Demi Moore’s controversial gory film will prove why ‘being a woman is body horror’-Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro

Coralie Fargeat took us behind the lens of her gory and controversial Cannes hit The Substance as it closed FrightFest 2024 – and it’ll be a stark wake-up-all for viewers.

The body horror film, starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, was the last to be shown as part of the London film festival’s 25th anniversary celebrations and has been the buzz of the festival circuit this year.

It follows ageing starlet Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) as she embarks on an experiment known as the substance, a clinical procedure which promises to create ‘a better version of you.’

The horror currently holds an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been credited with successfully launching Moore’s big-screen comeback.

Fargeat – who made a surprise appearance at FrightFest – heaped praise on Ghost star Moore and Kinds of Kindness actor Qualley, describing them as the ‘perfect incarnation’ of their characters, Elisabeth and Sue.

‘It was a part I always knew would be challenging for an actress to confront because it’s confronting your own phobias,’ she told FrightFest director Alan Jones during her introduction attended by Metro.co.uk.

Coralie Fargeat, who directed Revenge, is at the helm of The Substance (Picture: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Moore stars in the film as Elisabeth Sparkle (Picture: Mubi)

‘I knew that I needed the actresses to go for it, and that’s why we took a lot of time in advance to meet and for them to know me and to be sure they were ready to know how I wanted to direct the movie and how far I wanted to take it.

‘I wanted them to trust me to create this universe together. As they got to know me better, I knew that they would be the perfect incarnation of those characters. They were ready to take a lot of risks and that’s something I really admire.’

Fargeat, 48, went on to recall the process of sending Moore the script, revealing: ‘When I sent her the script, I thought she would never want to do it.

‘I assumed she would be fantastic for the part, but I never thought she would say yes. When I heard that she was indeed very interested, I thought it was super surprising.

‘When I met her and after reading her autobiography, I discovered a totally different side to her. She went through a lot of tough s**t.’

The filmmaker, best known for her 2017 action thriller Revenge, later shared the unique way she got into horror films – through her grandfather letting her watch them behind her parent’s backs.

She is joined by Kinds of Kindness star Margaret Qualley (Picture: Mubi)

The gory horror film has been a labour of love for Fargeat (Picture: Mubi)

‘This is what happens when you don’t want your children to watch violent things,’ she said.

Fargeat also spoke about how she came up with the film and her source of inspiration.

‘It’s always hard to know exactly where the idea comes from,’ she began. ‘It’s an idea that’s been there for many years but it was only really after working on Revenge that I felt ready to confront myself and the themes that are quite deep and challenging.’

David Cronenberg – who directed The Fly, Videodrome, and Crash – ‘had a very strong impact’ on Fargeat, and inspired her use of gore and excessive violence in her filmography.

‘I read a tagline that I really loved that said “being a woman is body horror” so I felt that couldn’t be truer,’ she continued.

The film closed the 25th anniversary edition of FrightFest (Picture: SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)

The cast also includes Dennis Quaid, who replaced Ray Liotta following his death in 2022.

‘It was such a big shock,’ Fargeat said when asked about production after the Goodfellas star’s passing.

‘I had had such a great meeting with him and he was a really great person. It was so sad. We were lucky enough that Dennis Quaid agreed to come on board.’

Fargeat said she was shocked by the reaction at Cannes, which proved divisive among critics and prompted furious conversations over its themes and explicitness.

Dennis Quaid replaced Ray Liotta in the film (Picture: Mubi)

Fargeat revealed she never thought Moore would agree to be in her film (Picture: Mubi)

The Substance caused controversy at Cannes (Picture: Scott Garfitt/MUBI/Shutterstock)

‘Its very DNA is to be what it is – excessive, and totally sincere. I always say I put my guts on the table when I make a film, and here I did more than ever,’ she said.

Many at FrightFest dubbed it among their top films of the event, with Sci-Fi Now branding it ‘a surreal, disorientating and stomach-turning experience.’

Sarah Cook added: ‘The Substance is a visceral attack on the senses and a nightmarish descent into body horror madness that is incredible on just about every level. Demi Moore gives a career-defining performance, and it’s great to have her back on the big screen!’

GuruMatt said: ‘FrightFest closing film The Substance blew the roof off the cinema. This Sunset Boulevard meets Cronenberg tale was heaps of fun that walks a tightrope of tone perfectly. The film raises the bar for body horror. Fantastic to watch it with the FF crowd.’

The Substance had its international premiere at FrightFest 2024 on August 26. It is released in UK cinemas on September 20.

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