Age differences on our screens are never a big deal – Bollywood has quietly normalised the casting of male stars who are almost 10–20 years older than the one playing their love interest IRL. If you lay too much emphasis on this fact for a long time, it might give you an ick but even in 2024, this isn’t leaving our screens. The bizarre part though? The double standards of viewers who always expect a younger female lead compared to her male counterpart and never the opposite. But in this whole sea of patriarchal views on age gaps, we are slowly reaching a point where few films and series are finding a balance.
For example, Anne Hathaway’s recent Prime Video release, The Idea of You, has sparked the conversation around the topic of how a lot of screen stories discard older women. Most of the reviews of The Idea of You have one thing in common: their lovely portrayal of a woman in her 40s looking for love and pleasure, which is mostly only seen for men on screen. Apart from this, there are several Korean and Chinese dramas narrating such stories with sensitivity and grace, making the viewers question this whole notion.
And, if you want a watchlist of such fresh stories, we can have curated a list for you:
The Idea Of You
Start with the latest release, The Idea of You, which is based on the best-selling contemporary book of the same title. It centres on a 40-year-old single mom Solène (played by Anne Hathaway) who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (played by Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of the hottest boy band August Moon. When Solène steps into chaperoning her teenage daughter’s trip to the Coachella Music Festival after her ex-husband bails at the last minute, she has a chance encounter with Hayes, and there is an instant, undeniable spark. As they begin a whirlwind romance, it isn’t long before Hayes’ superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship, and Solène soon discovers that life in the glare of his spotlight might be more than she bargained for.
Stream On: Prime Video
Something In Rain
Yoon Jin-A, played by the K-drama icon Son Ye-Jin is a single woman in her 30s. She works as a supervisor at a coffee company. Yoon Jin-A is an easygoing person, but she feels empty inside. Seo Joon-Hee, played by Jung Hae-In, is the younger brother of her best friend, Seo Kyung-Sun. He comes back to South Korea after finishing his work abroad. Yoon Jin-A thought he was just a childish guy, but he appears different to her now.
Stream On: Netflix
Encounter
Cha Soo-Hyun (played by Song Hye-Kyo) is the daughter of a politician. After she graduated from college, she married the son of a family that runs a large company. Her marriage was a marriage of convenience that ended after the husband was caught having an affair, which led to a divorce. She later becomes the CEO of a hotel, and later on, she meets Kim Jin-Hyeok, played by Park Bo-Gum, who is looking for a regular job.
The duo somehow ends up meeting in Cuba and have a brief encounter. After a few days, when he goes back to Korea, he receives a phone call from a hotel, owned by Cha Soo-Hyun; that’s where their love story blooms. The couple faces several hurdles due to their age gap and power dynamics.
Stream On: Netflix
Find Yourself
This is a Chinese drama featuring a love story between an accomplished career woman and her junior. The story revolves around the life of He Faxing (played by Victoria Song) who is a 31-year-old independent, successful woman with no experience in love. She is attracted to Yuan Song (played by Song Weilong), the new intern in her company. While Yuan Song reciprocates, He Faxing hesitates to take it forward due to the age difference and societal pressure. They enter a secret relationship for three months with a mutual agreement to make it public after three months. But things take a turn when a third person enters their story.
Stream On: Netflix
She Would Never Know
Yoon Song-A played by Won Jin-A works as a marketer for a cosmetic brand. She enjoys her job and does it with passion. She has a dream to start her own cosmetic brand. Meanwhile, Chae Hyun-Seung played by Ro Woon works with Yoon Song-A as a marketer. He becomes attracted to Yoon Song-A and tries to develop a romantic relationship with her. However, Yoon Song-A rebuffs his advances, because she does not see younger guys as dating partners. The story slowly unfolds when these two finally start giving in to their feelings.
Stream On: Netflix
