In her latest role, Demi Moore delivers a career-defining performance in The Substance, directed and written by Coralie Fargeat. Moore transforms—quite literally—into a monster, playing Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging actress who spirals into a horrific physical metamorphosis. The film’s prosthetic-heavy makeup and grotesque special effects create a nightmarish vision of Moore’s character, one that audiences won’t soon forget.
The Plot: A Descent Into Horror
In The Substance, Moore’s character Elisabeth Sparkle is a fitness show star who, on her 50th birthday, is fired from her long-running TV gig. Desperate to reclaim her youth and relevance, Elisabeth turns to a mysterious drug known as “The Substance,” which promises to make her better and younger. But the drug comes with a terrifying catch. Elisabeth essentially births a younger version of herself, Sue, played by Margaret Qualley. As Sue disregards the rules of the transformation, Elisabeth’s body begins to change in grotesque and monstrous ways.
The transformation becomes a horrifying reflection of Elisabeth’s internal fears about aging and irrelevance, with her body warping into something truly monstrous—complete with sagging flesh, infected wounds, and a hunchback.
Behind the Scenes: Crafting Elisabeth’s Transformation
The special effects artist behind Moore’s stunning transformation, Pierre Olivier Persin, worked closely with the film’s director to use practical effects wherever possible. While visual effects and CGI were sparingly used, 70-80% of the grotesque changes to Moore’s body were achieved with prosthetics, including scenes where her body morphs into a hunchbacked, hairless figure with veins bulging and skin sagging.
The transformation scenes, such as the one in which Elisabeth inspects her decaying body in a shower, required Moore to wear full prosthetics, from her legs and arms to her back and face. The detailed makeup took anywhere from 45 minutes to over six hours to apply, depending on the stage of her character’s transformation.
Persin and Moore worked together for nearly a year on the intricate prosthetics that would turn her into a monster. Throughout the production, Moore proved a committed actor, enduring long hours in the makeup chair without complaint.
The Evolution of Elisabeth: From Requiem to Monstro
As Elisabeth’s body deteriorates, the special effects team had different nicknames for each stage of her transformation. The first stage was called “Requiem,” after Requiem for a Dream, where only half of Elisabeth’s body begins to age and mottle. The second stage, in which she develops a hunchback and sagging features, was called “Gollum.” And the final, monstrous version, a fusion of Elisabeth and Sue, was affectionately dubbed “Monstro.”
The final act of the film sees this creature, “Monstro Elisasue,” emerge as a grotesque hybrid with both Elisabeth’s and Sue’s features, including one of Sue’s blue eyes and Elisabeth’s screaming face. Persin’s team spent nearly a month designing this monster, making sure the blend of bodies, teeth, hair, and other elements created a horrifying visual that embodied the film’s themes of bodily horror and transformation.
A Visceral Performance
Moore’s transformation wasn’t just physical. The performance aspect was crucial for the film, especially during the climactic final scenes. Margaret Qualley, as Sue, wore parts of the monster suit herself, lending emotional weight to the horror. Director Coralie Fargeat even spent time in the Monstro suit to capture the right angles and movements from the monster’s perspective during the bloody final sequence.
As the film reaches its explosive finale, Monstro Elisasue descends into chaos, showering the audience in blood and gore. Fargeat’s commitment to practical effects pays off, with the use of prosthetics, puppetry, and blood rigs creating a visceral, horrifying experience for viewers.
A Shocking, Career-Defining Role
For Demi Moore, The Substance marks a bold departure from her previous roles. Her willingness to undergo a brutal transformation—both physically and emotionally—cements her legacy as an actor unafraid to push boundaries. Persin and his team’s dedication to creating realistic, grotesque effects only heightens the impact of Moore’s chilling performance.
In a film where aging and identity are explored through body horror, Moore’s Elisabeth Sparkle is both monstrous and deeply human, grappling with her own fears in ways that are as disturbing as they are relatable. The Substance is a shocking, unforgettable film that leaves its mark on both Moore’s career and the genre itself.