Scary movie fans have been living well in 2024. There have certainly been some missteps, but just this summer we’ve been gifted with incredible treats like Osgood Perkins five-star worthy GoofyTilman Singers Cuckoo and Fede Alvarez Alien: Romulus (in theaters this Friday). That being said, I can tell you right now that the best is yet to come as audiences are just over a month away from the release of the unforgettable, breathtaking and brilliantly goddamn cinematic experience that is The subject.
As of now, movie-going audiences aren’t yet prepared for the wild ride that this film is—but it’s safe to say that the brand new trailer above offers a delicious taste.
Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat (who previously made the critically acclaimed 2017 film Revenge), The subject stars Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, host of a TV aerobics show who is fired by her network’s obnoxious, chauvinistic CEO Harvey (Dennis Quaid) on her 50th birthday. Her confidence and ego shattered, she finds herself lured by the exciting promises of a mysterious new medical treatment. With the injection of a special new serum, a “younger, prettier, more perfect” version of Elisabeth emerges (literally) and can live a separate life named Sue (Margaret Qualley). They are told that they must switch weeks living their respective lives, understanding that they are one, but they fail to respect the rules, and this causes… trouble.
The subject premiered earlier this year in competition at the Cannes Film Festival (it won Best Screenplay), and Demi Moore was widely praised for her bold and revealing performance. Following the creepy teaser that came online earlier this summerthis new trailer gives a more substantial (no pun intended) look at upcoming horror moviebut I can promise you that it only barely scratches the surface of the madness that this work delivers.
There are a few brief glimpses of the intense body horror delivered by Coralie Fargeat (look for lots of blood splatter, shattered eyeballs and back stitches), but even if you do a frame-by-frame analysis of this preview, you’ll still have plenty to witness and be impressed when the movie comes out. It’s disgusting, nightmarish and obscene, but also incredibly clever and funny.
So when can you actually see The subject? The film will be distributed by Mubi (which bought it just before its Cannes premiere), and the film is scheduled to hit theaters on September 20. It’s a title you should mark on your calendar now, as there’s a very good chance you’ll hopefully be hearing a lot more about it in the coming months as awards season kicks into gear and critics and film groups begin to reflect on the best films of 2024 .
