Fez — Elisabeth Sparkle is a famous TV fitness host. On her 50th birthday, the network quietly drops her. She feels unseen and afraid of what comes next.
She finds a secret procedure called “the substance.” It creates a younger version of her named Sue. Only one of them can be out in the world at a time, and they must take turns.
At first, the plan seems like a fix. Elisabeth keeps her career. Sue gets a brand-new life. Soon, the switchovers become a fight for control, and both women start to break.
Demi Moore plays Elisabeth with pride and pain. She knows the industry rules and feels them closing in. Margaret Qualley plays Sue as bright and curious at the start, then sharper and tougher as she learns how the world treats a new face.
Dennis Quaid plays a TV boss who sees women as numbers on a chart. He wants what is young and easy to sell. His role shows the kind of power that decides who gets a chance and who is pushed aside.
The movie looks bold and intense. Fargeat uses practical effects, strong colors, and tight sound to show change and decay. Some scenes are hard to watch, but that is the intention, to make a point about how the body is treated like a product.
The script mixes dark humor with fear. There are jokes and sight gags that point out how silly youth worship can be. The humor gives the story balance. It also makes the final stretch hit harder.
“The Substance” won “Best Screenplay at Cannes.” That win helped bring wider attention to Fargeat after her first film, “Revenge.” A global rollout through MUBI put the movie in front of people who may not usually choose horror but wanted smart cinema.
The ideas are clear and easy to discuss. How much would you trade to stay visible? Who gets to set the rules for beauty? What happens when a person is treated like a brand? The film invites debate rather than locking into one answer.
By the end, Elisabeth and Sue feel like two sides of the same question. Value, time, and the wish to be seen are all in play. The result is messy, vivid, and memorable. It is a story that stays with you after the credits, and it gives Demi Moore one of her most powerful roles.
