The Substance is a satirical piece about the exploitation of women in Hollywood. It primarily focuses on relationships between actresses and their managers/works, the sexualisation from their managers and public, and how ageism affects a career. However, the analysis of these topics end at their descriptions, as the film offers little more than an on-the-nose nod to their happenings, potentially a result of its reliance on being satirical.
Nevertheless the micro-elements of the film are doing some heavy lifting: the…
