The Substance might earn Demi Moore her first Academy Award, which would make her only the seventh actor to achieve a unique Oscar feat. Directed and written by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance is a satirical exploration of celebrity that embraces body horror to comment on fame. The film focuses on Elisabeth Sparkle, an aging star who discovers a procedure that can create a younger copy of herself. However, the two halves of Sparkle quickly end up at war with each other, with gruesome results.

Despite the Academy Awards often ignoring the horror genre, The Substance has become a genuine award contender. Demi Moore in particular has been earning plenty of accolades for her performance, even establishing herself as a frontrunner for Best Actress. With the 97th Academy Award nominations formally announced, The Substance has only gained more momentum in key races, including for Moore. If she is able to win that Oscar, then Demi Moore will join only six other actors with a unique Academy Award distinction.

The Oscars 2025 Give Demi Moore A Great Chance At A Rare Horror Movie Acting Win

Demi Moore Could Become The Seventh Person To Win An Acting Oscar For A Horror Film

Demi Moore has earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in The Substance, which could help her become one of the few performers to win an Oscar for a horror film. Horror is often overlooked at the Academy Awards, with the genre frequently dismissed from legitimately competing in the main categories. Before The Substance, only a handful of horror movies had been nominated for major categories like Best Picture. This same preconceived perception about the horror genre also impacted the acting categories, with only six performers ever winning an Oscar for their work in horror films.

Despite the typical stigma attached to the horror genre, Demi Moore has been established as the frontrunner for the Best Actress award. A veteran of the industry who is finally gaining some long-awaited recognition, her victory at the Golden Globes and subsequent speech about her career gave her serious momentum in the race. The Substance has also proven to be among the most discussed movies nominated at the Oscars, with plenty of other major nominations to help keep that pace up. This could all help push Moore over the finish line to win her first Oscar.

Demi Moore Deserves The Best Actress Win

Demi Moore Definitely Has One Of 2024’s Best Performances

More than anything, what’s exciting about Demi Moore’s nomination and potential win is that it would come for a genuinely phenomenal performance. Moore is the heart and soul of The Substance, which wouldn’t work nearly as well without her in the part. Moore is able to imbue Elisabeth Sparkle with a great deal of depth, making her sympathetic without ignoring her worst qualities. Sparkle is vain and image-obsessed, but just self-aware enough to recognize how self-destructive that is in a painfully human way.

Scenes like Sparkle standing in front of a mirror before a date, furiously wiping off her lipstick in self-disgust, is a wordless scene that nevertheless says so much about the character and the film around her. Moore is the key to the film’s emotional grounding, preventing The Substance from going off the rails. It’s because of that character commitment that the film works, and Moore remains just as compelling and believable even as she transforms into a new monstrous state. Demi Moore delivered one of 2024’s most compelling and effective performances and has rightfully earned an Academy Award nomination.

Could The Substance Win Any Other Oscars?

The Substance Is A LongsH๏τ To Win, But Still Has A Chance To Earn Plenty Of Oscar Gold

The Substance has been steadily picking up steam ahead of the 97th Academy Awards, which earned it several other nominations. This includes Best Picture, as well as Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nominations for Coralie Fargeat. The film also earned a nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. At the moment, The Substance‘s best chance to earn an Academy Award is with Demi Moore, as she has garnered a great deal of personal momentum in award season. The film could also easily win Best Makeup and Hairstyling, even though the category is uniquely stacked this year.

Fargeat may end up going home empty-handed after the 97th Academy Awards, as other films like Emilia Pérez have pulled ahead of the pack thanks to its 13 nominations. The Substance is still very much in the running though, especially for Best Original Screenplay — a category that’s always been suited to celebrating films that don’t walk away with the big prize. Hopefully, Demi Moore isn’t the only person from The Substance to earn an Oscar, as the horror film deserves all the accolades the Academy is willing to give it.