“Have you ever ever dreamt of a greater model of your self?” So asks The Substance, Coralie Fargeat‘s sophomore function, winner of the Greatest Screenplay award on the 2024 Cannes Movie Pageant and 2025 Greatest Image Oscar nominee. Whereas it has been streaming on Mubi for the previous 12 months, the physique horror romp is broadening its streaming horizons this fall.
The Hollywood ageism satire stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid, and constructive phrase of mouth made the horror film a shock hit. For those who nonetheless have not seen it — or if you wish to rewatch it this spooky season — here is all the pieces it’s essential learn about easy methods to watch The Substance at dwelling and on-line, together with when and the place it is streaming and the most effective offers to avoid wasting cash.
What’s The Substance about?
The Substance stars Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister who’s fired from her health TV program for the unforgivable crime of growing older. Battling with crippling Hollywood ageism, she’s launched to a brand new drug often known as “the Substance.” A single injection is all it takes for Elisabeth to be reborn as the attractive and youthful Sue (Margaret Qualley), who then begins her personal rise by means of Hollywood.
After all, there’s all the time a catch. The Substance forces you to separate time between your two our bodies; Elisabeth should spend precisely seven days as herself, then seven days as Sue. When she messes with the steadiness, issues get…bloody.
Take a look at the official trailer:
Is The Substance value watching?
The Substance has turn into probably the most profitable field workplace launch for arthouse distributor and streamer Mubi. The daring and bloody movie created a ton of buzz, with audiences giving it a 74 % score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics’ score is much more spectacular with a glowing 89 %.
“Audaciously gross, wickedly intelligent, and presumably Demi Moore’s best hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat,” the critics consensus reads on Rotten Tomatoes.
Whereas Mashable’s personal reviewer wasn’t an enormous fan, writing that the “horror sci-fi plot of The Substance feels incomplete,” most evaluations are very constructive. The movie even earned itself a nomination for Greatest Image on the 2025 Academy Awards.
Simply be warned, many people shall be squirming of their seats over the quantity of blood and gore. It’s a physique horror film, in any case.
How can I watch The Substance at dwelling?
Credit score: Mubi
Purchase or lease on digital
The Substance made its digital retail debut on Oct. 31, 2024, which means it is out there for buy at video-on-demand retailers like Prime Video and Apple TV+ for $19.99. The movie can be out there to lease for simply $5.99. With leases, you will get 30 days to begin watching, however simply 48 hours as soon as you start.
Listed below are some fast hyperlinks to buy the movie on digital:
Stream it on Mubi or HBO Max
As a Mubi authentic movie, Mubi has been the unique streaming dwelling for The Substance because it made its debut on Oct. 31, 2024. Whereas Mubi is certainly a worthy subscription for cinephiles, it isn’t typically in most individuals’s streaming lineups. So we had been thrilled to be taught that the film has now made its strategy to a brand new streamer as of Oct. 10, 2025: HBO Max. This Halloween season, the campy physique horror gem is lastly out there to a wider viewers.
Mubi subscriptions begin at $14.99 per 30 days, whereas HBO Max subscriptions begin at $9.99 per 30 days. We have rounded up a couple of methods to avoid wasting cash on each streamers beneath.
The very best HBO Max streaming offers
Greatest for most individuals: Save 16% on HBO Max Fundamental annual subscription
It can save you about 16% (in comparison with a month-to-month plan) should you select an annual plan and pay upfront for a 12 months of HBO Max. The Fundamental plan with advertisements usually goes for $9.99 per 30 days, however should you go annual, that price drops to about $8.33 per 30 days — a yearly whole of simply $99.99. We predict that is the most effective HBO Max streaming deal for most individuals — though, should you can not stand advertisements, the Max Normal annual subscription is the next-best deal at $169.99.
Get HBO Max without spending a dime: Change to Cricket’s Supreme Limitless plan
Wish to get HBO Max without spending a dime? Change your cellphone plan to Cricket’s $60 per 30 days Supreme Limitless plan. It consists of HBO Max Fundamental (with advertisements) for no additional price. While you open up the HBO Max app, you will simply choose Cricket as your supplier and use your credentials to log in.
Mashable Offers
Get HBO Max without spending a dime: Join DashPass annual plan
One other approach you may get HBO Max without spending a dime in 2025 is thru DoorDash’s annual DashPass plan, which prices $96 per 12 months ($8 per 30 days). A DashPass membership will get you $0 supply charges and decreased service charges on eligible DoorDash orders all 12 months lengthy, plus free streaming (with advertisements) by means of HBO Max. Simply activate your HBO Max Fundamental subscription by means of your DoorDash account to get began. For those who’d quite watch ad-free, you possibly can improve for a reduced fee.
Greatest HBO Max deal for college students: Save 50% on HBO Max Fundamental with advertisements
School college students can get pleasure from a complete 12 months of HBO Max Fundamental (with advertisements) for half worth. Confirm your pupil standing with UNiDAYS and use the low cost code you obtain to drop the value from $9.99 to $4.99 per 30 days. As soon as the 12 months is thru, your subscription will return as much as full worth except you cancel.
Greatest Mubi streaming offers
Greatest total: Save 33% on an annual Mubi subscription
For those who’re a film lover and wish to stick round to get pleasure from extra than simply The Substance, it can save you 33% by paying for a 12 months of Mubi upfront. An annual Mubi subscription prices $119.88 per 12 months, which breaks down to simply $9.99 per 30 days as a substitute of the standard $14.99 per 30 days. You will nonetheless get a seven-day free trial to kick off your subscription as effectively.
Greatest for college students: Save $5/month on Mubi pupil subscription
College students actually get the profitable deal right here. For those who can show your pupil standing, you possibly can join Mubi without spending a dime for 30 days, then get a reduced subscription for simply $9.99 per 30 days. That is $5/month cheaper than a typical subscription. Plus, with 30 free days, you will have loads of time to look at The Substance and many different movies earlier than even paying a cent.
UPDATE: Oct. 16, 2025, 2:40 p.m. EDT This text has been up to date with the newest streaming data relating to “The Substance,” in addition to the newest offers.
