This article contains mention of police brutality.
Summary
Gen-Z humor, style, and language are notoriously difficult to replicate in cinema,leading to the ridicule of many movies about the generation across the internet. However, there are a decent number of films that capture the essential elements that make the generation one that’s unlike the ones that came before. Much of this boils down to the impact of the internet in redefining the social rules and capital of young minds. This makes trends and ideologies change faster than ever, making movies feel dated more quickly. However, manypromising Millennial directors with futuresin cinema have taken on the challenge.
The best movies by and for Gen-Z transcend their target audience and entertain everyone.
While plenty ofrelatable Millennial movieshave been in circulation since the generation earned their name, more Gen-Z movies have been rising to prominence. This is exciting, asa new generation of Gen-Z filmmakers and actors has been dominating Hollywoodand establishing themselves as the future of cinema. With the influx of content from this younger generation, the older ones are sometimes hesitant to accept the change in themes and plot in their stories. However, the best movies by and for Gen-Z transcend their target audience and entertain everyone.
10 TV Shows That Perfectly Capture Gen Z Culture
A wave of television shows focusing on Gen Z and their culture have taken over streaming services in recent years, and these are ten of the best.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Cast
Based on the novel by Jenny Han, To All the Boys I Loved Before sees high-school student Lara Jean Covey caught in a terrifyingly awkward situation when her deepest secrets leak out. Lara, who has many passionate crushes, has written confession letters to all of them – with no intention of ever sending them. However, when all five letters somehow reach her five loves, Lara’s high school life becomes an exercise in crisis management as she desperately attempts to gain control of it all.
Han’s rise to fame began in 2018 when Netflix released the firstTo All The Boysmovie, in an early example of Gen-Z’s take on the traditional rom-com.
The author of theTo All The Boys I’ve Loved Beforebooks, Jenny Han, has her finger on the pulse when it comes to what Gen-Z readers are interested in. This made her works an obvious choice for film and TV adaptations, asher other series,The Summer I Turned Pretty, has been a hit TV series on Amazon Primefor the past few years. However, Han’s rise to fame began in 2018 when Netflix released the firstTo All The Boysmovie, in an early example of Gen-Z’s take on the traditional rom-com.
Starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, who have both become recurring actors in the Gen-Z canon,To All The Boysis set on fire by their hesitant and innocent chemistry that lets the teenagers be regular kids. A common mistake in Gen-Z media is that filmmakers make the characters act too mature for their age, but the cast of the film genuinely seems like teenagers. Additionally, though they use their phones and let the internet interfere with their relationships, they’re not the stereotypical “screenagers” that some films depict them as.
Booksmart
Booksmart is a comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde and follows two studious and by-the-book high school seniors who decide on their final day of school to shake up the formula and break some rules. Having lamented missing four potential years of fun and friendship, the best friends attempt to cram four years of the “high school experience” into a single night.
Booksmartwas Olivia Wilde’s debut, and it showed that girlhood and the transition from high school to college might look different for each generation, but many of the experiences are universal. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever are believable best friends in the movie that sees their characters navigate their last few days of high school before leaving for college. Many actors who have starred in the other favorite movies of Gen-Z are featured in the cast as well.
The film’s story is memorable predominantly because it features such a strong female friendship but also because it’s ahigh school movie that makes the cool kids good, as the protagonists' viewpoints on their peers vastly change throughout the narrative.While the classic cliques of high school are present in the film, they’re subverted,and the message that everyone has fears and insecurities is communicated.Booksmartalso touches upon the intense pressure many kids feel to get into an elite college.
Do Revenge
Camilla Mendes and Maya Hawke star in Do Revenge, a Netflix comedy film about two high schoolers that after experiencing social bullying on a spectacular scale, become social outcasts. When Drea (Mendes) has a private video of hers leaked out across the internet by her boyfriend, her social life and brand are irreparably tarnished, leaving her outside her prior social circle. Eleanor (Hawke) experiences a similar situation when her bully, a girl named Carissa (Ava Capri), spreads a rumor that she tried to hold her down and kiss her. When the two form an unexpected friendship, they plan to “do revenge” against each other’s bullies in an elaborate scheme to tear them down.
One of the more fun aspects of Gen-Z culture that films aren’t afraid to mine is the generation’s interest in vintage fashion and trends from decades past, which influences their clothing and style.
Two iconic stars of Gen-Z television head upDo Revenge, withCamila Mendes fromRiverdaleand Maya Hawk fromStranger Thingsplaying the leads.One of the more fun aspects of Gen-Z culture that films aren’t afraid to mine is the generation’s interest in vintage fashion and trends from decades past, which influences their clothing and style. This comes through inDo Revenge, allowing the teen comedy to be in conversation with the classic high school films from the 1990s and ’80s.
