Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? Demi Moore faces this dilemma in the official trailer for The Substance.
Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging star fired from her fitness TV show by the studio head, Harvey (Dennis Quaid). Desperate to appear younger, Elisabeth takes a mysterious new drug called “The Substance.” With one injection, Elisabeth transforms into a beautiful twentysomething version (Drive-Away Dolls star Margaret Qualley) of herself. There is only one rule: The two Elisabeths cannot coexist in the same space at once. They must share the space evenly. Each version gets seven days before they must swap out.
However, problems arise when the two versions of Elisabeth cannot share the space properly, struggling to coexist. “There’s been a slight misuse of The Substance,” Moore’s Elisabeth states before the trailer descends into utter chaos.
Award-winning filmmaker Coralie Fargeat writes and directs The Substance. This is Fargeat’s first feature film since 2017’s Revenge, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. The thriller starred Matilda Lutz as a woman who embarks on a revenge quest after being raped and left for dead by three assailants.
The Substance competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation of over 10 minutes. The film currently has a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 85 on Metacritic. Fargeat walked away from Cannes with the award for Best Screenplay.
The Substance’s producers include Fargeat, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner. Mubi will distribute the film worldwide.
The Substance premieres in theaters on September 20, 2024.
