The Substance

Movie • 2024 • Horror  

Report
Described as an “explosive, feminist take on body horror.” Plot TBA.
This movie contains 57 potentially triggering events.
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Yes
No

Your Triggers
Does the dog die?
0 supporters
Yes
9
No
141
12
There are no pets in the movie, and no animals at all except a fly
3 comments | Add comment
Abandonment
14
NolNol
I would consider leaving your former self in a cold dark room for a week a bit like abandonment
1 comment | Add comment
Is a child abandoned by a parent?
29 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
92
Is an animal abandoned?
85 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
91
Abuse
Yes
2
No
90
3
Smiliey
No parental figure present in the story
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
4
No
81
Is someone stalked?
1 supporters
Yes
88
No
4
17
periberri7
A side character follows the main character from the location where she gets the subtance to a nearby diner. She’s shown being very stressed about this and constantly looking behind herself as she runs.
2 comments | Add comment
16
onlycallisto
Not in the classic sense of partner or parental violence, but there is a lot of extreme physical violence in the home.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
105
No
10
19
Horrible things happen to a woman as this is the point of the movie. But I'd say this is a feminist movie, she isn't brutalized to appeal to audiences
6 comments | Add comment
10
MChuman
Technically speaking yes
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
11
No
60
6
lilpig
People lie and are abusive but there aren't any plain depictions of gaslighting.
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone abused with a belt?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
81
Is a child abused?
94 supporters
Yes
1
No
83
9
EmmBee
Child in distress during final act at New Year’s Eve show
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
12
cabbagewitch
lingering shots of injection paraphernalia, as well as intermittent and close-up scenes of injection throughout the movie. CW DETAILS: includes healthy vein & subcutaneous injection, tournquet use, slow needle insertion, spinal injection, and injection into an infected site.
2 comments | Add comment
Is there addiction?
17 supporters
Yes
107
No
1
11
onlycallisto
Arguable. The main character behaves like an addict towards "The Substance" which is an allegory for plastic surgery and other youth-sustaining products. There are lines about 'wanting to stop' and being unable to stop.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
87
No
6
7
onlycallisto
Sue goes out drinking and brings home a man. The next day it is shown that they had a lot of alcohol.
3 comments | Add comment
Animal
0
LordProtector
A fly appears to be in a glass of wine at one point near beginning. Can't tell if CGI or not.
2 comments | Add comment
Does a horse die?
85 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
83
Does an animal die?
(besides a dog, cat or horse)
1 supporters
Yes
65
No
45
64
SharonPaciulan
I love this group cause the fly is something I’d want to know about and not most people would care about that.
Thank you!
3 comments | Add comment
Are animals abused?
176 supporters
Add comment
Yes
2
No
94
Yes
1
No
92
Yes
77
No
21
24
Ollie2
Dead crayfish on a plate being eaten; LOTS of meat scenes that may be upsetting to vegans or vegetarians.
4 comments | Add comment
Is an animal sad?
74 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
82
Are rabbits harmed?
60 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
82
Does a cat die?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
88
Does a pet die?
141 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
78
Does a dragon die?
29 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
76
Are there spiders?
43 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
79
Are there alligators/crocodiles??
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
72
Are there snakes?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
75
Are there sharks?
6 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
73
Are there bugs?
1 supporters
Yes
95
No
5
13
onlycallisto
There are a couple shots of a fly, once on someone's neck and once in a drink.
2 comments | Add comment
Assault
13
onlycallisto
Not slapped? But extensively brutalised. This film is very violent against a woman's body.
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone drugged?
26 supporters
Yes
35
No
41
12
cabbagewitch
no portrayel of malicious, unconsenting dosing, but one character must set up injection for the unconscious other throughout the movie.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
85
22
Oogles
Not as such, but there is a lot of sexualization of younger women (of legal age) by men far older than them
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone held under water?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
75
Is rape mentioned?
78 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
84
Yes
59
No
18
9
Anonymous
Physical fighting, no beatings from a bully.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
13
No
40
7
EmmBee
I don’t know if this counts but one character is locked in a room against her will
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone sexually assaulted?
173 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
89
Yes
21
No
43
7
cabbagewitch
not a super specific portrayel, but within the realm of body horror, we get an open mouthed face slowly covered by fabric in the third act, as well as the character in the third act who struggles to speak (no covering of her mouth)
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
76
Bodily Harm
Yes
7
No
55
3
lbrown253
No, but there is a huge cut - like wound in the main characters back. It is also graphically shown when it is being sewn back up
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
96
No
1
11
onlycallisto
At the end, a fingernail peels off, resulting in loss of the whole finger.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
71
No
8
11
cabbagewitch
