A new article from The 19th explores a long-standing gap in Hollywood storytelling: the lack of complex roles for women over 40 in film. The story includes research from the Geena Davis Institute, which has examined how midlife women are portrayed in film — and how those portrayals shape cultural expectations.
Our analysis of films released between 2009 and 2024 found that women characters over 40 are significantly more likely than men to have storylines centered on aging. As the article highlights, audiences are ready for something different: richer, more realistic portrayals of women navigating midlife with agency, ambition, and complexity.