Demi Moore’s ageing celebrity Elisabeth Sparkle uses a cell-replicating drug to transform into her younger self, played by Margaret Qualley, to battle ageism in Hollywood in the teaser of the body-horror film The Substance.

Dropped by the makers on Thursday, the one-minute-12-second-long trailer highlights the pressure of male gaze and the obsession with perfection amongst artistes. In the video, Demi Moore’s former Hollywood star is offered a black market drug to turn her into a younger version of herself after she gets fired from a fitness show. It begins with Moore gazing into a mirror as a sinister voice plays in the background: “Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?”

The trailer teases her transformation with thrilling scenes. We see unsettling shower sequences reminiscent of the bathtub scene from Requiem of a Dream, Dennis Quaid chomping on food repulsively while watching stars performing at Moore’s fitness show, and the drug getting administered.

The film promises to delve into the impact of the male gaze on both celebrities and everyday women. “Pretty girls should always smile,” Quaid tells Moore’s character, before scenes show her covered in blood and being violently thrown across a room.

At the end of the trailer, Moore dramatically smears lipstick across her face in a fit of rage, while Qualley adds a touch of intrigue with a sly, enigmatic wink.

The Substance premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, earning an 11-minute-long standing ovation. It also clinched the best screenplay award at the event.

Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance is produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. The film marks Fargeat’s second directorial after her action-thriller Revenge.