while not explicit dislocation, bone crunching foley heard throughout some transformation scenes, as well as a scene where an old, arthritic knee is forced out of locking in order for the character to stand up.
3 comments | Add comment
Is there throat mutilation?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
7
No
60
Yes
71
No
10
7
ChelseaSinclair
There is gasping for air at several parts, but not necessarily suffocating
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
75
No
3
9
Batwing
an attempted decapitation causes the explosion mentioned
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
3
No
70
2
lbrown253
No, but fluids are taken out of one person and injected into another for sustenance
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone crushed to death?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
5
No
65
Is someone choked?
16 supporters
Yes
67
No
6
3
ChelseaSinclair
A character chokes another in a violent fight inside the home
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone burned alive?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
67
Yes
0
No
66
7
Oogles
No, but someone is sealed in a dark room while unconscious
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
114
No
0
21
onlycallisto
Extensive, think 80s horror like The Fly or The Thing
6 comments | Add comment
Yes
72
No
2
6
cabbagewitch
in the third act: the flesh of an ear falls off, a hand is amputated and showers blood, and a head is lopped/knocked off. all three of these scenes happen extremely fast and are positioned with an air of absurdity/campiness.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
73
No
1
9
onlycallisto
Not exactly squashed but repeatedly (to a comical degree) bashed against the wall with full visual of the gore
2 comments | Add comment
Is there Achilles Tendon injury?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
63
Is there a hanging?
33 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
63
Yes
4
No
55
10
EmmBee
No but more than once a character has an extremely difficult time breathing which could be super triggering to some people
1 comment | Add comment
9
cabbagewitch
in the second act, there is a quick nightmare scene where the main character squats and experiences a bulging/herniation in her buttocks; in the third act, the main character emerges with full-body deformity that includes breast placement. later, a breast is produced through a orifice on the deformed body and falls to the ground.
2 comments | Add comment
6
onlycallisto
Each time the drug is used or a 'switch' happens the character collapses dramatically. There is also one scene in the final third where a character is beaten unconscious.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
76
No
1
5
onlycallisto
There's one long moment where an arthritic knee is forced to move, with bone breaking sounds. Later a finger snaps off.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
5
No
53
8
Batwing
there are seizure- like moments but not traditional seizures
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
92
No
0
10
Batwing
yeah she pulls out 3 of her teeth very realistic too
4 comments | Add comment
Yes
78
No
3
4
onlycallisto
Fingernails peeling off in a grotesque way towards the end of the film
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
22
No
47
6
Anonymous
People are harmed. No one is tortured.
5 comments | Add comment
Does someone fall down stairs?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
No
60
Yes
10
No
46
7
ChelseaSinclair
The creature at the end falls and explodes, in a sense dying, but not a traditional “fall to death” scenario
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
74
No
2
11
onlycallisto
There's kind of 'everything mutilation' in this movie but in particular there are some shots of eyes duplicating themselves and bulging
2 comments | Add comment
Is someone stabbed?
16 supporters
Yes
15
No
40
7
Oogles
No knives, but there are many repeated scenes of needle injection
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
84
No
1
9
onlycallisto
Tons of 80s style prosthetics, comically large amounts of blood, surgical stuff, wounds, etc. Extremely gory film.
3 comments | Add comment
Children
Is an infant abducted?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
58
Does a kid die?
1 supporters
Yes
1
No
60
2
A child is not physically harmed, but they are shown experiencing a probably very traumatising event and getting covered in blood.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
3
No
63
8
Oogles
Old men sexualize young, barely legal women
1 comment | Add comment
Creepy Crawly
Are there bedbugs?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
54
Death
Does someone sacrifice themselves?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
2
No
51
Yes
80
No
0
29
JadedBlue
upvote this instead of the huge spoiler. come on dude
1 comment | Add comment
Does a non-human character die?
22 supporters
Add comment
Yes
12
No
39
Does someone die?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
80
No
0
Disability
6
cabbagewitch
there is some rapid aging related mobility loss in elizabeth's body, in particular one of her legs and an arthritic knee. however, most of the rapid aging is visual only, rather than mobility related.
1 comment | Add comment
Is the r-slur used?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
55
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
49
No
11
7
Oogles
Voting yes because it could be triggering to people with drug or cosmetic procedure addiction. Needles are used in an irresponsible way
3 comments | Add comment
Family
Does a family member die?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
56
Does a parent die?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
54
Yes
0
No
55
1
HeatherEhch
A snow globe is thrown and shattered, but it's not framed as expressly a child's toy
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone kidnapped?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
51
Does someone cheat?
18 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
55
Fear
Are there ghosts?
9 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
56
Yes
67
No
5
6
CornHelium
*CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS*

