logo
episode-header-image
Yesterday
23m 18s

Why Gen Z is movie-maxxing

NPR
About this episode
What’s bringing Gen Z to the theaters?

Backrooms and Obsession are two recent horror films that have done massive numbers – and their success has been driven, in large part, by Gen Z. Even beyond these films, Gen Z is now the largest moviegoing audience, according to a couple of recent surveys. But what’s bringing the short-form video generation to theaters? And what makes a movie… a Gen Z movie?

To get into it, Brittany is joined by Sam Adams, staff writer at Slate, and Reanna Cruz, entertainment journalist and critic.

(00:00) The Gen Z movie moment
(03:47) Obsession vs. Backrooms
(11:06) What's bringing Gen Z to movie theaters
(15:04) Doomer vibes and digital worlds: what makes a movie a Gen Z movie
(21:40) Will we see more Gen Z movies after Obsession and Backrooms?


For more episodes about where film or Gen Z culture, check out:
Gen Z is afraid of sex — and for good reason
Women deserve revenge. Do they get to have it?
Onscreen cannibalism and our hunger for love

Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.

Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse

For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Jun 12
Who needs to know where you are?
Is location tracking building relationships? Or ruining them?Four in 10 U.S. adults share their locations with at least one person. But while it's convenient, is it also a violation of privacy? And who really needs to know where you are? We're getting into how location sharing be ... Show More
19m 24s
Jun 10
What makes a song a ‘millennial song’
What song best defines the millennial generation?On this episode from our friends at All Songs Considered, NPR Music editors Hazel Cills and Sheldon Pearce join host Robin Hilton to weigh the options and attempt to pick the one song that best captures the Millennial experience, f ... Show More
30m 5s
Jun 9
How do you heal from 'Church Hurt?’
The church has long been a site of healing and hurt. Is that changing?While some have found community, joy, support, and love in their church home, others have faced isolation, shame, abandonment, and even deep traumatic wounds. But if you don’t necessarily want to give up your r ... Show More
54m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
Side Stories: Casey Anthony, Legal Advocate
<p>Henry and Eddie bring you this week's biggest stories and true-crime news, starting with Casey Anthony's social media re-emergence as a "Legal Advocate". Then, the mysterious deaths of Gene Hackman & Betsy Arakawa, Pope Death Watch 2025, 17-year-old serial killer Antonio Reyes ... Show More
1h 22m
Dec 2024
Jussie Smollett & Hannah Kobayashi | DREADlines with Jami
In this episode of DREADlines, Jami walks listeners through two of the latest, headline-making stories. First up, Jami breaks down the case of actor, Jussie Smollett, who was convicted in 2021 on 5 of 6 counts related to staging a hate crime. Recently, Smollett’s conviction was o ... Show More
51m 57s
Jan 2019
The Grady Babies Kidnappings, Part 6
What happens if a person believes they are a missing child--or pretends to believe? And for children who are recovered: what comes next? Stories from recent and not-so-recent history are interlaced with stories of the men who have come forward to say they might be Raymond Green. ... Show More
41m 7s
Nov 2024
Will Other Celebs Come Forward With Stories Of Shutting Down Diddy's Unwanted Advances? -WEEK IN REVIEW
Welcome to the "Week in Review," where we delve into the true stories behind this week's headlines. Your host, Tony Brueski, joins hands with a rotating roster of guests, sharing their insights and analysis on a collection of intriguing, perplexing, and often chilling stories tha ... Show More
13m 24s
Jun 2021
The Disappearance of Leona Kinsey: Carolyn DeFord, Part 2
Leona Kinsey disappeared on October 25, 1999; her daughter Carolyn has both searched for answers in her mother's cold case—and has pondered what she'll do if she finds what she seeks. Now an adult and an activist for MMIGW, and all missing and murdered Indigenous people through h ... Show More
47m 14s
May 2025
MURDERED: Caylee Anthony
When two-year-old Caylee Anthony vanished in 2008, her disappearance sparked frantic 911 calls, a media firestorm, and questions no family ever wants to face. Morgan and Kaelyn unpack one of the most heartbreaking and controversial cases in true crime history—tracing a web of lie ... Show More
1h 20m