10 Best Horror Movie Performances Of 2024 So Far
1. Demi Moore - The Substance
The second feature film from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat - following the stylishly brutal Revenge - The Substance is a visceral body horror that examines themes of beauty and aging in Hollywood.
Upon turning 50, movie sensation-turned-TV fitness instructor Elisabeth Sparkle is unceremoniously fired by a brutish TV exec. However, Elisabeth believes her problems are solved when she's selected to receive a mysterious serum, known only as the Substance, that promises to create a younger and better version of herself - which it does quite literally in one of the most gut-wrenching sequences put to screen.
When Elisabeth starts to disobey the strict rules for using the drug, though, things take a squeamishly sickening turn.
While Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid are both sensational as Elisabeth's double Sue and the sleazy TV executive, respectively, it's Demi Moore who deserves a place on this list. Laying everything bare in a powerhouse performance, Moore is utterly fearless throughout as viewers feel every ounce of excoriating pain that Elisabeth endures alongside the crippling social pressures that spur her to misuse the titular serum.
The Substance is a deeply harrowing cinematic experience, and Moore's stellar acting is a huge part of this film's success.