As Gen Z comes into adulthood, the definition of what a generational movie is has evolved.
Largely, we were drawn to movies that challenged the status quo.
We also had a fair share of those trying to pander to our demographic.
However, there were also iterations of Spider-Man in animated and live-action form who created their own youthful web.
So without further ado, these are the movies that define the Gen-Z generation.
They help us remember a simpler time before technology became what it is today.
As the logline for these events argue, Cool is dead!
Just look at the footage of the Chicago 35mm midnight screeningand see how enthralled the audience was.
Rendy Jones
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)
Where do I even begin?
It wasTHEmajor phenomenon for our generation, right before the sparkly vampires took its torch a little while after.
It only took one trailer and kids, and their reluctant parents, flocked to the theaters.
Including the ones that came out this year.
High School Musical was of the hallmarks of this generation that can never be replicated.
This would includeParaNormanandKubo and the Two Strings.
Until it became a straight-up horror movie and spooked numerous kids to the point buttons became a trigger.
And at the height of 3D movies, it was an unforgettable experience unlike anything else at the time.
RJ
The Avengers (2012)
Every generation has a movie franchise they grow up with.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is that franchise for Gen Z.
That, however, was not the case.
The Katniss Evergreen sagawas the epitome of the genre.
And their provided gravitas coincided with Jennifer Lawrences rising stardom making her the face of a generational moment.
That made him shine opposite everyone else in the MCU.
Barnum, and, eh, simple narrative about loving thyself turned off many reviewers.
Heres the thing, though,The Greatest Showmanwasnt made for critics.
Hell, one of the films few antagonistic forces is newspaper-reviewer sourpuss!
Its unclear whether its the greatest show, but it might be the most show.
Yes, Im still mourning.
Cant get more Gen-Z than an awkward kid using photobooth.
At least before TikTok took over.
Its an empathetic yet rich portrayal that stands the test of time.
Gucci!!!!
If thats not emblematic of the culture, I dont know what is.
The first film especially came at the perfect time for Gen Z.
Some of us were in college, longing for the simpler days of high school.
Others were still in high school themselves, learning how to navigate relationships for the first time.
BA
Booksmart (2019)
Olivia Wildes comedic classic is a flawless representation of Gen-Z culture.
Together they go to great lengths to attend the party of the year the night before graduation.
Heck if it wasnt forBooksmart, I probably wouldnt have come out as non-binary.
But thats a story for another day.
Or I guess notsince I already wrote about it elsewhere.
It was slim pickens for fans, but their fortunes changed with Todd Phillips reinvention of an iconic villain.
Areinvented spin on theHeathersstyled black comedy thats refreshingly gay on main and hella nuanced.
It was a movie made for them in mind.Bottomsis a firecracker, unlike anything made these days.
No other comedy has the willpower to touch the silly attitude thatBottomsdoes.
These movies couldnt be any more different either.Barbieis hyper-stylized, feminist, and slightly Millennial-campy.
Its clear that the youth still yearn for the cinema.
