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How Gen Z Became Gen A24

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Indie horror movies have seemingly become Gen Z’s pop culture obsession (pun intended) overnight, but this interest has years of internet lore and creator loyalty behind it…

TL;DR

  • Gen Z has been the driving force behind 2026's biggest horror movies—both as viewers and directors
  • 'Backrooms' and 'Obsession' are both thriving thanks to Gen Z YouTubers behind the camera, not as token cast members
  • Internet lore, video games, and amplifying real generational anxieties make these movies must-sees to talk about with friends
There are two major themes are emerging in horror movies right now that have everyone talking: Gen Z’s newfound love for the genre and hits coming from YouTube. Right now, the most exciting horror movies for Gen Z are indie films with deep lore and an “I knew them before they were famous” director. Backrooms marked both A24’s largest global debut weekend ever and made 20-year-old YouTuber Kane Parsons the youngest director to ever make a No. 1 opening domestically. Obsession, directed by 26-year-old YouTuber Curry Barker, has currently its sub-$1M budget, and its extended theatrical release for an indie is only pushing that higher. . Their success is coming not just from the movies themselves but from young audience’s investment in how they were made and the content they’re based on—which is a big difference to pay attention to. There’s no shortage of examples of Gen Z driving horror success in the last few years. Five Nights at Freddy’s certainly owed part of its success to the gamers...

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