Still haven't seen 'The Substance?' Here's how to watch it at home.
"Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?" So asks The Substance, Coralie Fargeat's sophomore feature, winner of the Best Screenplay award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and 2025 Best Picture Oscar nominee. While it's been streaming on Mubi for the past year, the body horror romp is broadening its streaming horizons this fall.
The Hollywood ageism satire stars Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid, and positive word of mouth made the horror movie a surprise hit. If you still haven't seen it — or if you want to rewatch it this spooky season — here's everything you need to know about how to watch The Substance at home and online, including when and where it's streaming and the best deals to save some money.
What is The Substance about?
The Substance stars Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister who's fired from her fitness TV program for the unforgivable crime of aging. Battling with crippling Hollywood ageism, she's introduced to a new drug known as "the Substance." A single injection is all it takes for Elisabeth to be reborn as the beautiful and youthful Sue (Margaret Qualley), who then begins her own rise through Hollywood.
Of course, there's always a catch. The Substance forces you to split time between your two bodies; Elisabeth must spend exactly seven days as herself, then seven days as Sue. When she messes with the balance, things get...bloody.
Check out the official trailer:
Is The Substance worth watching?
The Substance has become the most successful box office release for arthouse distributor and streamer Mubi. The bold and bloody film created a ton of buzz, with audiences giving it a 74 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' rating is even more impressive with a glowing 89 percent.
"Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore's finest hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat," the critics consensus reads on Rotten Tomatoes.
While Mashable's own reviewer wasn't a big fan, writing that the "horror sci-fi plot of The Substance feels incomplete," most reviews are very positive. The film even earned itself a nomination for Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards.
Just be warned, many folks will be squirming in their seats over the amount of blood and gore. It is a body horror movie, after all.
How can I watch The Substance at home?
Buy or rent on digital
The Substance made its digital retail debut on Oct. 31, 2024, meaning it's available for purchase at video-on-demand retailers like Prime Video and Apple TV+ for $19.99. The film is also available to rent for just $5.99. With rentals, you'll get 30 days to start watching, but just 48 hours once you begin.
Here are some quick links to purchase the film on digital:
Prime Video — $19.99 to purchase, $5.99 to rent
Apple TV+ — $19.99 to purchase, $5.99 to rent
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — $19.99 to purchase, $5.99 to rent
Stream it on Mubi or HBO Max
As a Mubi original film, Mubi has been the exclusive streaming home for The Substance since it made its debut on Oct. 31, 2024. While Mubi is definitely a worthy subscription for cinephiles, it's not generally in most people's streaming lineups. So we were thrilled to learn that the movie has now made its way to a new streamer as of Oct. 10, 2025: HBO Max. This Halloween season, the campy body horror gem is finally available to a wider audience.
Mubi subscriptions start at $14.99 per month, while HBO Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month. We've rounded up a few ways to save some money on both streamers below.
The best HBO Max streaming deals
Best for most people: Save 16% on HBO Max Basic annual subscription
You can save about 16% (compared to a monthly plan) if you choose an annual plan and pay upfront for a year of HBO Max. The Basic plan with ads typically goes for $9.99 per month, but if you go annual, that cost drops to about $8.33 per month — a yearly total of just $99.99. We think this is the best HBO Max streaming deal for most people — although, if you cannot stand ads, the Max Standard annual subscription is the next-best deal at $169.99.
Get HBO Max for free: Switch to Cricket's Supreme Unlimited plan
Want to get HBO Max for free? Switch your phone plan to Cricket's $60 per month Supreme Unlimited plan. It includes HBO Max Basic (with ads) for no extra cost. When you open up the HBO Max app, you'll just select Cricket as your provider and use your credentials to log in.
Get HBO Max for free: Sign up for DashPass annual plan
Another way you can get HBO Max for free in 2025 is through DoorDash's annual DashPass plan, which costs $96 per year ($8 per month). A DashPass membership gets you $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders all year long, plus free streaming (with ads) through HBO Max. Just activate your HBO Max Basic subscription through your DoorDash account to get started. If you'd rather watch ad-free, you can upgrade for a discounted rate.
Best HBO Max deal for students: Save 50% on HBO Max Basic with ads
College students can enjoy an entire year of HBO Max Basic (with ads) for half price. Verify your student status with UNiDAYS and use the discount code you receive to drop the price from $9.99 to $4.99 per month. Once the year is through, your subscription will go back up to full price unless you cancel.
Best Mubi streaming deals
Best overall: Save 33% on an annual Mubi subscription
If you're a movie lover and want to stick around to enjoy more than just The Substance, you can save 33% by paying for a year of Mubi upfront. An annual Mubi subscription costs $119.88 per year, which breaks down to just $9.99 per month instead of the usual $14.99 per month. You'll still get a seven-day free trial to kick off your subscription as well.
Best for students: Save $5/month on Mubi student subscription
Students really get the winning deal here. If you can prove your student status, you can sign up for Mubi for free for 30 days, then get a discounted subscription for just $9.99 per month. That's $5/month cheaper than a typical subscription. Plus, with 30 free days, you'll have plenty of time to watch The Substance and lots of other films before even paying a cent.
UPDATE: Oct. 16, 2025, 2:40 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with the latest streaming information regarding "The Substance," as well as the latest deals.
Topics Film Streaming How to Watch
Christina Buff is a Nashville-based freelance writer for who covers shopping with a splash of entertainment. If you’re ever wondering what streaming service you need to watch something (and the cheapest way to sign up for it), she’s your girl.
Christina received a B.S. in Business Communication (concentration in writing) from Stevenson University and began her professional journey writing and editing press releases. Since then, she’s written content for a marketing agency, blogged for celebrities, and covered local news, politics, women’s lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and just about everything in between for various publications.
When she’s not writing, she’s probably enjoying live music, studying human design, or embroidering and upcycling clothes. You can follow her on Instagram at @touchinfinity.
