The Substance writer/director Coralie Fargeat on the bathroom birth scene, the symbolic importance of the spine, and why she wrote that scene first.

The Substance” is a gory film that could win Demi Moore her first Oscar. But the film’s gross-out moments come from a place of emotional truth, director Coralie Fargeat has said.

To protect her gig hosting her network’s coveted New Year’s Eve special, Sue injects herself with the “single-use” activator from Elisabeth’s original Substance kit. It goes poorly.