Radha Blank struck gold at Sundance earlier this year with her directorial debut The Forty-Year-Old Version, taking home the coveted Best Director prize and garnering the attention of Netflix. Seven months later, the streaming giant has released the trailer for the comedy—a black-and-white tale of an artist (played by Blank) who decides to pivot in her 40s after failing to make it as a playwright. In world where median age of success seems to be getting smaller and smaller, this is definitely a story that might hit a bit close to home for many.
Here’s Netflix’s official synopsis:
Radha, a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, is desperate for a breakthrough before 40. But when she foils what seems like her last shot at success, she’s left with no choice but to reinvent herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime. The Forty-Year-Old Version follows Radha as she vacillates between the worlds of Hip Hop and theater on a quest to find her true voice.
The film mirrors Blank’s own story in a way, having established a career as a comedy rapper by the same name. As a writer, Blank’s credits include Empire, Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It, and The Backyardigans. She also produces the film alongside Lena Waithe. Check out the trailer below before the film premieres on Netflix October 9. (And please find us an MP3 of “White Man With A Black Woman’s Butt.”)