The golden age of movie theaters is a thing of the past, and cinema as an industry took a huge financial hit in 2020 with the pandemic, so much so that it became a concern that theaters might simply become obsolete. However, with a deep passion and devotion to the movies, it seems like Gen Z may be ushering movie theaters into a new golden age with a new sense of community and appreciation for new ideas.
Committing to Romanticizing Cinema
This is not a difficult feat because cinema is innately romantic. Movies are essentially the romanticization of everything about life as we know it. What is really happening is that Gen Z is pushing back against the de-romanticization of movies.
Big corporate theaters have fallen into the distasteful commercialization of cinema, with 30 minutes of ads before every movie, obnoxious theater membership signs throughout the lobby, and ever-rising prices for a simple movie ticket and popcorn.
Despite this, Gen Z continues to support their favorite stars and filmmakers in their box office releases by unfailingly attending their movies in person with friends and family and coming up with creative ways to romanticize the experience.
Gen Z creates and engages in trends like the “Breakfast at the Movies” idea, which involves buying tickets to an early morning movie and sneaking in bagels and coffee. Additionally, people post online on platforms like TikTok and Instagram about their experiences and reviews of going to see a new movie in the theater. This just amplifies overall engagement and excitement toward the concept of going to the movies.
Younger people are also very into shopping/supporting locals, so if there is a local theater option, they are very likely to avoid the chain theaters and do what they can to keep their local, more vintage theaters in business.
Most importantly, Gen Z just has fun romanticizing things like movies. We do not see a chore or a charity to be supporting theaters; it is something we truly love and have a deep appreciation for which is showing no signs of dwindling.
@letterboxd via Instagram
Gen Z isn’t just starring in the movies; they’re making them
2026 has been an incredible year for horror, and two of the biggest horror film names of potentially even the decade were directed by two different Gen Z filmmakers.
Backrooms is a psychological horror film based on an internet and urban legend about a never-ending maze of outdated and fluorescently lit rooms. It was directed by Kane Parsons, born in 2005, when he was 20 years old. Parsons just turned 21 this June after his film exploded at the box office this summer.
Obsession, another psychological horror film, was remarkably low-budget and under-marketed in proportion to its striking success. This film is truly terrifying and is an incredible example of what remarkable acting, directing, and creative direction can do for the horror film industry. It was directed by Curry Barker, who is 27 and was born in 1999.
Gen Z filmmakers are breaking through the tiresome repetition of sequels and remakes with creative and groundbreaking films like these two examples. Something about this generation has an innate connection to movies and their emotional value and nostalgia.
From directors to simple moviegoers, Gen Z movie lovers are consciously working against the takeover of primarily short, fragmented social media entertainment and the growing influence of AI-generated content.
@fandango and @theobsessionmovie via Instagram
Streaming Services’ Attempted Takeover
We are all familiar with the millennial “Netflix and Chill,” which is a phrase that certainly endorses the convenience and coziness of watching movies from home. This concept is kind of outdated because Netflix is now just one of many streaming services, and all our favorite movies are scattered throughout.
COVID-19 was a time when we had to watch movies from home, and big streaming services saw their opportunity during the pandemic, so they began phasing out movie theaters so all the money could be concentrated within online streaming platforms.
The marketing of this transition is all centered around convenience and cheapness. Why not just watch a new movie from the comfort of your own home on the streaming platform you already paid for? Because it removes the magic of the movies.
The truth is, it’s more expensive than ever to watch movies because of these streaming services. They split all their movies up into different platforms, so people have to pay for 4 different services just to watch a handful of their favorite movies and TV shows. Additionally, streaming services are now producing their own movies and sending them straight to the streaming platforms and skipping the theaters altogether.
For the Wuthering Heights release this February, director Emerald Fennell and star Margot Robbie turned down a $150 million deal to ensure the film would have a regular-length theater run before it went to streaming platforms. The film exceeded projected box office earnings greatly, with this theater run earning $242 million worldwide before ever hitting streaming platforms.
Gen Z, along with many other age ranges of movie lovers, continues to fight hard in pushing back against the selfish and profit-oriented goals of popular streaming platforms.
@wutheringheightdmovie and @warnerbros via Instagram