Media, nowadays, influences almost all aspects of our lives, including how social actors such as women are represented. As a result, much has been done on the representation of different social actors, including women. In line with these studies, the present study attempted to investigate the representation of women in Iranian cinema. To this end, 20 movies released from 1981 to 2021 were analyzed using cognitive metaphor theory. The analysis revealed that in the first decade (1981–1990) women were represented as silent mothers who mainly were housewives. Loyalty to their husbands and tolerance regarding different problems were considered values in this decade. In the second decade (1991–2000), they were represented as agents, who could deal with problems independently. This shift continued in the third decade (2001–2010), when women were depicted as decision-makers, who were intelligent and active. In the last decade, women’s problems and identity were promoted. Despite these developments, however, still women were represented as nagging social actors. Findings of the study can be used by social activists as well as instructors in film industry to challenge and improve this status quo in the Iranian cinema.