First thing to be said out of the gun is – what a great moment for Demi Moore, right? People really 
acknowledged her for her role as Elisabeth Sparkle in this horror picture. The 2-hour 21-minute work was written, co-produced, and directed by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat. She wrote the screenplay to explore societal pressures on women’s bodies and the aging process. The film extensively used prosthetic makeup and other practical effects, including suits, puppetry, dummies, insert shots, and approximately 5,500 gallons of theatrical blood to portray Elisabeth’s transformation.
Oops, what transformation, someone might ask? On her 50th birthday, now-faded Hollywood film star Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) is dismissed from her long-running aerobics TV show by its producer, Harvey (Dennis Quaid), due to her age. Elisabeth crashes her car while distracted by a billboard of herself being taken down. At the hospital, a young male nurse gives her a flash drive advertising “The Substance”, a black market drug that promises a “younger, more beautiful, more perfect” version of oneself.
The Substance drug is odd indeed, and a special regimen is required to keep it at its most effective. It allows a younger persona to cleave off from the original body, and if a proper, precise timeline is observed, each has an equal time to be conscious. Elisabeth’s other is Sue (Margaret Qualley of THE LEFTOVERS). The bad thing is, Sue’s life is more successful and fulfilling than Elisabeth’s. Sue dominates, causing Elisabeth to wither into feebleness. You somehow expect Elisabeth to fight back and gain control. But does she, or does something more grotesque happen?
We shan’t give it away! But we will say the movie offers a ghastly, gory tale that really takes the plight of older woman actors today to an extreme level. Or you can just gasp at the horror and ignore the themes. It might not be for everybody, but it is horrific! At the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Fargeat won Best Screenplay; At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, the film received five nominations: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Director for Fargeat, Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Moore, Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Qualley, and Best Screenplay for Fargeat; Moore won in her category. She additionally won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards.
At the 97th Academy Awards, The Substance was nominated for five awards and won Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It was nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director for Fargeat, and Best Actress for Moore.
Find THE SUBSTANCE on HBO and HBO Max.
