Demi Moore, Academy Award nominee and long-time star, walked out to a standing ovation at the Q&A after the  screening of her new movie, The Substance, on Feb. 9 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF).

The Substance, an unsettling yet powerful horror movie, came out in September of 2024. Moore plays a desolate Hollywood star, Elizabeth Sparkle, trying to find a way to feel younger and relive her fame through a cell-dividing “substance.” 

Moore has had a long and exciting career, starring in movies like St. Elmo’s Fire, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and Indecent Proposal. Her rise to fame in the 1980s led to her becoming the highest paid actress in 1995, and winning multiple Golden Globe Awards along with numerous Academy Award and BAFTA nominations. She is currently nominated for a long-awaited Academy Award for Best Actress. “It’s taken a long time for people to acknowledge your talent,” Executive Director of SBIFF and moderator of the Q&A, Roger Durling, says. “The part that resonated the most was really that violence we can have against ourselves,” Moore says, talking about her connection to her role in The Substance. “Our tendency when we look in the mirror is not to look at what’s right, but to look at what’s wrong.” The movie’s up-close point of view is uncomfortable to most viewers, but not to Moore. Explaining how she tends to gravitate towards provocative roles that evoke emotion and impact on the audience, Moore seems to be embracing audacious parts.