French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat’s 2024 film The Substance has been one of the most talked-about horror movies of the year, earning raves for its audacious style, unflinching body horror, and go-for-broke lead performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. But while the film marked Fargeat’s entry into English-language cinema, working with Hollywood stars and bigger budgets, her French-language debut feature contains many of the elements that made The Substance stand out.