Demi Moore horror pic ‘The Substance’ to kick off Toronto Film Fest’s Midnight Madness selections

The Substance, a body horror movie starring Demi Moore that received a 13-minute standing ovation at Cannes International Film Festival, will have its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival Sept. 5.

The pic will kick off the festival’s annual salute to all things shocking, its Midnight Madness lineup: “10 titles that celebrate the best in action, horror, shock, and fantasy cinema with midnight premieres at the historic (and allegedly haunted) Royal Alexandra Theatre,” according to organizers. 

The Substance also stars Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, and writer-director Coralie Fargeat‘s film has Moore playing an aging Hollywood superstar so desperate to regain her looks that she signs up to inject herself with a mysterious serum that shares the title’s name.

However, and as expected, it turns out to be too good to be true. 

In a short video introducing this year’s Midnight Madness lineup, its lead programmer, Peter Kuplowsky, called the movie a masterpiece, adding, “It’s as good as you’ve heard.”

The movie comes to theaters nationwide on Sept. 20.