No one could have imagined that Demi Moore, at 62, would win her first Golden Globe for a film as evocative, gruesome, and harrowing as The Substance. Yet her portrayal of Elisabeth Sparkle—a once-glamorous star grappling with fading fame in an industry obsessed with youth—is nothing short of transformative. The irony? A film that tears apart Hollywood’s toxic fixation on age and beauty is the very one that has brought Moore the most significant accolade of her career.

Directed by Coralie Fargeat (Revenge), The Substance is an unflinching examination of the societal pressures placed on women’s bodies and the relentless pursuit of perfection. Moore’s Elisabeth, a fading celebrity dismissed from her aerobics TV show for being deemed “too old,” turns to a mysterious black-market drug promising eternal youth. Enter Sue, a younger, “better” version of Elisabeth, played with chilling precision by Margaret Qualley.

The result is a gripping exploration: Fargeat’s direction masterfully blends visceral body horror with sharp social commentary, creating a film that hits with both shock and substance.

Practical effects mastermind Pierre-Olivier Persin amplifies the horror, employing 21,000 liters of fake blood and intricately designed puppetry to transform Elisabeth’s body into a grotesque battlefield. But the gore is never gratuitous. Each frame is layered with meaning—from the sterile tiles of Elisabeth’s bathroom, her “cocoon” of transformation, to the grotesque final form of “Elisasue,” a monstrous hybrid embodying the devastating consequences of chasing perfection.

The Substance doesn’t aim to shock but to unsettle. As an unabashed satire, it exposes society’s role in sustaining toxic ideals, forcing viewers to confront Hollywood’s skewed perceptions of women’s worth and beauty.

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Stream the movie using MUBI.

Will be re-released to 350 theaters nationwide on January 17, 2025.