Margaret Qualley is still keeping it weird: While she appeared in “Poor Things” as a science experiment gone wrong, Qualley is now literally shedding her skin for the co-lead role in the body horror film “The Substance.” It’s already the most talked about thriller of the year.
Qualley stars as the younger version of Demi Moore‘s aging actress in the buzzy feature from writer/director Coralie Fargeat. “The Substance” debuted at Cannes 2024, where IndieWire’s David Ehrlich deemed it an “instant classic” and first reactions applauded its feminist message. The film, which won Best Screenplay at Cannes, will have its North American premiere at TIFF 2024, opening the Midnight Madness section.
The official synopsis for “The Substance” reads: “Demi Moore gives a career-best performance as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister past her prime and suddenly fired from her fitness TV show by repellent studio head Harvey (Dennis Quaid). She is then drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug: THE SUBSTANCE. 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. A perfect balance. What could go wrong?”
“The Substance” is produced by Working Title, Blacksmith, and A Good Story.
The director of photography on the film is Benjamin Kracun (“Promising Young Woman,” “Beast”), while co-editors are Fargeat, Jerome Eltabet (“Revenge”), and Valentin Feron. The music is composed by Raffertie (“I May Destroy You”), production design is led by Stanislas Reydellet (“Le Bal Des Folles”), and costume design comes from Emmanuelle Youchnovski (“La Belle Epoque”).
Moore told IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio that while her character does not have a “lot of dialogue,” the film is unprecedented in its “level of rawness and vulnerability.”
“If we step back from it being about an actor, [the film is more about] a desire to have validation, to be seen, to be appreciated, to belong, and what it is to feel rejected and to feel not-enough, that there’s something wrong with you,” Moore said. “When you add into it the aspect of aging — which is really about our inability to control — [it becomes] an exploration of a lack of acceptance of self. What really connected me was the unique way in which [Coralie Fargeat chose] to tell this story. What I love is this was a rich, complex, demanding role that gave me an opportunity to really push myself outside of my comfort zone, and in the end to feel like I explored and grew not only as an actor, but as a person.”
“The Substance” premieres September 20 in theaters. Check out the trailer below.