The web of lies, secrets, and betrayals that slowly unfold inDo Revengeare often outlandish in nature, but this shows that Gen-Z is just as capable of melodrama and stylization in cinema as earlier filmmakers. Like many movies of its genre,Do Revengewas released directly to streaming on Netflix, but this hasn’t hindered its popularity. Since social media is such a large part of Gen-Z life and culture,every aspect of life is curated to a certain extent, andDo Revengecaptures this well.
Love, Simon
Love, Simon is a 2018 romantic comedy-drama directed by Greg Berlanti and based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. The film follows Simon Spier, a high school student navigating life while keeping his sexual orientation private. When an email falls into the wrong hands, Simon faces the challenges of coming out to his friends and family and finding his anonymous online crush.
Many of the mostunderrated LGBTQ+ coming-of-age movieshave come out in the last few decades, as Gen-Z has had more of a platform and opportunity to center voices that go unheard.Love, Simontakes the classic rom-com formula and centers on a young queer teenager,Simon, who still struggles to come out and accept himself even though it’s a generally more tolerant era.However, his sexuality is only one facet of his life and personality, as his relationships with his friends and family also play a large role in the film.
Even less than ten years later, it would be inconceivable to make a teen movie without including an LGBTQ+ character, but whenLove, Simonwas released, the fact that it centered on a gay love story was a big deal. It was one of the first to be backed by a major studio, andits strong theatrical performance shows how much Gen-Z appreciates having their stories told on film.The warm critical reception it received has paved the way for the more recent Gen-Z movies that focus on LGBTQ+ stories.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Bodies Bodies Bodies is a comedy/horror/thriller from 2 AM. When Bee (Maria Bakalova) travels to a hurricane party with her girlfriend Sophie (Amanda Stenberg), they find themselves surrounded by affluent 20-somethings with very different world views. When the party finally kicks off amidst the coming storm, the debauchery leads to a game of “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” However, when a power outage occurs during the game, and a murder occurs in its stead, the party takes a turn for the deadly.
These creative choices, combined with the soundtrack and the conversations surrounding class and identity, put it firmly in the Gen-Z genre.
Contemporary horror movies are a great place to look when discussing how cinema has evolvedin the modern era.Bodies Bodies Bodiesis as much a dark satire as it is a horror film, and it clearly drew inspiration from the classics that define the genre. The star-studded cast speaks to how on the pulse the movie and its director, Halina Reijn, are. These creative choices, combined with the soundtrack and the conversations surrounding class and identity, put it firmly in the Gen-Z genre.
Few films have captured the rhythm and nuance of Gen-Z language and communication the wayBodies Bodies Bodieshas. It helps that the actors were all familiar with the vernacular and slang of the internet, butBodies Bodies Bodiesalso works hard not to date itself with any elements that are too rooted in the early 2020s.Many successful modern horror films are class commentaries and are part of the “eat the rich” genre, andBodies Bodies Bodiespokes fun at this trope for its often hypocritical moral condemnations.
Eighth Grade
Written and directed by Bo Burnham, marking his first directorial debut, Eighth Grade is a Drama and Comedy starring Elsie Fisher and Josh Hamilton. The 2018 release follows a young girl with anxiety that tries to gain the favor of her classmates during the last week of Eighth Grade.
Eighth Gradewas the project that transformed Bo Burnham from a comedian to a filmmaker. While it’s expected to make a movie about teenagers of every generation, it’s much more difficult to tackle the rife and insecurity period of the middle school years just before a child makes the jump to adolescence.Painfully anxiety-inducing and cringe-worthy,Eighth Gradepulls no punches about how hard it is to be a thirteen-year-old girland how much worse it’s become because of the influx of technology and social media.
The protagonist, Kayla, played by Elsie Fisher in their breakout role, is constantly on her phone and struggles to connect with anyone outside of it because of her anxiety. Issues of anxiety being linked to an increase in the prevalence of the internet are defining aspects of the Gen-Z experience. However,Eighth Gradedoesn’t villainize or blame Kayla for her inexperience with the world and connection to her phonebecause this is all she’s known.
The Edge of Seventeen
The Edge of Seventeen is a 2016 coming-of-age story starring Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, and Haley Lu Richardson. Steinfeld stars as Nadine Franklin, who is struggling her way through high school as a 17-year-old. But things get more complicated when her best friend starts dating her older brother.
