‘Youth’ Review: Sharon Horgan’s Sharp HBO Comedy Asks What We Really Have to Sacrifice with Age
The "Catastrophe" writer and star returns to HBO (post-"Divorce") with a mid-life crisis comedy that's broadly familiar but refreshing in its specific insights, strong performances, and steady laughs.
HBO's "Youth" takes a raunchy approach to the topic of menopause, starring Emmy-winning actress Sharon Horgan as a divorced London literary agent named Alex. At age fifty, Alex is still trying to stay relevant and sexually desirable, constantly reevaluating her 'sell-by' date like a shopper among yogurts. Horgan's character is a sandwich generation mother, managing her son Ruari's transition to university, her ailing parents, and her flaky ex who is now in a relationship with a younger partner.
Horgan's writing brings a fresh take on the empty nest concept, exploring the mutual shame and sense of failure that can come with letting go of a grown child. Horgan's approach to menopause is bold and unapologetic, emphasizing that a middle-aged woman can still have sex and desire it, even while worrying about her body. This Emmy-winning show is a testament to the growing trend of diverse female characters redefining their roles, claiming a larger identity, and embracing the uncomfortable possibilities of aging.
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