Demi Moore as Elizabeth Sparkle in The Substance
(Mubi)

‘So we’re doing Get Out all over again, huh?’: ‘The Substance’ slides into the Golden Globes as a musical/comedy and moviegoers are concerned

The Substance has been in theaters for some time now, and the discourse surrounding it has reached its peak following the Golden Globes’ decision to nominate it in the musical/comedy category.

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Fans torn over The Substance‘s classification

However, the fans are torn between the jury’s decision, with the majority believing that is a huge gaffe that the film is neither a comedy nor a musical, and that the event needs to introduce a category for the horror genres to avoid such instances in the future. On the other hand, a minority section agrees with the panel’s discussion, claiming that Coralie Fargeat’s satirical body horror can indeed be classified as a dark comedy.

Here are some fan reactions that echo the sentiment mentioned above of disappointment:

The Globes are guilty of pulling off similar stunts in the past

The Golden Globes have a storied history of committing category fraud, dating back to the 1990 release Ghost being clubbed alongside comedies. The Patrick Swayze-Demi Moore starrer was anything but a funny film, with the title of a romantic thriller best suiting it’s premise.

Other films that have received similar treatment from the awards include Jordan Peele’s Get Out (a horror film nominated in the musical/comedy category), Ridley Scott’s The Martian (sci-fi drama nominated in the comedy genre), Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (biographical crime drama nominated in the comedy/musical section), and the 2011 Michelle Williams starrer My Week with Marilyn, a biographical drama nominated in the comedy/musical genre, yet again.

Meanwhile, Fargeat’s sophomore directorial effort continues to draw attention following this announcement and is likely to boost its already impressive box office numbers. An incredible combination of jaw-dropping body horror and piercing social commentary, the MUBI release is close to hitting the $30 million number globally against its $17.5 million budget, almost doubling the investment.

Starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Dennis Quaid in leading roles, The Substance stands out for its immaculate screenplay, performances, Fargeat’s direction, and the much-talked-about ending, which proves to be a perfect conclusion to a cautionary tale about the double standards of the entertainment industry.


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Evan Tiwari
Evan is a staff writer at The Mary Sue, contributing to multiple sections, including but not limited to movies, TV shows, gaming, and music. He brings in more than five years of experience in the content and media industry, both as a manager and a writer. Outside his working hours, you can either catch him at a soccer game or dish out hot takes on his Twitter account.