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Key Movie Facts

Director: Coralie Fargeat 

Lead Cast: Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle

Supporting Cast: Margaret Qualley as Sue, Dennis Quaid as Harvey

Writer:  Coralie Fargeat 

Producers: Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner 

Genre: Science Fiction, Body Horror 

Language: English 

Date of Release: September 20, 2024 

Awards

2025 Golden Globe Awards 

  • Best Actress: Demi Moore 

2025 Critics Choice Awards 

  • Best Actress: Demi Moore 

  • 2025 Academy Awards  

  • Nominee, Best Picture (Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner,) 

  • Nominee, Best Actress (Demi Moore) 

  • Nominee, Best Director (Coralie Fargeat)  

  • Nominee, Best Original Screenplay (Coralie Fargeat) 

  • Nominee, Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, Marilyne Scarselli) 

  • Setting (Place and Time): Hollywood and Los Angeles, unspecified near-future. 

    Foreshadowing: Elisabeth's early obsession with her own disappearing youth and beauty, as well as the ominous warnings from the supplier about the consequences of misusing The Substance, hint at the disastrous transformation that’s to come. 

    Major Conflict: As Elisabeth and her alter ego, Sue, struggle for control, The Substance takes a brutal toll on Elisabeth’s original body. 

    Rising Action: Sue quickly rises to stardom, replacing Elisabeth. However, her refusal to adhere to the required consciousness-switching schedule accelerates Elisabeth's aging. Elisabeth grows desperate to reclaim her body while Sue becomes more reckless in maintaining her dominance. 

    Climax: Elisabeth, now severely aged and physically broken, attempts to eliminate Sue with the “Termination” injection from The Substance, but hesitates at the last moment when the voice of The Substance warns her that if she follows through, she’ll be alone forever. Realizing the betrayal when she sees the labeled box, Sue brutally kills Elisabeth. 

    Falling Action: Because there’s no more stabilizer fluid left, Sue's body begins to deteriorate. In a desperate attempt to restore herself, she misuses the activation serum and tries to generate another body from her own. Instead, she creates a horrifying monster, a disgusting amalgam of herself and Elisabeth. Monstro Elisasue tries to host the New Year's Eve special but is decapitated by a member of the audience. To find out more, read our essay about the meaning of the ending.

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