There's 4 total jumpscares, 2 of them are minor, 1 intermediate e 1 a major, from my point of view:

The first is the intermediate one, that happens when her car is involved in an accident

The second one is the major, ir happens when they make the first transition, a dark road appears and a motorcycle starts to accelerate, then it happens

The thirt one is a sound jump scare, she is gonna take off a post it on from a glass wall, and the sound suddenly pops out

The fourth one is at the final part of the movie, it happens when she goes to her apartment at the new year's eve presentation. She does something at her restroom and the jumpscare happens when she is about to look at the mirror.



4 comments | Add comment
Yes
79
No
0
7
onlycallisto
There are many times in the film where the characters are shown nude in the shower, usually in various states of distress.
2 comments | Add comment
Are there natural bodies of water?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
52
Are there clowns?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
55
Is someone possessed?
11 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
54
Yes
16
No
35
6
There are two brief scenes where a persons iris multiplies on their eyeball, that could be triggering.
3 comments | Add comment
Are there razors?
S.A.F.E. ALTERNATIVES® (1-800-DONTCUT)
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
49
Are there mannequins?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
52
Gross
Does someone vomit?
91 supporters
Yes
89
No
2
10
onlycallisto
After she has 4 martinis cut to her v* at home, no visual only audio.
When the young version wakes up the first time she v*, not sure if visual as I closed my eyes.
At the end of the film the 'monster' sort of vomits up a piece of viscera, the audio is very triggering but the visual is more of an object.
There are a lot lot lot of other possible triggers for you though, huge amount of spitting, gagging, open mouth chewing, gross food stuff etc.
10 comments | Add comment
Yes
2
No
54
4
There is a scene towards the start of the movie where a character is shown urinating in a restroom. They don't wet themselves, but there is audio
2 comments | Add comment
Is there farting?
10 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
55
Is someone eaten?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
55
Yes
0
No
54
2
Anonymous
No, but there is a shot of a man at a urinal — closeup of his face
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone spit?
10 supporters
Yes
65
No
1
2
onlycallisto
There's one shot towards the end where someone spits directly at the camera, it's quite gross. There is a lot lot lot of mouth misophonia stuff, open mouth chewing, too.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
82
No
0
7
onlycallisto
Tons, constantly. This is a very misphonic movie.
4 comments | Add comment
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
8 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
58
Law Enforcement
Is there copaganda?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
54
Is there incarceration?
4 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
55
LGBTQ+
Are there transphobic slurs?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
58
Yes
0
No
58
5
EmmBee
There’s one scene though where a character doesn’t like another character’s name and comes up with a new name for them
1 comment | Add comment
Is there bisexual cheating?
20 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
56
Is an LGBT+ person outed?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
54
Loss
4
Oogles
No but several expensive items are damaged
1 comment | Add comment
Medical
Is electro-therapy used?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
50
Yes
88
No
0
13
onlycallisto
Many times in the film, in grotesque ways. You can generally see it coming, basically anytime she's in the bathroom with her body double. The worst bit is towards the end she's putting a large needle repeatedly into an infected wound.
6 comments | Add comment
Is there a mental institution scene?
25 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
56
Yes
69
No
0
2
onlycallisto
The main character is briefly in hospital after a car crash.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
54
10
anagonzalez
no, but when a man sees blood on the floor he asks a female character if she's cranky because she's on her period
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone have cancer?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
56
Mental Health
6
Anonymous
Not explicitly stated, but a character experiences stmproms of body dysmorphia and depression.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
72
No
2
13
cabbagewitch
