Sitting on her bed in her room at Abbington Manor, an assisted living facility in Lehi, Cindy Bishop was watching “The Mask of Zorro,” a movie she had seen many times before.
The 74-year-old shared that she watches a lot of movies, as evident by her extensive DVD collection taking up multiple shelves.
“I do not watch TV,” she said. “I watch my movies.”
She said she is willing to watch almost any movies, but her favorites are adventures, because “they’re exciting.”
When asked if she enjoys watching movies that feature older people, Bishop shared that she doesn’t care; she’ll watch anything with anyone.
“I’ll watch anything that’s fun,” she said.
John Eldredge, another resident at the facility, also spends his days watching a variety of movies. He says he enjoys watching movies because “it’s kind of a way of getting away, isn’t it?”
His favorite genre of movie is Westerns, and he said that his favorite movie is “The Day After Tomorrow.”
He also added that he likes movies that make him feel young again.
Each person has their own particular taste in what movies they watch, whether that includes films that feature people around their age or not. In the past few years, there have been a number of new movies and TV series that spotlight the stories of older adults.
These pieces of media highlight some of the struggles of old age, but at the same time tell the stories of people who are still having fun and going on major adventures.
Here’s a look at some movies and series that highlight seniors and make being older fun, whimsical and even a bit adventurous.
‘Man on the Inside’
“Man on the Inside” stars Ted Danson as Charles, a widower who is trying to find his purpose after retirement. After a priceless necklace goes missing in a retirement home, a private investigator hires Charles to go undercover inside the retirement home as part of the investigation.
The series was first released in 2024 on Netflix and a second season was released in November 2025.
‘Thelma’
“Thelma” follows the story of a 93-year-old grandmother, Thelma Post, who is scammed and loses $10,000 to a con artist over the phone. Played by June Squibb, Thelma enlists the help of a friend and his motorized scooter to go on a quest across Los Angeles to take back what the con artist took from her.
The movie was released in 2024 and can be streamed on Hulu.
‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’
Based on a novel by the same name from Rachel Joyce, “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” follows the story of a retired man who spontaneously decides to walk 600 miles across England. He makes the walk to visit an old friend, Queenie Hennessy, with the belief that his journey will help keep her alive.
The journey forces him to confront past regrets, his strained marriage and his relationship with his estranged son. His pilgrimage also turns him from a quiet man into a public figure of inspiration.
The movie stars Jim Broadbent as the lead, Harold Fry, and it can be streamed on Tubi and Netflix.
‘Late Bloomers’
Louise, played by Karen Gillan, is a 28-year-old recently single musician who is floating aimlessly through life. After she drunkenly breaks her hip, she starts physical therapy, where she interacts with elderly people with similar injuries.
She meets Antonina, an older Polish lady who speaks no English, and ends up being hired as her caregiver. The movie follows the ups and downs of the pair’s unorthodox relationship.
“Late Bloomers” was released in 2024 and can be streamed on Prime Video.
‘The Great Escaper’
“The Great Escaper” follows the true story of Bernard Jordan, a World War II veteran who made headlines in the summer of 2014. He made the news after he made a “great escape” from his care home to travel to Normandy and join his fellow war veterans on the beach to commemorate fallen soldiers on the 70th anniversary of D-Day.
Bernard is played by Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson stars as his wife Irene. The movie also highlights the couple’s 60-year marriage as Irene recalls how they fell in love during the war.
The movie, which was released in 2023, can be streamed on Prime Video.
‘The Thursday Murder Club’
A group of four friends in a retirement home gathers on a weekly basis to study and try to solve cold cases for fun. Things change when they find themselves caught in the middle of the investigation of an active murder case.
The Netflix film is adapted from a novel of the same name written by Richard Osman. The 2025 movie stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie.
‘Nonnas’
“Nonnas” follows a man who, after losing his mother, decides to risk everything and open an Italian restaurant in Staten Island. The concept of his restaurant is unique: He has hired real-life Italian grandmothers (nonnas) to cook family recipes. The eatery turns into a hub for community and preserving heritage and traditions.
The movie, made by Netflix, stars Vince Vaughn and Susan Sarandon.
‘Matlock’
“Matlock” follows the story of Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a woman in her 70s who decides to return to practicing law. She starts working at a prestigious law firm, using people’s low expectations of her to win cases and expose corruption.
Matty works with senior attorney Olympia and spends time with some of the firm’s younger associates as she works to establish herself in the high-stakes world.
“Matlock” airs on CBS and can be streamed on Paramount+.
‘Frasier’
A reboot of the ’90s sitcom “Frasier,” the new series follows psychiatrist Frasier Crane when he moves to Boston following the death of his father and his breakup with Charlotte. The goal of his move is to build a better relationship with his son, Frederick, who is a firefighter.
Frasier becomes a lecturer at Harvard University and moves into Freddy’s apartment building. The 2023 series shows how he works with friends and family as he embarks on his “third act.”
The series ran for two seasons and can be streamed on Paramount+.