Despite some misfires, 2024 has been a relatively strong year forhorror.Alien: Romulusis the most blockbuster-sized horror movie to succeed this year, andThe First Omenis a critically-lauded standout. Lower-budget Blumhouse horror titles likeSpeak No Evil,Imaginary, andNight Swimhave also been hits, even if not all struck a chord with critics. It’s the indie space, however, that delivered some of this year’s most memorable and unique horror movies.
No discussion of 2024 horror is complete without mentioningOz Perkins’Longlegs, which utilized a stellar marketing campaign to become a major box office hit, in addition to earning generally positive reviews.Terrifier 3, an unrated horror gore-fest, has also been an unprecedented success. Other notable titles that also made an impression either critically or commercially (or both) includeCuckoo,Strange Darling,The Substance, andOddity, just to name a few. One, in particular, however, is now finding audiences once more on home viewing platforms.
The Substance Captivates Viewers On VOD
The 2024 Horror Movie Beats Joker 2 On iTunes
The Substancehas become a major success on VOD following its theatrical release earlier this year. Directed by Coralie Fargeat, this bizarre body horror film stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, telling the story of an aging celebrity who takes a black-market drug that creates a temporary clone of her that is younger and better.The Substance’s reviewswere glowing from critics, andthe film currently enjoys a strong 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a respectable 74% audience score.
The Substance’s 11 Biggest Unanswered Questions
The Substance has an explosively ambitious ending, but there are some questions that the film leaves surprisingly open-ended when the credits roll.
After hitting theaters in September and releasing on Mubi on October 31,The Substanceis now performing very well on VOD charts, per a new report fromIndieWire. A snapshot of iTunes' November 4 VOD rankings put the horror film in third place behindDeadpool & Wolverine(2024) andBeetlejuice Beetlejuice(2024). On Fandango at Home for the week of October 28 – November 3,The Substancecomes in lower at sixth place, but this could be because there were two days in that period in which the film was not available. Check out the two VOD charts below:
iTunes
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Alien: Romulus
Speak No Evil
iTunes ranks by number of transactions while Fandago at Home ranks by revenue.
What The Substance’s VOD Success Means For The Film
How The Film Fared In Theaters Explained
The Substancebecame available on home-viewing platforms right in time for Halloween, and the spooky holiday is undoubtedly part of why the film has found VOD success. Made on a reported budget of $17.5 million,the movie ended up grossing just over $43 million at the box office, meaning it almost certainly broke even during its theatrical run. The fact that it’s now performing well on VOD is sure to only further cement it as a horror success story.
The film’s VOD success also bodes well for Fargeat’s filmmaking career.The director previously helmedRevengein 2017, which was similarly well-receivedby critics with its shocking moments of gore and brutality, which also appear inThe Substance’s ending. It’s not clear what project Fargeat will be working on next, butThe Substancecertainly suggests that she has a bright career ahead of her.
The Substance
Cast
Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading celebrity, turns to a mysterious drug that promises to restore her youth by creating a younger, more beautiful version of herself. But splitting time between her original and new body leads to horrifying consequences as her alternate self, Sue, begins to unravel her life in a disturbing body-horror descent.
