Nicole Kidman's latest erotic thriller in Hollywood is targeting older women who enjoy romantic relationships with younger men.

Some of Hollywood's top actresses are embracing the new era of filmmaking.

In the past year, actresses such as Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, and Laura Dern have taken on roles that challenge cultural conversations and break down sexual stereotypes. Their films, such as "A Family Affair," "Babygirl," "The Idea of You," and "Lonely Planet," explore the theme of middle-aged women discovering self-identity while romancing younger men.

Eric Schiffer, CEO of Reputation Management Consultants, notes that while the theme of the shift in reputation management has been present for years (as seen in Anne Bancroft's portrayal in "The Graduate"), there is currently a significant and overdue change taking place.

"Schiffer stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that Hollywood's portrayal of powerful cultural shifts on age and romance, featuring older women as empowered and desirable, helps to break stereotypes. The message that women can still be sexually hot as they age resonates with audiences and causes them to buzz and clamor."

He stated that big stars such as Kidman and Hathaway take on these roles because they prefer to portray complex characters that challenge societal norms and influence cultural discussions about female age and romance.

According to Robert J. Thompson, a professor of popular culture at Syracuse University, these films are fulfilling their purpose of challenging the conventional norms regarding gender roles.

"Thompson stated that the emergence of challenges to these things is significant, as it may indicate that progress is being made. This has been a predominantly one-way direction for the history of movies, but now we are beginning to see movies in this direction to some extent, which is being normalized."

He stated that there has been a significant increase in the number of women directing, holding powerful positions behind the scenes, and appearing on camera compared to a generation ago.

Female audiences particularly relate to these roles, according to David Schmid, a professor of English at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Kidman, who played alongside Efron in "A Family Affair," where her character had a passionate affair with her daughter's younger movie star boss (Efron), has just completed one of her most demanding roles.

In the upcoming erotic thriller, "Babygirl," the Australian actress, 57, portrays a powerful CEO and mom, Romy, who has a steamy affair with her younger intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson).

"The "Moulin Rouge" star admitted during a press conference at the 2024 Venice Film Festival that making the film with the cast was delicate and intimate, leaving them exposed and vulnerable. "We're all a bit nervous right now," the star said."

The film, according to Kidman, is centered on themes of sex, desire, inner thoughts, secrets, marriage, truth, power, and consent.

"The Academy Award winner stated, "This is one woman's story, and I hope it's a liberating one," according to Variety. "I didn't feel exploited. I felt very much a part of it. It's the story that I wanted to be a part of, that I wanted to tell. And every part of me was committed to that.""

This year, Hathaway was excited to delve into her character's yearning for something more.

In "The Idea Of You," Hathway, 41, plays Solène, a 40-year-old divorced mom who becomes involved with a younger man, a singer in a boy band (Nicholas Galitzine).

Solène, who is turning 40 and has a professional identity and a role as a mother, has not fully explored her personal aspects, according to Hathway in an interview with the New York Times before the movie's release.

"The woman in the movie heals her heart after a massive trust trauma, and the film suggests that a bloom can occur at any stage of life. This prompted the speaker to explore what those two concepts entail and how they manifest."

"Hathaway stated, "I recognized aspects of myself in her, as I do in friends or women I admire. She had a richness to her, and the idea that early in her life she had been a people pleaser intrigued me. I was excited by the idea of someone at a stage in their life where they've outgrown that phase.""

Dern was attracted to the role in "Lonely Planet" because it allowed her to break free from her "people pleaser" mindset.

In the upcoming Netflix film, Dern, 57, portrays Katherine Loewe, a recently divorced author who embarks on a retreat in Morocco and subsequently develops a passionate, "life-changing" romance with the younger man, Owen Brophy (Hemsworth).

"The exploration of identity and self-worth within relationships, especially in the intellectually charged literary scene, drew me to the story. The dynamic between the younger man and the older, established writer intrigued me because it's not just about romance - it's about finding someone who truly sees and understands you, which is deeply human and relatable."

Planet Chronicle Digital's Larry Fink contributed to this post.