: Only 25% of films pass this test, which requires a female character over 50 to be essential to the plot without being reduced to an ageist stereotype. Icons Redefining Midlife

: In blockbuster films, characters over 50 are disproportionately male (80% vs. 20% female).

: Women over 40 are twice as likely as men to have storylines centered purely on physical aging.

Following a record high in 2024 where 54% of top films featured female leads, representation dropped significantly to 37% by early 2026—a regression to 2022 levels.