The Substance just became one of the rarest of rare movies: A horror film nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Both critics and audiences have responded to the film’s story about mortality, stardom, and absurd societal body standards for women, and to the performances by Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.

With the movie still doing well in theaters, there are a lot of conversations swirling around it regarding its meaning, its subtext, and that gonzo go-for-broke ending. In our latest ScreenCrush video, we break down the entire movie. We’ll dive into that chaotic finale, and explore why its writer/director, Coralie Fargeat, made The Substance and what she hoped audiences would take away from it. Plus, we’ll explore how this movie fits into the long tradition of Hollywood horror films and monster movies. Watch our full Substance video below...

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If you liked that video on The Substance’s ending and all of its themes and little details you might have missed, check out more of our videos below, including our breakdown (and ending explained) for 2025’s Wolf Man movie, a video all about Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake, and our top 5 list of the best horror sequels ever made. Plus, there’s tons more videos over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes. The Substance is in theaters now.