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The Substance
Plot
Elisabeth Sparkle was once a Hollywood star, with her own star on the Walk of Fame. Now she hosts an aerobics show on TV. On her 50th birthday, she overhears producer Harvey saying he wants someone younger in her place. Soon after, she is fired.
Shaken, Elisabeth crashes her car and ends up in the hospital. There, a young nurse slips her a flash drive about a mysterious black-market product called "The Substance." The pitch is hard to resist: it creates a better, younger and more beautiful version of yourself.
Elisabeth hesitates, then gives in. After the injection, a young woman named Sue literally emerges from her back. The rules are strict: the two of them are one, and they must swap bodies every seven days, no exceptions. Sue quickly lands Elisabeth's old job on TV. And each one's week starts to weigh far more than the other's.
Official trailer
Awards and nominees
- Golden Globes 2025 · Best Actress - Musical or Comedy · Demi Moore
Beat: Nightbitch (Amy Adams), Wicked (Cynthia Erivo), Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón), Anora (Mikey Madison), Challengers (Zendaya)
Trivia
- It competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes and won the Best Screenplay prize.
- Although it is set in Los Angeles, it was shot entirely in France between August and October 2022.
- Made for $18 million, it grossed between $77 million and $82 million worldwide.
- Demi Moore earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for playing Elisabeth.
Cast
- Elisabeth SparkleDemi Moore
- SueMargaret Qualley
- HarveyDennis Quaid
- FredEdward Hamilton-Clark
- OliverGore Abrams
- TroyOscar Lesage
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Original text by Sagaspedia. Posters: The Movie Database (TMDB); character photos via Wikipedia. This site uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. All trademarks and titles mentioned belong to their respective owners. Streaming availability may change.
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