The Substance (18) 2024

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The Substance follows a fading celebrity, Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), who, after being fired by her producer (Dennis Quaid) due to her age, uses a black market drug that creates a younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley) with unexpected side effects.

Demi Moore gives a career-best performance.  She is drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug, all it takes is one injection and she is reborn - temporarily - as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue (Margaret Qualley). The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions.

Motivated by societal pressures on women's bodies and aging, Coralie Fargeat wrote the screenplay over two years, assembling a team to co-produce the film between France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It made extensive use of prosthetic makeup designed by Pierre-Olivier Persin and primarily practical effects; these included suits, puppetry, dummies, insert shots, and approximately 21,000 liters (5,500 US gallons) of fake blood to portray Elisabeth's drug-induced transformation.

The film was in the main competition at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, competing for the Palme d'Or, where Fargeat was awarded Best Screenplay. At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, Moore won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, while the film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

At the 97th Academy Awards, the film is nominated for five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Fargeat, and Best Actress for Moore; Fargeat became the ninth woman nominated for directing.