Research from the Geena Davis Institute highlights that when mature women are shown, their narratives are often restricted by ageist tropes.
: Female characters over 40 are twice as likely as men to have storylines centered on their physical aging or efforts to "beat back" signs of age through cosmetic treatments.
: Women over 40 represent a quarter of the global population, yet their on-screen presence in film dropped to 14% by late 2022 and has struggled to recover in the top theatrical releases of 2025. milf alicia tgp
: In 2025, only 4 women over 45 played lead roles in Hollywood's top 100 films, compared to 31 men in the same age bracket.
: Menopause is virtually absent from mainstream cinema, appearing in only 6% of top-grossing titles over the last 15 years, often used merely as a punchline. Research from the Geena Davis Institute highlights that
: In a 16-year analysis, 19 films featured a "sad widow" whose identity was defined by loss, compared to only 8 "sad widowers".
Report: Mature Women in Entertainment and Cinema (2025–2026) : In 2025, only 4 women over 45
: Only one in four films passes the "Ageless Test," which requires at least one female character over 50 who is essential to the plot and not reduced to a stereotype. 2024 was a historic year for women in film | USC Annenberg