Miller's Girl Age Controversy: How Much Older Is Martin Freeman Than Jenna Ortega?

It's been an interesting time period for "Lolita" style dramas that see an older authority figure taking advantage of a much younger love interest/victim. While the recently released "May December" charts the aftermath of a pet shop owner's affair with her pre-teen employee, the upcoming "Miller's Game" is adding a bit more nuance to the controversial subgenre.

Though Jenna Ortega's Cairo is an adult at 18 years old in the psychological thriller, she is still much younger than Martin Freeman in real life. In fact, Ortega is Freeman's junior by a staggering 31 years (Ortega is 21, while Freeman is 52), a factor that has had some fans on social media feeling a bit icky about the plot of "Miller's Girl." This fact also has fans worried about how the relationship will be portrayed. 

"I thought Martin was better than this," wrote @MIENT0 on X (formerly Twitter). "Sounds creepy." Meanwhile, @NkechiKwenu was similarly troubled by the prevalence of these kinds of stories and what they contribute to the artistic sphere. "Yay, another movie about a Teacher preying on their student; we really needed this as a society," they wrote. 

These types of comments about "Miller's Girl" were far from unique, as many other X users jumped in to echo these kinds of sentiments about Jade Halley Bartlett's upcoming film. "Feels like another movie that didn't need to be made," wrote @DL2TV.

Though, as we pointed out above, stories that feature this kind of narrative have always been controversial, they seem to be especially so in the post-#MeToo era. This is because so many of these types of stories from women of all ages feature the same common denominator, and that's being put in an uncomfortable position by an older authority figure.

However, being that Todd Haynes' "May December" has been incredibly well-received, "Miller's Girl" could also end up getting a more positive reaction than these comments suggest. This is even with Jenna Ortega's Cairo clearly being shown as the aggressor in the first trailer for the film.

Meanwhile, other X users pointed out that these types of stories are worth telling, even if they are somewhat disturbing. "If you think this sounds disgusting, yes, that's probably the entire point of the movie," wrote @CapCorgiTTV. "Uncomfortable stories are still worth telling," they wrote in a follow-up post.

Either way, "Miller's Girl" will have to contend with these kinds of readings when it is released in 2024. Its depth and quality will likely determine whether it's seen as worthwhile once all the smoke has finally cleared.