By: Lila Swedzinski
Written and directed by Academy Award Nominee Coralie Fargeat, the 2024 horror/sci-fi film “The Substance” offers a raw, perfectly exaggerated commentary on the way society, especially in the entertainment industry, forces women through an excruciating self-reflection upon their age, beauty and worth.
The film stars Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, a 50-year-old Hollywood figure who is fired from her aerobics show when her eccentric producer, played by Dennis Quaid, decides the show needs a younger, hotter star. When Sparkle is given the chance to become a “better version of [her]self” by injecting a black-market drug called “The Substance,” she apprehensively takes it.
Enter Sue. Played by Maragaret Qualley, Sue is the better version of Sparkle. As per the instructions of the drug, Sparkle and Sue each get a week in the world before switching off — maintaining their bodies with liquid food and stabilizer fluid, respectively, each day. They must respect the balance between themselves, but Sue’s greed and resentment for Sparkle’s lifestyle leads her to extend her time little by little — leaving irreversible physical aberrations on Sparkle’s body.
Relevant and striking performances by Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley left viewers stunned and brought the horror genre to the limelight this past awards season. The film itself won this year’s Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and BAFTA Award for Best Makeup & Hair, as well as a Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Following an electric early film career in the 80s and 90s, Moore raked in several award nominations and wins this season for her lead role, including a nomination and predicted win for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role – which ultimately went to Mikey Madison for her performance in “Anora.” Qualley received nominations for the Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress for her outstanding performance.
“The Substance” is a retelling of so many women’s experiences with aging under the male gaze. Whether it’s the up-close scenes of Quaid’s character bellowing through a restaurant with a mouth full of food or gory scenes like Sue ripping her way out of Sparkle’s back after she first injected the substance, Fargeat’s distinct and refreshing direction style can make any scene disturbing.
Ultimately, this film is a commanding exhibition of the not-so-glamorous process that is understanding our mortality and wanting the years back. But, each time we reach for beauty at the expense of our own dignity, we sacrifice a piece of ourselves that we can’t get back.
In her 2025 Golden Globes acceptance speech for Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture, Moore drew a parallel between this film and her own experiences in the entertainment industry and left the crowd with an important affirmation.
“Years ago, I had a producer tell me that I was a popcorn actress. At that time, I made that mean that this wasn’t something I was allowed to have,” Moore said. “You will never be enough, but you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.”