Amid The Substance's Oscar Snub, a Look at Demi Moore’s 5 best-reviewed BOX OFFICE hits

Demi Moore's Oscar snub for The Substance reignited debates on her career. Here’s a look at five of her best-reviewed box office hits that cemented her Hollywood legacy.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 05, 2025 | 02:04 PM IST | 14.6K

Demi Moore in The Substance

Demi Moore has been making headlines in Hollywood for the past couple of decades, but the chatter around her—or should we say her work—intensified profoundly in recent months, thanks to her latest big-screen outing, The Substance. Moore plays an actress in the film who is in the latter phase of her career due to her maturing physical appearance, courtesy of her developing age. She, however, doesn’t feel ready to bid farewell to showbiz, which leads her to try a drug in the market that promises age reversal. What Moore’s character is unaware of while opting for the procedure is that it comes with consequences.

The Coralie Fargeat directorial scored Moore a Best Actress Oscar nomination, which she lost to Mikey Madison (Anora) on Sunday, 2024, sparking online discussion about the Academy snubbing her. Amid the still-ongoing debate about Moore’s merit for the recognition, here’s a look back at her most acclaimed works in Hollywood and their box office performances since her debut in 1981.

Demi Moore’s Hollywood Legacy: Her Top 5 critically and commercially acclaimed movies

Ghost - USD 505 Million

In the venture, Moore played a young artist grieving the loss of her boyfriend without knowing he’s still beside her as a ghost. The titular character, played by Patrick Swayze, protects Moore’s Molly from dangers, communicating with her through a reluctant psychic played by Whoopi Goldberg, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the gig.

Indecent Proposal - USD 266 Million

Moore portrays Diana Murphy, a woman whose marriage is tested when a billionaire offers her and her husband (played by Woody Harrelson) USD 1 million for one night with her. Despite its provocative premise, Moore’s emotionally charged performance made the film a box-office success.

A Few Good Men - USD 141 Million

In this legal drama helmed by Rob Reiner, Moore plays a passionate and determined military lawyer who helps defend two Marines accused of murder. Tom Cruise stars in the film as her colleague, and together, the two bring intelligence and tenacity to the courtroom saga

Striptease - USD 113 Million

Moore does complete justice to her role as a former FBI secretary-turned-stripper who makes the decision to put her dignity on the line to regain custody of her daughter. In the film, based on Carl Hiaasen’s novel, Moore’s Erin becomes entangled with a corrupt congressman. Kylie Jenner paid tribute to Moore’s iconic role, dressing up as the movie poster version of her for Halloween. It says something about the enduring appeal of the actress’s work, doesn’t it?

Mortal Thoughts - USD 18 Million

The film is an example of how a movie about friendship, domestic violence, and moral dilemmas should be made. Moore stars as Cynthia Kellogg, a woman entangled in a murder investigation when her best friend’s abusive husband is found dead. The plot of the psychological thriller unfolds in a nonlinear narrative as Cynthia recounts the events to the police. Glenn Headly and Bruce Willis round out the ensemble cast.