Consider the character of Shiv Roy in Succession or the titular character in The Morning Show . While these shows feature women of various ages, they place a premium on the power dynamics of mature women. Perhaps the most iconic example is Jennifer Coolidge’s turn as Tanya McQuoid in The White Lotus . Coolidge, who spent much of her career in supporting comedic roles, became a cultural phenomenon in her 60s. Her character was messy, vulnerable, wealthy, tragic, and deeply human.
The "middle-aged" woman in cinema was historically a narrative device, not a protagonist. She served as the concerned mother of the bride, the nagging wife, or the supernatural villain. The "MILF" and "Cougar" tropes of the late 1990s and early 2000s attempted to sexualize aging women but did so through a predatory, comic lens that rarely allowed for genuine vulnerability or romantic depth. Consider the character of Shiv Roy in Succession