Demi Moore's bloodthirsty comeback with 'The Substance'

It's long been a fact of Hollywood - ageing actresses have a tough time getting roles and many do whatever they can to appear younger.

One of those, whose fame has somewhat faded but wants to return to her youthful appearance, is the focus of "The Substance", a story that could be too close to home for lead actress Demi Moore.

In the feminist horror film by Coralie Fargeat, the 61-year-old Moore's decision to take the role is impressive, given the bloodthirsty extremes that the obsession with beauty assumes in this film.

"The Substance" deals with sexism and age discrimination - and is at the same time a daring sci-fi thriller with some graphic gore and physical horror. Fargeat, who is French, won the award for best screenplay in Cannes.

Oscar nomination for Moore?

Moore has been celebrated for her self-reflecting and fearless performance since the world premiere. An Oscar nomination would be well deserved. She portrays a woman named Elisabeth Sparkle - a once famous actress who now works as an aerobics dancer on television - until her malicious boss fires her, claiming she is too old for the job.

By chance, she learns about the new miracle drug "The Substance." Anyone who injects it is said to receive a "better version" of themselves. "A younger, more beautiful, more perfect you." Sparkle obtains the drug – and thus creates a second self that emerges from her spinal cord. This second self is indeed younger (portrayed by Margaret Qualley) and names itself Sue.

Things soon turn into the stuff of horror, as the two enter a symbiotic relationship. One week Elisabeth is alive, one week Sue. The other body remains in a sort of stand-by mode in the meantime. Sue is nourished intravenously by Elisabeth. No one except the two of them and the distributors of "The Substance" knows about it.

In fact, Sue now gets Elisabeth's old job as an aerobics dancer, which she reinvents as a hyper-sexualized version. Soon, this job brings her fame. She becomes desirable and successful – and no longer wants to pause her life every other week.

But by doing so, she upsets the balance of their two bodies. Sue literally exhausts Elisabeth's body. What happens next is as surprising as it is grotesque.

Without giving away too much: Moore had to spend a lot of time in make-up from a certain point in the film. The make-up artists and everyone involved with the production design of "The Substance" must have enjoyed themselves. Among the more absurd moments in the film is a scene where Sue pulls a chicken drumstick from her navel.

'Compare and despair'

"I think in some ways, what was so interesting for me about the script and in these different moments is that I think it's really relatable to all of us on just a human level, that idea of seeking a moment of perfection," Moore told dpa. "And then the more you seek it, the further you you are from where you want to be."

The film, she said, tells the story of how painful it is to compare oneself to others. "It's like compare and despair...That idea of how negative we can be, how harsh we can be against ourselves is, to me, one of the most powerful messages of the whole film."

Qualley, 29, described her role in the film as "a really daunting task." She described her character Sue as "the ultimate scary part for me to play because it is so superficial and it is so vain."

"And sexualized," Moore added and Qualley agreed. The part made her "run headfirst" to "everything that she would normally run away from.

Demi Moore: "I don't see myself as Elisabeth." Both women outdo themselves in this film. Apart from their impressive performances and the captivating gruesomeness of the story, the film is also visually distinctive. Fargeat opted for quick cuts and many close-ups. There are references to various genres and filmmakers.

But in the end, it is mainly Moore's performance that resonates. Can she identify with Elisabeth? It's a question the US actress must be answering often these days.

Though Moore doesn't see recognize herself in Elisabeth, "I understand what I can relate to is that she had desperation, that she experienced desperation," she said. "That she sought to better herself, but she was searching for it all from the outside in, versus for me, I, like Margaret, I come from a totally different place of looking from the inside out."