‘The Substance’ Director Coralie Fargeat Remembers the Worst Studio Notes She Got: ‘Come On, Calm Down With the Shrimp’
Coralie Fargeat has never been one to play by the rules.
The writer, director, and producer behind “The Substance,” the bold, visceral body horror film that took Cannes by storm and was nominated for five Academy Awards, has carved a path in cinema entirely on her own terms.
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From making “Star Wars”-inspired short films as a child to battling industry skepticism over her latest film’s excessive gore and social critique, Fargeat has remained unwavering in her vision. With “The Substance” garnering critical acclaim, including a nom for best actress Demi Moore’s powerhouse performance, Fargeat is now at the center of the Hollywood conversation.
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Fargeat discusses her film’s journey, Universal Pictures’ hesitation, her admiration for Moore, and her deep connection to filmmaking.
After its Cannes premiere, “The Substance” was quickly picked up by indie distributor Mubi, a move that was crucial to maintaining the film’s integrity. However, the journey to its release was not without obstacles. Initially involved in the project, Universal Pictures had strong reservations about the film’s extreme elements.
“To be honest, it was a bit of everything that was related to the excess — to the gore, to the violence,” Fargeat recalls. “I wanted Sue to push Elizabeth in the mirror, not one time, but eight times. And, you know, all the injections. Women inject themselves so much, and they go very, very far to get to a place where they think it’s gonna bring them happiness.”
The studio also pushed back on an unexpected detail — the presence of shrimp in a pivotal lunch scene with one of the film’s stars, Dennis Quaid.
“From all the things in the movie that I thought could bother people, the one that I could have never imagined was the shrimp,” she says. “It came only from guys, I might say. Like, ‘Come on, calm down with the shrimp.’ And I think it made them uncomfortable because it was portrayed in a way that felt over the top.”
Yet, the criticism that struck Fargeat the most was directed at the film’s monster — a grotesque yet vulnerable embodiment of the film’s themes.
“The monster, I think, is the most vulnerable part of myself that I expressed in the film,” she explains. “So when people rejected it, I doubted a lot. But then I thought, ‘Even monsters have to conform to some beauty standards?’ That was absurd to me. I wasn’t allowed to express my vision of a monster? How many women have been able to express what a monster is to them?”
Despite industry pressure, Fargeat refused to compromise. “I decided to take the risk until the end, to trust me,” she says. “If I don’t love [the monster], if I don’t accept it, who is going to?”
Much of the film’s emotional weight rests on Demi Moore’s towering performance as Elizabeth Sparkle, a washed-up TV fitness icon who turns to an experimental substance to reclaim her youth, only for it to spiral into a nightmarish descent.
For Fargeat, Moore was the perfect choice for the role, especially in a pivotal sequence where Moore’s character removes her makeup in front of a mirror. “She finally expressed this violence that I needed at that moment for this scene to be… the real twist of the movie.”
While “The Substance” cements Fargeat as a force in modern horror and genre filmmaking, her earliest inspirations were rooted in a galaxy far, far away.
“As soon as there was a camera at home — a little camcorder to film the holidays — I started making short films,” she recalls. “I did a little remake of ‘Star Wars’ with my toys, animating them frame by frame. I had my friends playing Ewoks or Stormtroopers.”
Those childhood experiments weren’t just play; they became the foundation for her career. “That was the best moment of my life,” she says. “I felt alive, I felt powerful, I felt confident. I felt 100% me when I could express myself through making those little short films.”
Now, with Hollywood’s attention turned toward her, would Fargeat ever consider directing an actual “Star Wars” movie?
“I mean, I would direct a ‘Star Wars’ movie if I could do it exactly 100% how I want,” she says with a laugh. “So I don’t think this could totally happen.”
With “The Substance,” Fargeat has delivered a film that challenges expectations and has proven that trusting her instincts, despite industry skepticism, can pay off.
“There was a time where almost everybody had lost faith in the film,” she admits. “And, of course, in those moments, you doubt. But I decided to listen to why I did this movie in the first place. Why I wanted to do it that way, so violent, so excessive, so over the top.”
With multiple Oscar nominations and Hollywood eager to see what she does next, Fargeat is looking toward the future. “I have wind blowing beneath my wings,” she says. “And I’m just looking forward to the next one.”
Also, on this episode, “I’m Still Here,” star Fernanda Torres discusses her historic nomination, her love for her mother, and what type of movie she wants to do next. In addition, the roundtable discusses the results of the PGA, DGA and frontrunner status of Sean Baker’s “Anora” and what that could mean for the upcoming BAFTA and SAG Awards ceremonies.
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Variety Awards Circuit Podcast
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts.
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