The Substance (18)

Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You. Only better in every way. You've got to try this product: The Substance. It changed my life.

The Substance follows a fading celebrity, Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), who, after being fired by her producer (Dennis Quaid) due to her age, uses a black market drug that creates a younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley) with unexpected side effects.

Motivated by societal pressures on women's bodies and aging, Coralie Fargeat wrote the screenplay over two years, assembling a team to co-produce the film between France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It made extensive use of prosthetic makeup designed by Pierre-Olivier Persin and primarily practical effects; these included suits, puppetry, dummies, insert shots, and approximately 21,000 liters (5,500 US gallons) of fake blood to portray Elisabeth's drug-induced transformation.

Demi Moore gives a career-best performance. She is drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug, all it takes is one injection and she is reborn - temporarily - as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue (Margaret Qualley). The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions.