Demi Moore, who has long been synonymous with pushing boundaries in her acting career, is again in the spotlight with the release of her latest project, The Substance–easily one of the year's best horror movies. While promoting the film–which received the longest-standing ovation of 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival–Moore drew connections between the themes of the film and broader societal narratives. She also opened up about aging and how the film "pushed" her beyond her comfort zone as an artist.
Speaking at the French Cinematheque, where she was honored for her career, the former General Hospital star didn't hesitate to discuss how The Substance challenged her as an actress and a woman confronting age, perception, and vulnerability.
Set against the backdrop of the body horror movie subgenre, The Substance is the brainchild of writer-director Coralie Fargeat, whose intense visual style and thematic exploration captivated audiences and critics alike. For Moore, who has spent decades navigating Hollywood's expectations of women, the film was an opportunity to cast off the pressures to conform and present a raw version of herself on screen. While speaking at the French Cinematheque (via Variety), the Ghost alum spoke about the liberating yet daunting experience of going nude and baring her true self:
Being someone of a certain age, there was greater value in showing oneself with complete abandon. Being willing to be seen with flaws, with imperfections, [as someone that is] clearly not 20 or 30 years old, being a little bit more ‘loosely wrapped.'
The Striptease star’s words resonated deeply, as she spoke to an ongoing reckoning in Hollywood about ageism and the limited roles often afforded to older actresses. Her portrayal in the 2024 movie release symbolizes a defiant move against these norms, embodying the raw honesty that Moore feels is usually hidden due to societal and cinematic taboos around aging and imperfection.
“Sexuality is always taboo,” the Nothing But Trouble performer remarked during the Cinematheque event. She added that "there’s a lot of fear in America around the body and "that’s something I’ve never understood or related to.” This statement underscored her career-long tendency to choose roles that challenge those conventions—roles that don’t just celebrate the body but examine its complexities and associated fears.
Demi Moore elaborated on why this project, in particular, pushed her out of her comfort zone, sharing:
What moved me was the harshness that we can have against ourselves. That violence that we can have against ourselves, which I felt had never really been explored. That felt risky, scary. Personally, it certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone.
The Substance is far from a sexy horror movie; it's a layered, raw exploration of deeper themes. Demi Moore has pushed back against the simplistic portrayal of the film as just another provocative piece, and it’s easy to see why. Coralie Fargeat brought her personal experiences to life in making the film, framing it as a deeply intimate story that mirrors her own battles with body image and the weight of societal expectations on women. This perspective shaped the flick into something uniquely powerful. The Scarlet Letter veteran acknowledged that while a male director could have helmed the project, the nuanced, authentic voice that Fargeat brought was unmistakably her own.
With its intense dive into themes of isolation, body image, and self-critique, the body horror film marks more than just another role for the sixty-one-year-old. It’s a bold challenge to Hollywood’s long-standing norms. Embracing imperfection and showcasing the reality of aging, Demi Moore pushed her boundaries and sparked much-needed conversations about representation and acceptance.
The Substance is streaming on Mubi. Check out our upcoming horror movie list to see what movies are headed to the 2024 movie schedule.