Yes, the main character harms herself several times throughout the movie, through smacking herself in the head/face, pulling her hair, rending at her face, berating herself in a classic dysregulation/punishment cycle, sometimes banging her head against the wall.
3 comments | Add comment
Is autism misrepresented?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
57
Yes
50
No
4
6
onlycallisto
Arguable. If you characterise the main character as mentally ill... there is a lot of violence in this movie.
2 comments | Add comment
2
Smiliey
Elisabeth suffers alot of DP and DR. She loses her sense of self to Sue, and loses contact with reality after Sue is made.
Also Sue starts to harm her and completely disconnect or dissociate from E. Might be a metaphor for DID or UID
3 comments | Add comment
6
onlycallisto
DID is not part of the story but this story does have DID features, with splits between body and self.
3 comments | Add comment
Is there autism specific abuse?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
53
8
ChelseaSinclair
The character expresses no longer willing to live in a certain version of herself, willing to endure extensive suffering to no longer live in her life anymore, ultimately tries to kill a version of herself. Not a traditional suicide attempt by any means, but could be interpreted as suicidal ideation in certain ways.
2 comments | Add comment
5
onlycallisto
There are hallucinations sometimes, it is never clear how real they are.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
62
No
0
3
cabbagewitch
Depending on the definition of a 'meltdown', the main character experiences scenes of dysregulation and responds with self harm, as well as a scene of overwhelm where she snaps as a colleague.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
70
No
0
12
Batwing
It’s pretty unbearable throughout the entire movie
7 comments | Add comment
Yes
25
No
27
2
onlycallisto
Not exactly. But the way they film the character's experience when she is due to 'switch' may be reminiscent of an anxiety attack.
3 comments | Add comment
Is there ABA therapy?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Yes
1
No
49
Yes
17
No
47
10
Anonymous
No. There is body dysmorphia, not dysphoria.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
74
No
0
6
onlycallisto
The main character is so dissatisfied with her body that she goes to extremes to become young again, with catastrophic consequences.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
40
No
9
0
EmmBee
A character is locked in a walled off room, and a character is essentially locked-in or dissociates for periods of time
3 comments | Add comment
6
Batwing
Absolutely, I’d say it’s a major theme. Extreme binging & body dysmorphia for sure.
5 comments | Add comment
1
lbrown253
Technically yes? But in more of a metaphorical sense.
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone suffer from PTSD?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
48
Noxious
Are there underwater scenes?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
47
Yes
62
No
0
0
A ton of loud and nasty noises throughout the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Is there shakey cam?
37 supporters
Yes
58
No
0
3
Anonymous
A lot
2 comments | Add comment
Does a baby cry?
1 supporters
Yes
0
No
51
4
NolNol
A child cries a lot at the end of the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Is there screaming?
1 supporters
Yes
63
No
0
2
onlycallisto
Lots, during severe fighting scenes
1 comment | Add comment
Is there obscene language/gestures?
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
59
No
0
6
there are 2 scenes where they use the activactor, they're pretty long (about 20 sec each) it triggered my migraines
2 comments | Add comment
Paranoia
6
ChelseaSinclair
Not explicitly, but there’s implications it could be happening, depending on how you interpret certain scenes
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
53
4
HeatherEhch
Not explicitly, although there are a lot of staring-directly-into-mirror-reflection scenes that might trigger someone sensitive to it
1 comment | Add comment
Pregnancy
Is a baby stillborn?
24 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
48
Does someone miscarry?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
49
Are there babies or unborn children?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
50
Yes
2
No
46
13
ChelseaSinclair
There are scenes reminiscent of birthing as the new self emerges from her former body, pulls things out of her body, and the monster at the end “births” a breast, in a sense.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there abortions?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
47
Does a pregnant person die?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Prejudice
Are there homophobic slurs?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
50
7
onlycallisto
