THE SUBSTANCE (2024) ¢ ¢ ¢ ¢
D: Coralie Fargeat
Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid,
Gore Abams. Oscar Lesage, Edward Hamilton Clark
"The Substance" is where David Cronenberg meets "Sunset Blvd." Or "Barbie" on real bad drugs. Demi Moore gives an audacious performance s Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading movie star clinging to a piece of the spotlight as the host of an aerobics workout show on television. When she's fired on her 50th birthday, she's at loose ends, until a lucky accident - and it's literally a lucky accident - leads her to The Substance, an injection designed to produce a newer, better, younger you. Before long, a new version of Elisabeth has emerged, named Sue and played by Margaret Qualley, but there's a protocol that must be followed to the letter, or bad things will happen, and they do. There's an element of exhibitionism to much of Moore's career, from her start as a nude model to her pregnant Vanity Fair cover to her leads in "Striptease" and "G.I. Jane", and her casting here is perfect. It's hard to imagine any other 60-year-old actress using her face and body to depict the kind of physical disintegration you see here. It's off the charts.
