The Substance

Front Row at the Movies by Shirrel Rhoades

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At 61, Demi Moore is brave. In her new movie “The Substance,” she plays a fading beauty who is too old at 50.

And she gets naked, not quite the hard body she was in “Striptease” (1996). But still fit, thank you very much.

And 29-year-old Margaret Qualley plays a younger version of Demi. A close lookalike, even though Margaret is actually the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell. Age-wise, she could be Demi’s daughter. After all, Demi and Andie MacDowell appeared as ingénues together in “St. Elmo’s Fire” (1995).

“The Substance” is described as a body horror film, although its not that scary. It’s more about “youth, beauty, the need to be noticed.” I would call it a medical science fiction thriller.

Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat (“Revenge”), you’d think it was a film by David Cronenberg or David Lynch. You will also note the homage to Stanley Kubrick “infused with a fresh, female-driven perspective that makes every moment feel uniquely powerful.”

The story: “A star is being laid on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Seasons pass, tourists walk by, and over the years, the first cracks appear. So, what will happen to the actual star, when she gets old? When her skin is no longer as tight as before, when the breasts are not in the right place? Our protagonist … is about to find this out. She just turned 50 and can clearly see the end of her career approaching.”

Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a movie star who has seen better days, gets fired on her 50th birthday from an exercise TV show by its sleazy producer (Dennis Quaid).

Ageism in action.

Adding injury to insult, Elizabeth is involved in a car accident when she spots her billboard being taken down.

In the hospital, a nurse (Robin Greer) slips her a flash drive that contains information about a black-market rejuvenating substance. The actress decides to try it.

Big deal in this day of Botox, face lifts, breast enhancements, and other beauty products, right?

However, this procedure is a bit more complicated – and dangerous. It involves an operation down the spine, followed by an elixir that creates a younger version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley). Even though this second self – nicknamed Sue – pops out of Elizabeth’s back, the pair share a common consciousness.

This technique requires constant doses of the eponymous Substance, and switching back and forth between the two entities.

But Sue likes her younger self and becomes reluctant to make timely switches. A break in routine with unfortunate results.

As Elizabeth Sparkle notes, “There’s been a slight misuse of the Substance.”

In case this plot sound familiar, it is considered an unofficial remake of “The Rejuvenator” (1988).

You still can catch this thriller screening at Tropic Cinema.

Demi Moore says she was nervous about filming full nudity at age 61 and “felt vulnerable.” She credits co-star Margaret Qualley, who plays the younger version of Moore (and also performed totally naked) with making her feel comfortable on set.

Demi says she found “someone who was a great partner who I felt very safe with. We obviously were quite close – naked – and we also got a lot of levity in those moments at how absurd those certain situations were.”

“The Substance” received 12 minutes of standing ovation during its Cannes Film Festival premiere. It may become an instant cult classic.

Email Shirrel: srhoades@aol.com