There is a signature moment in Coralie Fargeat’s satirical body horror film, The Substance, where star Demi Moore is presented at her most vulnerable. Playing an aging actress who is being put out to pasture by the higher-ups of her aerobics TV show, she is preparing to go out on a date after having already used the black market drug that literally makes a younger version of herself come out of her body. At this point, Elisabeth Sparkle has reverted to her original self. As she prepares to get ready, looking beautiful by anyone’s standards, she heads to the door to leave but immediately second-guesses herself and heads back to the bathroom to apply more makeup and add more to her outfit.
This process is repeated so many times that the character has a breakdown of sorts and begins smearing the makeup all over her face in a fit of insecure frustration. While Moore is stellar throughout The Substance, this is a scene that could be defined as her “Oscar moment.” It presents the actress and character in a state of vulnerability that sells the conflict of the film and showcases why she goes to great lengths to maintain her beauty. The buzz surrounding The Substance has boosted its award season chances, particularly for Moore, but it remains to be seen if The Academy will be brave enough to acknowledge a satirical body horror movie that pulls zero punches.
- Release Date
- September 20, 2024
- Director
- Coralie Fargeat
- Cast
- Demi Moore , Margaret Qualley , Dennis Quaid , Gore Abrams , Hugo Diego Garcia , Olivier Raynal , Tiffany Hofstetter , Tom Morton , Jiselle Burkhalter , Axel Baille , Oscar Lesage , Matthew Géczy , Philip Schurer
- Runtime
- 140 Minutes
The Substance Gives Demi Moore a Return-to-Form Career-Best Showcase
Unfortunately, Hollywood measures your worth by your misfires, and Moore had her share in the ’90s after appearing in a string of box office flops that included The Scarlet Letter, The Juror, and Striptease, which certainly didn’t perform up to what the industry wanted it to given how much she was paid for the project. By then, she tried to shave industry expectations away by starring in 1997’s G.I. Jane.
Following that film, Moore took an extended break from acting, later returning in a high-profile supporting role in 2003’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. It was deemed a comeback of sorts, with much of the focus put on how great the actress looked. Moore would appear in smaller projects in subsequent years, but the role of Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance has seen the actress reemerge in a big way. It’s a movie not held back by its box office performance, although it’s performing quite well for an independent project, and it sees an actress who feels, at 61 years old, purely comfortable in her skin. Gone are the trappings that may have defined the early parts of her career. This role has put all the attention on Moore’s performance, and it’s a showcase that has the industry buzzing.
Demi Moore Relates to Her Role in The Substance
It’s clear that the character spoke to Moore, and there are parallels to how the industry may have treated her as she went from the it-girl of the ’90s to someone they believed had aged out. In the film, Elisabeth was a highly celebrated actress, now hosting a long-running aerobics TV show. However, on her 50th birthday, she is fired from her hosting duties by the show’s producer, Harvey (Dennis Quaid), because of her age, indicating that audiences want to see someone young, sexy, and fun.
Destroyed by this turn of events, Elisabeth comes across a black market drug called “the substance,” which temporarily creates a younger version of herself. Given the fact that this is a body horror film, there are side effects to this transformation. Since her younger self becomes at odds with her older self, the rules of using the drug begin to be broken, making the transformation all the more horrific down the line.
Moore has commented while promoting The Substance that she considered retiring from acting because roles weren’t speaking to her anymore. With The Substance, the actress found a role that tapped into the best of her abilities. Moore has a natural strength to her personality, which is showcased in several scenes throughout the film, especially as the transformation has less-than-desirable repercussions for her older self. The actress is also capable of great vulnerability, something needed to make Elisabeth’s pain palpable.
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It may also be Margaret Qualley’s finest turn thus far, alongside a maniacal Dennis Quaid in this retro-future delight that will turn all the heads.
The Substance does play mostly as a dark comedy, but there is a layer of sadness to the film as well, with the real culprit not being the black market drug that she takes, but one’s own ego and insecurities. Elisabeth doesn’t know a life where she isn’t lauded and appreciated. Without any of this, she feels lonely and worthless, something that Moore encompasses beautifully in certain scenes. Some signature scenes take place in Elisabeth’s all-white bathroom, beautifully lit by cinematographer Benjamin Fargeat. Some of Moore’s best moments are captured here, seeing the actress merely looking into the mirror as her insecurities eat away at her, proving sometimes that the best scenes and performances don’t even need words.
Making the performance particularly worthy of awards attention is just how wide-ranging it is. Moore has no difficulty playing the satire in one instance and then completely switching things up to play the pain and pathos of the character the next. The character also allows the actress to get to some pretty unhinged places once her own transformation begins to have negative side effects. Even through great prosthetics and makeup, Moore’s commitment to the fall of this character is always what the audience sees. This is a performance that is free of glamour or ego, allowing the actress to go to all the necessary places to bring Elisabeth to life. This is an actress finally free of the Hollywood trappings that were such a big part of the early stages of her career.
Will The Academy Acknowledge Demi Moore’s Performance in a Body Horror Film?
Critics have universally praised Moore’s performance, with many calling it a career-best for the actress. Nicholas Barbe of the BBC said of her performance, “Ripping into her best big-screen role in decades, Demi Moore is fearless in parodying her public image.” Pointing to the wide range of her performance, Phil de Semlyen of Time Out said, “Moore glues it all together, going full Isabelle Adjani-in-Possession in a vanity-free performance full of bruised ego, dawning horror and vulnerability.” In addition, Variety’s Clayton Davis echoes what other critics have been saying about the performance, indicating that The Academy should take notice by saying, “It’s a career-topping performance by Demi Moore, who is worthy of serious Oscar consideration.”
Holding the film, which is worthy of Oscar praise in other categories, and Moore potentially back this awards season, is that The Academy has had a serious bias against the horror genre over the years. The Golden Globes are likely to acknowledge Moore’s performance in the Best Actress – Musical or Comedy category, but the Academy Awards tend to be different.
Horror is rarely celebrated, with the biggest examples of the genre being acknowledged coming down to 1973’s The Exorcist, which was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs, called a horror film in some circles — although more highbrow moviegoers would call it a psychological thriller — 1999’s The Sixth Sense, also nominated for Best Picture alongside other major categories and 2017’s Get Out, which scared up a Best Picture nomination alongside a Best Actor nod for Daniel Kaluuya and a Best Original Screenplay notice for Jordan Peele, which he won.
The Exorcist went on to win Best Adapted Screenplay for William Peter Blatty (and Best Sound), while The Silence of the Lambs swept in every major category, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Director (Jonathan Demme) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally). The Sixth Sense went home empty-handed, but its representation that year was almost more important than a win itself. While these examples prove it can be done, remember that the horror footprint at the Oscars is mostly few and far between to virtually non-existent.
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Working in Moore’s favor is that Hollywood likes a comeback story, even though the actress has worked pretty consistently since she returned from her acting hiatus in 2003. The industry will label it a comeback because of the ferocity of her performance and all the buzz it has generated. She has also been pounding the pavement promoting the film, attending screenings nationwide, and showcasing the movie with many members of SAG in attendance, as well as key voting figures when it comes to Academy Award voting.
The reactions have been reported to be very positive, with many in attendance giving the actress even more praise for her work. The Substance has also become a big box office story, becoming Mubi’s highest-grossing film in the U.S. while also having slim drops weekend-to-weekend, despite shedding over 100 theaters last week. On the global front, the movie is also performing solidly, and in addition to a comeback, Hollywood likes nothing more than box office dollars.
The hope is that Moore doesn’t end up like Toni Collette or Lupita Nyong’o before her, two actresses who deserved Oscar attention for their turns in Hereditary and Us, respectively. The actress laid everything on the table in a completely raw performance worthy of Oscar glory. It’s not to say that she should be defined by this potential attention, but it would be nice to give her the respect she has long deserved. The Substance is playing in select theaters and is available on VOD.
