The Substance‘s Oscar success is already changing Hollywood’s approach to horror movies, according to a screenwriter in the genre. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, who first gained recognition in 2017 for her debut feature Revenge, her new body horror film follows a fading celebrity who takes a black market drug to create a younger and more beautiful version of herself, although there are some unexpected side effects. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley lead The Substance cast alongside Dennis Quaid.
Shortly after The Substance received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, screenwriter C. Robert Cargill took to Bluesky to explain how it’s “a game changer” for horror movies. Cargill says that every studio that makes horror movies is going to be looking for the next Substance, meaning a “meaningful but unflinching horror film” and “things are gonna get real interesting” as a result. Check out his full post below:
THE SUBSTANCE nomination is a game changer. I’m long on record as someone saying the Academy doesn’t need to recognize horror, but every company who makes horror is asking for their THE SUBSTANCE, their short hand for “meaningful but unflinching horror film” and things are gonna get real interesting
— C. Robert Cargill (@crobertcargill.bsky.social) 2025-01-23T23:41:32.377Z
C. Robert Cargill is known for his collaborations with director Scott Derrickson, co-writing his horror films Sinister and The Black Phone.
What The Substance’s Oscars Success Means For Horror Movies
It Could Be A “Game Changer,” As Cargill Says
As Cargill mentions, the Academy Awards have a long history of not recognizing genre movies. In fact, The Substance is only the seventh horror movie ever nominated for Best Picture, following The Exorcist in 1973, Jaws in 1975, The Silence of the Lambs in 1991, The Sixth Sense in 1999, Black Swan in 2010, and Get Out in 2017. In addition to Best Picture, The Substance received Oscar nominations for Best Actress (Demi Moore), Best Director (Coralie Fargeat), Best Original Screenplay (Fargeat), and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
However, it’s much more common for the Oscars to nominate horror movies in technical categories. In 2025, this includes Nosferatu for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Alien: Romulus for Best Visual Effects. With The Substance breaking through into Best Picture for only the seventh time ever, this could not only be a game-changer in terms of the Academy Awards, but also in how studios approach what types of horror movies get made.
Our Take On The Substance’s Oscars Success
Studios Should Be More Willing To Take Risks
As Cargill says, The Substance‘s Oscar nominations could be a game-changer for horror. The movie was originally set to be distributed by Universal, but the studio stepped away because they were reportedly “worried about the prospect of releasing the film.” It was then acquired by Mubi and went on to gross over $76 million at the box office, their highest-grossing film ever. This critical and commercial success could very well change how studios approach the genre, as they might be more willing to take risks on making the next “meaningful but unflinching horror film” like The Substance.
Source: C. Robert Cargill/Bluesky
