Demi Moore’s latest project is the horror movie The Substance, which, surprisingly, is breaking a 13-year Rotten Tomatoes record for her. Demi Moore began her acting career in the early 1980s, making her big screen debut in 1981 in a project titled Choices, and the following year, she ed the soap opera General Hospital as Jackie Templeton. After a couple more projects in film and TV, Moore got her big break in 1985 when she played Jules in Joel Schumacher’s coming-of-age movie St. Elmo’s Fire, which made her part of the Brat Pack (though she’s not fond of that label).

Since then, Moore has branched out to different genres, with some of her most notable projects being the comedy-drama About Last Night…, the supernatural romance movie Ghost, the legal drama A Few Good Men, the action comedy Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and the drama Margin Call. Moore has maintained an active career since the 1980s and is now enjoying the success of her latest project, The Substance, which is breaking a 13-year Rotten Tomatoes record in her career.

The Substance Is Officially Demi Moore's Highest Rated Movie On Rotten Tomatoes

Demi Moore’s Previously Had Two Movies Tied As Her Highest-Rated Project

Demi Moore has had various highs and lows in her career so far, which isn’t surprising given how long she has been in the entertainment industry and the different genres she has explored. Some of her most famous projects, such as Striptease and LOL, are among her lowest-rated ones on Rotten Tomatoes (13% and 14%, respectively), while others that would have normally been expected to flop for different reasons, like Beavis and Butt-head Do America and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery​​​​​​, got scores that fall into the “fresh” category (71% and73%, respectively).

Before The Substance, Moore’s highest-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes were 2011’s Margin Call, where she played Sarah Robertson, and 2022’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, where she played Olivia. Both of these movies have an 87% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, granting them a “Certified Fresh” label. At the time of writing, The Substance has an 89% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, thus making it Certified Fresh, and this number could go higher once the movie is released in theaters (and its audience score is yet to be seen).

Overall, Moore’s highest-rated project before The Substance was HBO’s TV movie If These Walls Could Talk, with an 88% critics score.

Why The Substance's Rotten Tomatoes Score Is So High: What The Reviews Say

The Substance Has Earned The Praise Of Critics

Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance is a body horror movie that follows Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore), the star of a popular TV aerobics show. On her 50th birthday, Elisabeth is fired and later gets into a car accident. At the hospital, Elisabeth learns about “The Substance”, a black market drug that cell-replicates the subject to temporarily create a younger and better version of them. Elisabeth decides to use it, completely unaware of the horrifying side effects of this sinister substance.

The Substance premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with great success, with critics praising its body horror elements as well as Moore’s performance. Many critics have called it “shocking” for its graphic body horror scenes, which have also earned the praise of many, despite how grotesque these can be to some. Critics are pointing out Moore’s and Margaret Qualley’s performances as The Substance’s biggest strengths, which also help balance its grotesque elements with the story’s dramatic parts.

The Substance’s makeup effects, visual style, and social commentary have also received a lot of praise from critics, though, for some, it was visually too “gross” and “nauseating”. Overall, The Substance is being called Moore’s and Qualley’s best work to date, and though its graphic scenes might not be for everyone, there’s a lot more to it than just shocking body horror moments.

The Substance Extends Demi Moore's Recent Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Streak

Demi Moore Is Having A Great Rotten Tomatoes Streak

The Substance is breaking Demi Moore’s Rotten Tomatoes streak in the best way, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t had well-received projects in recent years. After a tough “rotten” streak since 2011 (after Margin Call, that is), The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent arrived to match Moore’s highest-rated movie with an 87% critics' score, and the musical drama Please Baby Please kept her good score afloat with a 76% critics' score. The 2024 documentary Brats continued the streak with an 84% score, making all these projects Certified Fresh.

At the time of writing, Moore doesn’t have another movie after The Substance coming up, but she has a role in Taylor Sheridan’s drama TV series Landman, set to premiere on November 2024 on Paramount+. The Substance is giving Demi Moore the praise she deserves and has given her her highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes to date, and it’s to be seen if this will be sured by any other project.