The Forty-Year-Old Version Trailer: Empire State of Mind

I’m not going to beat around the bush. The Forty-Year-Old Version is one of this fall season’s must-see films.

The Forty-Year-Old Version is the feature debut of writer/director/future star, Radha Blank. The film sees Blank play a heightened version of herself, a once-promising playwright who’s experiencing a mid-life crisis. So Blank does what any self-respecting 39-year-old would do: she starts a rap career.

I reviewed The Forty-Year-Old Version at Sundance , where it earned Blank a directing award. Even though January seems like a lifetime ago, this movie has stayed on my mind since – it’s still my second favourite film of the year .

Blank delivers a charming, funny, and delightfully complicated performance – the type of compelling lead role Hollywood rarely affords middle-aged black women. Did I mention this woman is a legit rapper? This woman is about to blow-up. Blank’s talents are on full display in the trailer below.

The Forty-Year-Old Version trailer:

This movie works on so many levels; it’s a sharp social commentary, a witty comedy, and the ‘90s inspired hip-hop soundtrack slaps. And of course, Radha Blank’s performance is worth the cost of your monthly Netflix subscription. Mark the film’s October 9 ^th release date in your calendar. You won’t regret it.

The Forty-Year-Old Version synopsis:

Radha, a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, is desperate for a breakthrough before 40. But when she foils what seems like her last shot at success, she’s left with no choice but to reinvent herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime. The Forty-Year-Old Version follows Radha as she vacillates between the worlds of Hip Hop and theater on a quest to find her true voice.

Winner of the Directing Prize at The 2020 Sundance Film Festival, The Forty-Year-Old Version is a hilariously candid and deeply personal debut from writer/director Radha Blank. A fresh addition to the New York City slice-of-life canon shot in lush black and white 35mm, Blank’s film is an ode to the unfulfilled, and those whose adversity gives them a one-of-a-kind story to tell.