When the 97th Academy Awards announced the nominees on January 23, it was a shock to see writer/director Coralie Fargeat’s body horror thriller The Substance receive five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
The surprise was justifiable. The Academy has historically been reluctant to nominate women for Best Director—only nine have ever received a nomination. Even more unusual is the recognition of horror films in the Best Picture category, with just seven genre films making the cut in the Academy’s history. (It should be noted that The Substance is the first body horror film to receive a Best Picture nomination.)
Whether or not Fargeat takes home a golden statue, she has already made waves in the industry with her film’s widespread success. The Substance is a bold, unflinching project that exposes society’s uglier sides. But the road to the Oscars wasn’t easy — yet this is how Fargeat was able to overcome the obstacles she faced at almost every turn.
Fargeat revealed that it was a struggle to get the film made and released. From writing the script on spec while facing financial challenges to turning down offers to stay focused on the project after a year of raising funds, Fargeat wanted to keep creative control over her project.
“I held on so tightly during the making of the film and the difficult post-production phase when everyone wanted me to make it less violent, less excessive, less gory, less frontal,” Fargeat told Variety.
The body horror story of violence toward women that “puts us in boxes” until we “create our own violence against ourselves” is the central focus of The Substance. It is only when the protagonist abuses her body beyond repair that she finds kindness toward herself and everything she’s accomplished.
Originally, Universal had been interested in Fargeat’s monster, but a screening in Los Angeles changed their enthusiastic tone. The executives in the room had demanded extensive changes to the story, likely to make the film more commercial for a broader audience. Fargeat wouldn’t budge on her vision, and the studio stepped away from the project.
“I think it was as simple as it wasn’t a good match for what they wanted to do,” Fargeat explained. “They felt, I think very simply, that the gap was too big for them, how they sell films.”
While the decision was ultimately a painful one for Fargeat to deal with, she managed to gather the courage to see how far she could get her genre piece in through the classic indie film route: film festivals.
After months of blood, sweat, and tears, Fargeat knew The Substance was in crisis. Universal had walked away after she refused to alter the film’s story, leaving its fate uncertain. Its only hope was to make a splash at a major film festival.
Fargeat submitted her cut to the Cannes Film Festival and waited for what felt like an eternity. By 11 p.m. on April 10—just 12 hours before the official selection press conference—she had heard nothing.
“I said to myself, ‘It’s dead.’ I was texting a close friend, ‘Listen, I still haven’t heard anything. Now I think it’s over,’” Fargeat recalled.
Then, the phone rang. It was Thierry Frémaux, Cannes’ festival director, delivering the news: The Substance had been accepted into the official competition. It was an unexpected move that even “surprised the selection committee.” Genre films like The Substance typically land in the Midnight Selection, but Frémaux was captivated by its “nerve,” calling it a “great oddity” and “extraordinarily original and disturbing.”
The Substance was always going to be a risky project. “It’s not horror like Scream, which is designed to frighten,” Fargeat said. “It’s really a genre film, but it’s multilayered, has a very strong message, and has a director’s point of view.”
Fargeat’s unwavering commitment to her vision had paid off. By refusing to compromise, she secured a place at one of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, proving that risks can lead to extraordinary rewards.
The success of The Substance ultimately comes from the dedication of those who worked to bring Coralie Fargeat’s vision to life, including Fargeat herself. Creating art is an intensely personal endeavor—one that demands time, dedication, and vulnerability. Having a team that supports every creative decision in service of the story is essential to making great art.
“You do this job because you want to be loved,” Fargeat said, “but after a while, the film you really wanted to make doesn’t correspond at all to the expectations of someone who has studio logic.”
Staying true to a creative vision is rarely easy, especially in an industry that prioritizes marketability over artistic risk. Yet The Substance proves that when filmmakers are given the trust and support needed to fully realize their ideas, the result is something that resonates deeply with audiences and has the potential to shape the future of cinema.
The power of artistic perseverance—and the importance of surrounding oneself with collaborators who believe in a project for what it is rather than what it could become for broader appeal—is vital. Great art is not about meeting expectations; it’s about defying them in pursuit of something greater.
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The Substance’s Oscar nominations are a testament to the power of staying true to a vision. It takes immense courage to refuse compromise and endure setbacks in pursuit of artistic integrity. Regardless of the outcome at the Academy Awards, Fargeat has already cemented her film as a groundbreaking work — pushing boundaries, sparking conversations about the future of cinema, and paving the way for more genre films, especially those helmed by women, to receive the recognition they deserve.
At its core, The Substance proves that great art isn’t about conforming—it’s about taking risks, defying expectations, and staying true to a vision, no matter how daunting the path may be.