10 Best Characters From 2024 Horror Movies
1. Elisabeth Sparkle - The Substance
But there can be only one character in the #1 spot: The Substance's embattled protagonist Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore).
An Oscar-worthy Demi Moore is incredible in the role of a middle-aged actress who finds herself chewed up and spat out by both Hollywood and wider society, prompting her to undergo a radical procedure whereby she births a younger version of herself, Sue (Margaret Qualley), out of her back.
The Substance's message about how hostile the world is to women of a certain age - and all ages to an extent, frankly - is anything but subtle, yet Moore's visceral performance grounds Elisabeth as a wholly relatable and empathetic character even with the film's utterly unhinged narrative throughline.
We know the outcome isn't going to be great for Elisabeth, but outside of the movie's squicky body horror, it mines tremendous sadness out of the inevitability of her downfall, and the queasy duality of Elisabeth and Sue - or as they eventually become, Elisasue.