Demi Moore Strengthens Her Oscar Campaign with Critics Choice Best Actress Win
Demi Moore took home the Best Actress award at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards for her haunting performance in Coralie Fargeat’s body horror film, The Substance. Portraying Elisabeth Sparkle, a former TV fitness personality who takes an experimental serum to regain her youth, Moore’s transformation in the film has earned widespread acclaim.
A Powerful Speech on Recognition & Horror’s Importance
In her emotional acceptance speech, Moore expressed gratitude not just for her win, but for the recognition of The Substance itself.
“This is so far beyond anything I could have hoped for. I just want to say, the very recognition — not just for me, but for what this film is about, what it’s trying to convey — your acknowledgment is almost like the elixir. It is the healing balm to the very issue the film brings forward.”
She also emphasized how horror films are often overlooked in major award circuits:
“I am so grateful, not just for my performance, but that you have highlighted this film, this genre. Normally, horror films are overlooked and not seen for the profundity that they can hold.”
Defeating Stiff Competition
Moore won over a stacked field of nominees, which included:
- Cynthia Erivo (Wicked)
- Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez)
- Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths)
- Angelina Jolie (Maria)
- Mikey Madison (Anora)
Moore’s Career Comeback & Oscar Buzz
With Critics Choice, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG nominations, Moore is now one of the strongest contenders for the Best Actress Oscar.
At the Golden Globes, she reflected on her decades-long career, recalling how Hollywood once dismissed her as a “popcorn actress.”
“Thirty years ago, I had a producer tell me I was a popcorn actress… That I could do movies that were successful and made a lot of money, but that I couldn’t be acknowledged.”
Now, Moore is proving them wrong with one of the most powerful performances of her career.
Where to Watch The Substance
Moore’s critically acclaimed horror film, The Substance, is available to stream on Prime Video.