Best Perimenopause and Menopause Documentaries and Films to Watch
Documentaries and films covering perimenopause and midlife women's health. What each covers, where to watch, and what they get right and wrong.
Why Film and Documentary Matter for Perimenopause
Perimenopause is still a subject that most women encounter without preparation. Medical appointments are brief. Friends do not always talk about it. The result is that many women feel they are navigating something unfamiliar without a map. Documentaries and films that centre midlife women's health experiences are valuable not because they replace medical care, but because they normalise what is happening, provide context, and often introduce information that women had not encountered before. In recent years, a small but growing number of productions have addressed menopause and perimenopause directly, and the quality varies considerably. Here is an honest look at the most notable ones.
The Menopause Brain (2024)
Based on the research of neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi, this documentary explores the effects of declining oestrogen on the brain during the menopause transition. It covers changes in cognition, sleep architecture, Alzheimer's risk factors, and the role hormones play in neurological health. The scientific content is strong and more rigorous than most menopause media. Mosconi presents her own research alongside broader evidence in a way that is accessible without being dumbed down. The film has attracted praise from both the medical and patient communities. It is available through select streaming platforms and screening events. If you have ever worried about brain fog or memory changes in perimenopause, this is a valuable watch.
Sex, Mind and the Menopause (Channel 4, 2022)
This Channel 4 documentary presented by Davina McCall follows on from her first menopause documentary and focuses specifically on sex, libido, and psychological wellbeing during the menopause transition. It covers testosterone therapy, vaginal dryness, libido changes, mental health, and the relationship between hormones and mood with candour that is rare on mainstream television. McCall's willingness to be personally open about her own experience contributes to the tone. Critics have noted that the programme, while valuable for raising awareness, occasionally edges toward advocacy for particular treatments without fully representing the nuance of individual risk. Still, as an entry point into the conversation, it is one of the most accessible productions available in the UK and free on Channel 4.
Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause (Channel 4, 2021)
The first of Davina McCall's Channel 4 menopause documentaries, this one sparked significant public conversation in the UK about HRT, GP dismissal of women's symptoms, and the lasting influence of the 2002 Women's Health Initiative study on prescribing attitudes. It features Dr Louise Newson and several other menopause specialists alongside women's personal accounts. What it gets right is the overarching argument that many women have been undertreated and undertold about perimenopause. Where it is less balanced is in its largely uncritical presentation of HRT, which may leave some viewers without the context to evaluate whether it is appropriate for their specific situation. Worth watching, but best followed with independent reading.
How to Have Good Menopause (BBC, 2023)
A BBC production taking a broader look at menopause management, this programme covers a range of approaches including HRT, lifestyle medicine, exercise, and complementary therapies. It is more balanced in its coverage of different treatment options than some of the McCall productions and includes perspectives from women who have chosen different paths. The exercise content is particularly useful and may be the most practically actionable segment for women who are early in perimenopause. It is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK. While it does not go deep on any single topic, it serves as a good overview for women who are newer to the subject and want a sense of what choices they have.
Midlife Woman Documentaries: International Perspectives
Beyond UK-produced content, a number of international documentaries address midlife women's health and menopause from different cultural angles. The Change (Canada) looks at menopause through personal stories and includes perspectives from women of different ethnic backgrounds, which is valuable given how much menopause experience varies across cultures. Hot Flash Havoc (US, 2012) is older and more US-centric in its framing but covers the history of HRT, the Women's Health Initiative, and the subsequent decades of confusion in a structured way. It is dated in parts but historically useful. Both are available on streaming platforms including Amazon Prime and YouTube depending on your location.
What to Do After Watching
Documentaries are most valuable when they prompt action rather than just awareness. The most common response women report after watching perimenopause content is wanting to understand their own symptoms better and knowing what questions to ask at their next medical appointment. If a documentary has raised questions about HRT, testing, or treatment options, write them down before you forget. If you have not started tracking your symptoms, this is a good moment to begin. Using an app like PeriPlan to log what you are experiencing day to day gives you data to bring to a conversation with your GP or menopause specialist, making that appointment far more productive. Information from a documentary plus your own real symptom record is a much stronger starting point than information alone.
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