Perimenopause, Pop Culture, and Going Through Puberty All Over Again
Relatable stories on screen for women of a certain age…
Real talk: can we please discuss perimenopause? You’d think that, by 2026, there’d be fewer stigmas around such a universal topic. Nobody warned me. I knew vaguely that menopause was a thing—some distant, foggy future thing involving hot flashes and my mother fanning herself at the dinner table. But perimenopause? The years-long runway to menopause? No one prepared me for this.
Get cozy for a good night’s sleep...
“Most of us have no idea what’s happening when it starts. We just think we’re losing our minds.”
I feel like I’m 13 again, except instead of braces, I’ve got brain fog, rage spirals, thinning hair, and a sudden urge to cry at a paper towel commercial. The scariest part? Most of us have no idea what’s happening when it starts. We just think we’re losing our minds.
That’s exactly why Halle Berry (star of the latest Amazon/MGM Studios series, Crime 101, 72% Cherry Score) has made it her personal mission to make sure women are not left in the dark the way she was. Her advocacy was ignited by her own misdiagnosis, and instead of staying silent, she went full warrior mode. She launched Respin, a women’s wellness platform focused on menopause, built around community, content, and carebecause as she put it, “menopause needed a rebrand.” She’s testified before state legislatures, gone to Capitol Hill, and pushed for menopause education and research bills across the country. Berry is out here doing the work, and we love her for it.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: Halle Berry attends the world premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' "Crime 101" at The United Theater on Broadway on February 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
Talk to your doctor, do your research, and don’t let anyone dismiss what you’re feeling. Your body is not betraying you; it’s changing, and you deserve real support and real answers.
In the meantime, while you’re waiting for that appointment, or just want to feel less alone at midnight while you’re sweating through your third pajama change — here are some films and TV shows that actually see us.
Still hot (it just comes in flashes now)...
Your Friends & Neighbors - Apple TV
In Season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors, there’s a quiet, devastating, deeply relatable scene where Mel (Amanda Peet, 54 in real life) is Googling the symptoms of perimenopause, making absolutely no progress on her book, and having what turns out to be a very bad day. If you’ve ever sat alone with your laptop at midnight typing “is this perimenopause or am I dying,” you will feel so seen you might cry. In one particularly gutting scene, Mel’s first-date sex is cut short when she experiences vaginal dryness, a symptom of perimenopause, and the show doesn’t play it for laughs. It plays it for truth. Freshly single and fired from her therapist job, Mel is navigating a wild ride of menopause symptoms, teen-daughter drama, and the creeping fear of becoming invisible, and Peet plays every bit of it with honesty. Peet has said she couldn’t be more grateful to showrunner Jonathan Tropper for having “the guts and the skill to bring an angry middle-aged woman to the table.” Same, Amanda. Same.
For your next weekend getaway...
Amanda Peet in "Your Friends & Neighbors," now streaming on Apple TV.
Better Things - Hulu
Pamela Adlon’s series spent several seasons with perimenopause humming in the background, referencing extra-heavy periods and pants that refused to fit anymore. Her character, Sam, doesn’t spiral into some dramatic storyline about it; it’s just there, threaded into the exhaustion and the chaos of her life. Which, honestly, is the most accurate portrayal of all.
BETTER THINGS “Ephemera,” Episode 4 (Airs Monday, March 14th) -- Pictured: Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox CR: Suzanne Tenner/FX
Bad Sisters - Apple TV
Bad Sisters introduced a recurring character in Season 2 who works as a menopause coach to Sharon Horgan’s character, and just like that, an entire audience got educated about a legitimate alternative to HRT. Leave it to an Irish dark comedy about sisters possibly murdering their brother-in-law to also sneak in some genuinely useful women’s health information. Iconic.
Sarah Greene, Eva Birthistle, Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff and Eve Hewson in "Bad Sisters," now streaming on Apple TV.
The Change - BritBox
This British dark comedy follows Linda, a 50-year-old woman going through menopause who essentially abandons her life and moves to a forest. Which, honestly, sounds about right. Sharp, feminist, and wickedly funny, The Change digs into the rage and identity shift that comes with this transition, with a light touch and a serious message done with love. Watch it. This show is especially needed on the days you’re tempted to walk into the woods and not come back.
Get forest vibes inside your home...
“The Change” promo image courtesy of BBC.
Black-ish (Hulu)
In a 2022 episode of Black-ish (S8:E11), Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) complains that it’s easier to research sharks than perimenopause, and she’s not wrong. The show handles the subject with humor and heart, and ends with a genuinely empowering message: menopause means your body finally belongs to you. It’s your time now. I want that on a bumper sticker.
“Black-ish” Season 8 - ABC/Richard Cartwright
Balance: A Perimenopause Journey (Apple TV, Prime Video)
Executive produced by Alyssa Milano and Jeannie Mai, This four-part documentary series takes an honest look at the realities of perimenopause, framing it not as “just hot flashes and night sweats” but as a genuine health crisis that women have been left to navigate in confusion and shame for far too long. Real women. Real stories. Zero sugarcoating.
Time to invest in a chic fan...
“Balance: A Perimenopause Journey” promo image
The M Factor 2: Before the Pause (PBS)
This PBS documentary shines a light on perimenopause through the real stories of teachers, firefighters, and doctors, showing how silence and stigma derail women’s lives and why early awareness is essential. Informative, moving, and the kind of film you’ll want to text to every woman in your life immediately after watching.
“The M Factor 2: Before the Pause” still promo image
If you’re in this stage of life, you are not crazy, you are not weak, nor are you “just getting older.” You are in the middle of a massive hormonal transition that the medical community has historically ignored, that pop culture has reduced to a punchline, and that most of us were never taught anything real about.
But the conversation is finally changing, thanks to advocates like Halle Berry, writers like Jonathan Tropper and Sharon Horgan, and real women who refuse to suffer in silence any longer. Watch these, share them, and know that somewhere out there, a lot of us are Googling symptoms at 2:00 a.m. right along with you.
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