‘The Substance’ Teaser: Demi Moore Is Reborn as Margaret Qualley in Feminist Horror Take on Cinderella
Samantha Bergeson
Demi Moore wants to turn back the clock with a little liquid intervention.
Moore leads buzzy Cannes debut “The Substance,” which is titled for a mysterious serum that transforms users into the ideal, younger versions of themselves. For Moore’s aging actress character Elisabeth Sparkle, that version (named Sue) is played by Margaret Qualley. However, Sue and Elisabeth cannot exist in the same space and have to share their conscious hours: One has to alternate being in the world every other week as the other goes into a coma.
Coralie Fargeat writes and directs “The Substance,” which was acquired by MUBI. The French director helms her sophomore film following her debut “Revenge,” which premiered at TIFF in 2017.
The official synopsis for “The Substance” reads: “Moore’s Elisabeth Sparkle is a former A-lister past her prime who is suddenly fired from her fitness TV show by repellent studio head Harvey (Dennis Quaid). She is then drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug, The Substance. All it takes is one injection and she is reborn – temporarily – as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue (Qualley). The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. A perfect balance. What could go wrong?”
The film, which won the Cannes prize of Best Screenplay, is billed as capturing the toxic beauty culture with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable. The IndieWire review by David Ehrlich deemed “The Substance” as an “instant classic,” while first reactions from Cannes applauded just how daring the feminist horror film is.
Lead star Moore told IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio that the film “felt risky” to join at first.
“It was one [where] you don’t know if it’s going to all come together or work,” Moore said. “It’s what you hope. And so, in all honesty, I think I’m still feeling a little bit of shock, awe. I feel extremely humbled by the overall experience.”
She added, “If we step back from it being about an actor, [the film is more about] a desire to have validation, to be seen, to be appreciated, to belong, and what it is to feel rejected and to feel not-enough, that there’s something wrong with you. When you add into it the aspect of aging — which is really about our inability to control — [it becomes] an exploration of a lack of acceptance of self. What really connected me was the unique way in which [Coralie Fargeat chose] to tell this story.”
“The Substance” is produced by Eric Fellner; Tim Bevan produced the film for Working Title. The director of photography on the film is Benjamin Kracun (“Promising Young Woman,” “Beast”), co-editors are Fargeat, Jerome Eltabet (“Revenge”), and Valentin Feron. The music is composed by Raffertie (“I May Destroy You”), production design is led by Stanislas Reydellet (“Le Bal Des Folles”), and costume design is by Emmanuelle Youchnovski (“La Belle Epoque”).
“The Substance” premieres September 19 in theaters from Mubi. Check out the trailer below.