No, but I do think some might be troubled by this film's treatment of disfigurement. There is a 'monster' in the film. The message is not at all about disability but could be read that way.
5 comments | Add comment
Are there usages of the n-word?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
51
2
TheLoop27
This comment is more anti-semetic than anything in the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Are there "Man in a dress" jokes?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Does an LGBT person die?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Are there fat jokes?
52 supporters
Yes
49
No
7
9
ChelseaSinclair
Not jokes but derogatory comments about fatness and body image
4 comments | Add comment
Is there aphobia?
21 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
44
Is a minority is misrepresented?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Does the black guy die first?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
1
No
44
Is there hate speech?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
44
Race
Is there blackface?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
47
Relationships
Yes
10
No
37
9
onlycallisto
Arguable. The main character is 50 but gets to live in a younger body so has relationships with younger men. However, the men in the film are generally portrayed as predatory so it doesn't have the 'vibes' of an age gap relationship.
1 comment | Add comment
Religious
Is religion discussed?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
43
Are there demons or Hell?
13 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
45
Sex
Yes
79
No
0
8
onlycallisto
Lots of nudity in this film, not generally sexual though
2 comments | Add comment
Is there bestiality?
80 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
No
51
1
Smiliey
Sue has sex for the first time, its not talked about however. One might Even Wonder if she is a virgin since she is Elisabeth which is not
1 comment | Add comment
10
onlycallisto
The young version of the character is filmed in a highly sexualised way, to a comical degree
2 comments | Add comment
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
51
Yes
75
No
0
8
onlycallisto
No explicit sex but lots of nudity, sexualised imagery, and one scene of drunk people about to have sex (thwarted)
2 comments | Add comment
Is there BDSM?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
49
Sexism
Yes
0
No
49
Sickness
Is someone terminally ill?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
3
No
41
Does someone have a stroke?
9 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
44
4
cabbagewitch
No typical chronic illness depicted, but use of the substance is repeatedly shown as necessary throughout, so characters experience illness (ie. vertigo, pain, nose/ear bleeds) only alleviated by injection.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there dementia/Alzheimer's?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
43
Social
Are there fat suits?
29 supporters
Yes
10
No
31
12
onlycallisto
Not a fat suit, but a large deformed body prosthetic is used at the end of the film.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone homeless?
5 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
40
Yes
9
No
32
4
EmmBee
Sort of? A character is constantly reminded that they and another character are the same person, and the whole movie could be seen as aging, trying to prevent it, and trying to survive within the male gaze
1 comment | Add comment
Are there anti-abortion themes?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
43
Spoiler
Is Santa (et al) spoiled?
4 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
43
Are there end credit scenes?
35 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
44
Yes
56
No
2
10
onlycallisto
Arguable. It's certainly not a happy movie but maybe you could think she found peace.
3 comments | Add comment
Vehicular
Yes
58
No
0
4
onlycallisto
There is a dramatic rolling car crash towards the beginning of the film.
1 comment | Add comment
Does a car crash?
19 supporters
Yes
68
No
0
6
onlycallisto
There is a dramatic rolling car crash towards the beginning of the film. It's shot from inside the car. The character is shown uninjured afterwards.
2 comments | Add comment
Does a plane crash?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
43
Yes
18
No
28
6
EmmBee
A character is driving in their car and gets hit by another car in a big jumpscare moment.
1 comment | Add comment
Violence
Does someone drown?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
47
Yes
69
No
0
6
onlycallisto
Tons, constantly.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a nuclear explosion?
1 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
46
Yes
2
No
49
8
onlycallisto
At the end, there are calls for someone to shoot at a monster, but it doesn't really happen.
1 comment | Add comment