“The 40-Year-Old Version” is a 2020 comedy-drama film written, directed, and starring Radha Blank. The movie follows a struggling, 40-year-old Black playwright named Radha, who, despite having won an award in her youth, has been unable to find success in the competitive New York theater scene. Frustrated with her lack of progress, she decides to reinvent herself as a rapper named RadhaMUSprime, and starts to find inspiration and success in this new form of artistic expression.
The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and received critical acclaim for its clever blend of humor and drama, as well as its exploration of the challenges faced by Black artists in the entertainment industry. It was also praised for Blank’s performance as Radha, as well as her direction and writing.
The movie has won several awards, including the Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2020 AFI Fest, and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best First Film. Additionally, Radha Blank won the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards.
Overall, “The 40-Year-Old Version” has been highly regarded for its originality, wit, and commentary on the complexities of being an artist in today’s society.
| Directed by | Radha Blank |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Lena Waithe Jordan Fudge Radha Blank Inuka Bacote-Capiga Jennifer Semler Rishi Rajani |
| Written by | Radha Blank |
| Starring | Radha Blank, Peter Kim, Oswin Benjamin, Reed Birney, |
| Music by | Guy C. Routte |
| Cinematography | Eric Branco |
| Edited by | Robert Grigsby Wilson |
| Production companies |
New Slate Ventures Hillman Grad Productions Endeavor Content |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
| Release date | January 25, 2020 (Sundance) October 9, 2020 (United States) |
| Running time | 129 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
