily shrimp into his mouth, the camera zooming in on his slimy teeth, as he explains to Elisabeth that “things just stop after 50” for women. Rather than fade into the obscurity to which she has been doomed, Elisabeth takes a gamble on a black-market drug called the Substance. [read more]( Devour pop culture with us. [Subscribe now]( to save over 40% on unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • Interview With the Vampire: [Willkommen, Bienvenue]( • The Sympathizer: [War Games]( • The Jinx: [The Verdict]( • The Real Housewives of New Jersey: [Valley of the Blow-Up Dolls]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [X-Men ’97 Told the Avengers They Suck The series undermining Earth’s mightiest “heroes” is delightful fan-service subversion.]( By Roxana Hadadi [All the Films Sold at Cannes 2024 The Seed of the Sacred Fig is planted at Neon.]( By Zoe Guy [Horizon: An American Saga Is Dune: Part One for Dads Hi, I’m dads.]( By Bilge Ebiri [Elsbeth’s Unserious Fashion Is So Important Underestimate a grown woman in polka dots at your own risk.]( By Tom Smyth [Dabney Coleman Was the Perfect Onscreen Jerk Maybe likeability is overrated.]( By Matt Zoller Seitz [Rapsody Had to Be Fearless “I had gotten in the space of, ‘Do I still want to do this? Do people even care?’”]( By William E. Ketchum III [Lady Whistledown Hasn’t Tired of Drama Everything we know about the romance, gossip, and empire waists awaiting Penelope Featherington in part two.]( By Alejandra Gularte [25 Essential Stephen King Short Stories The best King stories are full of heart, horror, and humanity, each riffing on the eternal question: What if?]( By Neil McRobert [All 245 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked There are at least ten stone-cold classics in her discography.]( By Nate Jones [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Vulture Games [Today’s Crossword]( 5-Down, Five Letters: Board game with a Game of Thrones edition Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images [Today’s Cinematrix]( Can you name a Natalie Portman movie based on a book? Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Monica Schipper/Getty Images, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Jim Spellman/WireImage A newsletter about the perpetual Hollywood awards race, for subscribers only. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved