While featuring a range of ages, the moral and emotional weight of the film rests on the shoulders of Judith Ivey and Sheila McCarthy as elder women in a closed religious colony. Their characters are not passive victims; they are strategic, angry, and pivotal to the plot’s violent catharsis.
The increasing presence of old women in entertainment content and popular media has had a profound impact on audiences. For older women, seeing themselves represented on screen has been a source of validation and empowerment. A study by the AARP found that older women who saw themselves reflected in media were more likely to feel seen, heard, and valued.
Older women are four times more likely to be portrayed as senile than older men (16.1% vs. 3.5%) and are more frequently depicted as physically unattractive or feeble.