Demi Moore Seeks the Key to Youth and Beauty in 'The Substance' Trailer

The Big Picture

Demi Moore returns to the big screen in stylish body horror film
The Substance,
snagging praise and awards at Cannes.
Moore plays a fitness celebrity who uses a beauty formula to reclaim her youth, but faces dire consequences.
Alongside Moore, Dennis Quaid and Margaret Qualley star in this sci-fi thriller tackling beauty standards and ageism.

Demi Moore might’ve spent a few years off the limelight, but she is coming back to the big screen in full force as the lead in The Substance. The mind-bending thriller directed by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, snagging the award for Best Screenplay as well as praise from critics. Collider’s own Caleb Hammond even referred to it as a “stylish body horror” in his review. With the project arriving in theaters soon, MUBI released its official trailer featuring Moore applying a substance that allows her to reclaim her youth through an alternate body.

The Ghost alum will play Elisabeth Sparkle, a fitness celebrity who experiences a setback in her career after getting fired by her network studio head. In order to return to her prime, the protagonist gives into a beauty formula that allows her to have both her body and that of a younger and “better” version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley). Yet, as the trailer shows, having two selves splitting one week each isn’t as simple as the product made her believe it would be. By the likes of Moore’s scream, the character’s decision to remain in the spotlight through this drug will lead to dire consequences.

The Substance is produced by Working Title, Blacksmith, and A Good Story, as well as distributed by MUBI. Fargeat not only directed the film, but she also penned the award-winning screenplay, which is expected to offer a critical look at beauty standards and ageism. Prior to working on the horror flick, she helmed the well-received 2017 thriller Revenge.

Who Stars Alongside Moore in ‘The Substance’?

In addition to Moore and Qualley, Dennis Quaid is also part of the ensemble playing Harvey, the chauvinistic TV executive that fires Elisabeth from her exercise program. His character will also be responsible for threatening the protagonist’s sanity once he begins to encourage her alternate body to take over for more time than is instructed on the drug label. Hugo Diego Garcia, Phillip Schurer, Joseph Balderrama, and Robin Greer are also set to play supporting roles in the film.

The Substance will arrive in theaters on September 20, 2024. The film will also screen at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival prior to landing on the big screen.