7 Must-Watch Films — and One Netflix Series — for Older Women

The mature female characters are bold, sexy and inspiring.

By
Published December 19, 2024
photo collage of best films
AARP

I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in romcoms about 20-somethings who meet-cute, break up-and then — spoiler alert! — get back together. Maybe it’s my advanced age, or maybe I’ve just seen too many of them.

No, I’m looking for movies featuring older women. Sure, there have been a spate of successful Book Club and 80 For Brady-type movies but I’m looking for lesser-known movies featuring older women offering substance, style, wit and a role model or two. These recommendations are all currently for rent or streaming — but if you don’t have an Apple TV+ or Netflix account — don’t despair. Most of these streaming services will let you sign up for a free seven-day trial.

Several weeks ago, I had the chance to see a screening o The Last of the Sea Women — about the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Islands. Did I really want to get out of my sweatpants, jump on the subway (I live in New York), and schlep downtown to see a documentary about sea divers? Yes, my host assured me, the film is about women who dive — without oxygen — to the bottom of the ocean to gather food.

And the women are in their 70s, 80s and 90’s! The Last of the Sea Women is an amazing testament to this community of women, who — despite facing death every day — are bound by bravery, resilience, camaraderie and love of what they do. The film was more than worth the trip, and you can watch it now at home on Apple+.

For another look at an older woman and conquering the sea, don’t miss Nyad, streaming on Netflix. Starring Annette Benning, this is the remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who at the age of 60, committed to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.

Then there’s Julia! In 1962, at the age of 50, intrepid chef and cookbook author Julia Child brought her signature panache into American living rooms with The French Chef — her groundbreaking program that pioneered the modern cooking show. Well into the 1990’s

Child helmed a series of other TV shows and published almost 20 cookbooks.

Julia was a late bloomer in her work, and her personal life — she didn’t marry until she was 34 — practically a “spinster” in 1946; and as such, she was a role model for any of us looking to spark our second or third acts.

In Julie & Julia, Child is played by Meryl Streep, and the story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with food writer Julie Powell's challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first cookbook — which she did, before dying at the young age of 49. This film is available to rent on several online platforms, making all of us older gals proud how Chef Julia braved the previously male-dominated culinary world.

The Best of Everything, a 1959 “women’s picture,” (available for rent on YouTube and Prime), is based on the bestselling Rona Jaffe book. While this may seem like an unusual choice for this list, the high-gloss soaper follows the careers and private lives of three women who share an apartment in New York City and all work at a publishing firm. The story line follows a loveless female boss, a pregnant naif and stars a dazzling cast of Hope Lange, Suzy Parker and Diane Baker.

So why watch The Best of Everything? Because 65 years later, it hits many of the modern relationship issues of today — men who prey, office politics; balancing work with childrearing, romantic disappointment, A reminder of how far we have — and haven’t come — since the 1950’s. At its release, it was reviewed in The New Yorker as: “… one of our sharpest portraits of female desire.”

My husband is eight years younger than I am, so I’m especially pleased to see these older women/younger men romances. In Lonely Planet, 34-year-old Liam Hemsworth’s character shares some pretty racy sex scenes with 57-year-old Laura Dern; despite their two-decade age difference, Nicole Kidman pairs up with her daughter’s boss in A Family Affair (both on Netflix).

And although a widowed 70-something Blythe Danner doesn’t make it with the pool boy in I’ll See You In My Dreams, they do strike up an intergenerational friendship. With his help, and the help of her besties, she finds love and a renewed zest for life. (For rent on Apple, Fandango and Prime.)

Finally, I recommend something very hot on Netflix that premiered in 2024. Prepare to stay up all night as you binge on the mini-series Deceitful Love. While this isn’t a movie, it’s a collection of long episodes depicting a tortured, fascinating relationship with lots of good sex, set in a beautiful hotel perched along the Amalfi. The love affair that takes dangerous and breathtaking dips and turns is between 60-year-old divorcée Gabriella portrayed by Monica Guerritore and mystery-man Elia, 30, half her age and played by Giacomo Gianniotti.

The riveting plot goes far beyond an example of May-December love. We cheer our 60-year-old heroine — who owns the hotel — throughout all episodes as she follows her heart, and not her naysayers — which includes her grown children. It’s a direct hit against ageism!

 

Have you watched any of the above? What's your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

Lynn Schnurnberger is a bestselling author, longtime contributor to major national publications, frequent TV guest, former NBC talk show producer, and founder of Foster Pride, a nonprofit empowering youth in foster care through mentoring and the arts.