Closing Night: The Substance

Bid farewell to the Sydney Film Festival at the Closing Night Gala at the State Theatre. Find out which films take out SFF's top prizes at our awards ceremony, then enjoy a screening of Cannes hit The Substance.

Demi Moore plays the former Hollywood star Elisabeth Sparkle, now relegated to presenting a workout show, though at least it’s a stable job. But ratings are everything, and when sleazy TV exec Harvey (Dennis Quaid) decides that new blood – or fresh meat – is needed, Elisabeth turns to a mysterious medical procedure involving The Substance.

Soon there is a young and beautiful version of Elisabeth called Sue (Qualley). All that is needed for both to co-exist is a careful maintenance of the equilibrium – time has to be shared equally: Elisabeth gets one week, then Sue gets one. But when the balance is disrespected, the repercussions are both grave and irreversible.

Fargeat made her debut with the memorable 2017 thriller Revenge, and she adeptly ratchets up the tension in this extremely clever and risqué tale of excess and vanity, eliciting squirms and laughs.

Browse all 200+ films at Sydney Film Festival and see it your way, June 5-16.