Demi Moore's Bloody Horror Film The Substance Eligible for Comedy at Golden Globes, but Fans Have Their Say
Fans are weighing in on whether they agree about 'The Substance' being submitted in comedy categories at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards.
That's what had to be determined for the wild horror film that features Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley ahead of the Golden Globe Awards, which have separate categories for dramas and comedies or musicals.
In light of reports that The Substance was submitted in the comedy category, fans have thoughts.
In her gory epic, Director Coralie Fargeat centers herself on Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) and the titular obscure black-market drug she injects into her veins, giving birth to a "better" version of herself, Sue (Qualley). Featuring Dennis Quaid as a salacious TV executive, The Substance brings together violently twisted body horror with satire of cultural obsession with youth.
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"It's more of a drama, but I guess it can be considered a dark comedy, considering the subject matter," said @OurMovieGuide on X, reacting to the news that the film will be deemed to be a comedy for Globe nominators.
Other social media users weren't so vague. "Nothing about this film says comedy," remarked @harv, asking in the same breath, "what are they even doing."
Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore. Los Angeles Premiere of "The Substance" at Directors Guild Of America on September 16, 2024 Margaret Qualley and Demi Moore at the Los Angeles Premiere of 'The Substance' on Sept. 16. Jon Kopaloff/Getty
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The Substance "is a drama," noted @Aphoticphoton. Of the Globes, they added, "Hate that the musical or comedy [has] become the miscellaneous category for movies."
Other fans online were saying that the submission of Mubi's film as a comedy was perfect. "Honestly, can't believe anyone but would call this anything but a comedy, especially with the third act," said user shrimptini on Reddit, in a comment that contained several more spoilers: the final stretch of The Substance features a grotesquely misshapen monster version of Moore and Qualley's characters, a live New Year's Eve televised show and fountains of bright-red blood.
"Yeah, it's tragic, uncomfortable, and visceral, but it has better intentional comic timing throughout than most movies I've seen this year," tweeted @adamj_film.
Other X users, weeklydeekly concurred, weighing in on different definitions of humor: "It's not that it's 'haha' funny. It's very 'what in the actual [f—]' funny."
Responding to another user's argument that "comedy is viewed as an insult here," @curtmega wrote, "Declaring and admitting The Substance is a comedy (it very much IS satire) does NOT weaken its impact. If anything, it strengthens the fact that it's working on so many levels."
