“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?”

That’s the question Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), along with everyone in the audience, must ask in The Substance, a new body-horror thriller coming to theaters in September.

Moore plays a fading Hollywood star whose descending career trajectory forces her to host fitness videos, a la Jane Fonda in the 1980s. When she gets fired from that gig, she’s desperate enough to entertain any idea to revive her sagging…prospects.

She’s thus willing to entertain the idea of trying a revolutionary new medical (albeit black market) treatment called “The Substance,” which promises to make her a younger and better version of herself. (The caption for the trailer merely says “Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You. Only better in every way. You should try this new product, The Substance. IT CHANGED MY LIFE,”)

The trailer doesn’t give much away, but there are a lot of shots of women in leotards posing, as well as some brief glimpses of a stylish but sterile medical facility, the “substance” being activated, and then the frightening aftermath thereof: bloody bodies, car crashes, a woman being thrown across the room, and Dennis Quaid and a cadre of creepy, rich old men leering at the camera as his character bellows “pretty girls should always smile!”

The Substance was written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, and also stars Margaret Qualley as the younger and better version of Elisabeth, along with Dennis Quaid, who was took over the role after Ray Litotta died. Five-time Oscar-nominated duo Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner produced.

The film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where the film won Best Screenplay and Moore’s performance earned a long standing ovation, and was picked up for distribution by the streaming service Mubi, which plans to release the theater theatrically on September 20th of this year.