The Edge of Seventeentakes on a darker tone than a typical comedy, as Nadine is an imperfect protagonist who is genuinely struggling in life.
Hailee Steinfeld has proven herself to be one of the best actresses of her generation through her roles inTrue Gritand the TV seriesDickinson, and she brings Nadine to life with great empathy inThe Edge of Seventeen.Like many Gen-Z protagonists, Nadine has difficulty connecting with and communicating with others,leading to intense feelings of isolation that are compounded by how people interact with each other over social media. Steinfeld is joined by Woody Harrelson, who juxtaposes Nadine’s Gen-Z tendencies with his maturity and knowledge.
The Edge of Seventeentakes on a darker tone than a typical comedy, as Nadine is an imperfect protagonist who is genuinely struggling in life. Her dependency on her only friend, Krista, is a source of discomfort and anxiety when Krista begins dating Nadine’s older brother, sending her on a spiral. Praised for Steinfeld’s performance and its well-written script,The Edge of Seventeencharacterizes Nadine as a member of Gen-Z with all the information and language of an adult but none of the experience and perspective.
Bottoms
Bottoms is a sex comedy film that follows two high school girls determined to hook up with cheerleaders before they graduate. To accomplish this, they decide to start a fight club to power their way up to the top of the food chain.
Thefunniest scenes fromBottomsall illustrate what defines Gen-Z humor and writing, as its absurdist aspects coincide with a sense of humor born and bred on the internet.The director, Emma Seligman, made their directorial debut withShiva Babyin 2020,which also stars her frequent collaborator, Rachel Sennott. Sennott co-wroteBottomswith Seligman, and it’s been hailed as one of the best contemporary additions to the sex comedy genre and a hilarious interpretation of how Gen-Z deals with intimacy and sexuality.
Ayo Edebiri and Sennott are a perfect pair inBottoms, and their fantastic chemistry is what makes so many of the jokes work.Edebiri and Sennott will likely come to be known as two of the biggest stars of Gen-Z,as their contributions to film and television have already earned them plenty of critical praise and nods during awards season. ThoughBottomsprimarily caters to LGBTQ+ audiences, it’s a comedy for viewers of all kinds, as its themes and messages are universal in terms of love and friendship.
Theater Camp
Theater Camp (2023) is a comedy about a scrappy summer theater camp run by Amos Klobuchar (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon). When their beloved founder falls into a coma, her son Troy Garver (Jimmy Tatro) steps in to run the camp, leading to a series of chaotic and comedic efforts by the staff and campers to keep the theater camp afloat. The film highlights the struggles and triumphs of a close-knit artistic community.
The original songs and the plot’s discussion of niche topics of theater and film appealed to a specific but dedicated audience base.
Molly Gordon co-directed and stars inTheater Campalongside Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Ebebiri,and many other talented rising stars of the Gen-Z genre. The film was particularly impactful for younger generations. The experience of heading upstate and going to theater camp is one shared by many young adults who seek out new and independent movies. The original songs and the plot’s discussion of niche topics of theater and film appealed to a specific but dedicated audience base.
ThoughTheater Campdidn’t have a wide release,it was made popular by the viewers who communicated their interest and enjoyment of the film over the internet.Though the visual aesthetics ofTheater Campare more similar to decades gone by rather than the present day, this tracks with the style and interests of Gen-Z. Additionally, many of the jokes that transcend the theater context are pulled directly from contemporary pop culture.
10 Best Movies About Gen Z Characters
There are plenty of great movies that include Gen Z characters, depicting all the struggles and strengths of this generation in their stories.
The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give is a drama film adapted from Angie Thomas' novel, which tells the story of Starr Carter, a teenager from a poor and mostly black neighborhood who witnesses her childhood friend being shot by a white police officer and must find her voice to stand up for what’s right.
Based on the novel of the same name by Angie Thomas,The Hate U Givetackles the darker side of the world that Gen-Z has grown up experiencing.The movie predominantly focuses on the murder of a young Black man, Khalil, who’s best friends with Starr, the protagonist. He’s killed by a police officer, leading to public outcry from Starr and her community, which is in direct conversation with the real-life instances of police brutality that have been protested for years in the United States.
Amandla Stenberg gives a career-making performance inThe Hate U Giveas Starr, and this has made her one of the most sought-after Gen-Z stars in Hollywood. Starr stands up for herself and her community throughout the film, becoming a beacon for the issue of combating racial prejudice in governmental institutions. ThoughThe Hate U Giveis an emotionally intense and serious film,it’s culturally relevant and vital that these stories are told as they reflect the realities of our time.
