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"Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself?" So says the pertinent advert at the heart of The Substance, Coralie Fargeat's exhilarating horror-satire in which Demi Moore delivers a career-best performance. One of the biggest stars of the 1990s in films like Ghost and Striptease, Moore's return here is a hugely significant one, given the very nature of Fargeat's movie.

She plays Elisabeth Sparkle, a TV fitness instructor who is about to get the shock of her life when the network's oily executive, Harvey (Dennis Quaid), unceremoniously fires her for being too old. In desperation, she comes across a number for "The Substance", a body-enhancement programme that, ultimately, leads to the emergence of Sue (Margaret Qualley), the promised "better version" of herself.

This freakish occurrence comes with instructions. Namely, the two selves cannot co-exist and must trade off on a weekly basis. Heralded by Harvey as the hot new thing, Sue is soon making a bid for her own TV stardom with her fitness show, Pump It Up With Sue, while Elisabeth's comatose body lies in her apartment, taking a fluid intravenously to sustain her.

The rules clearly state that you can't go longer than seven days before swapping back but Sue gets greedy – with dire consequences for Elisabeth's body. What emerges is a battle for control as the younger and older selves go to war with each other.

Moving into the realms of feminist body horror, it feels like a new auteur is born as film industry. Following her bloody 2017 feminist-driven thriller Revenge, Fargeat brilliantly skewers the toxic beauty culture we live in, examining under a microscope the impossible standards that women are told to live up to. Winner of the Best Screenplay prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, The Substance is shrewd, smart, darkly funny and riotously entertaining.

At the film's heart is a sensational performance by Moore. Destined for a lot of love in the coming awards season, she pours her heart and soul into the role of Elisabeth, a character that becomes increasingly unhinged as the wild third act unfolds. Likewise, Qualley (Kinds Of Kindness, Drive-Away Dolls) is the ideal foil for Moore, while Quaid simply oozes venal qualities as the repugnant TV executive.

Impressively schemed in antiseptic whites and blood reds by production designer Stanislas Reydellet, the aesthetics of the film truly stand out. In particular, the detailed and demented prosthetics work is nothing short of jaw-dropping – with nods to Brian Yuzna's satirical 1989 horror Society and Brian De Palma's Carrie arriving slap-bang in the crazed final third.

A true crowd pleaser and a film that demands to be seen with others in the cinema, The Substance will send you into raptures. Fargeat has crafted one of the most unforgettable cinematic rides this year and a satirical horror for the ages.

Buckle up – this film will blow your mind.  Ian Freer

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