Demi Moore won Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for The Substance at the 82nd Golden Globes. During her acceptance speech, she called out Hollywood misogyny, reflecting on how she had never won a major award before and had been told she was just a “popcorn actress.”
In The Substance, Moore portrays Elisabeth Sparkle, a 50-year-old woman who Hollywood and the television industry have rejected due to her age. After she is fired from her job on an aerobics TV show, she decides to try a black market serum called The Substance that promises to make her younger, more beautiful, and more perfect. Her younger version, Sue (Margaret Qualley), quickly becomes a sensation in Hollywood, but at a steep price. Through body horror and dark humor, the movie effectively tackles beauty standards and feels especially relevant due to Hollywood’s tendency to dismiss older women.