What is Gen Z Afraid Of?
Summary
Critics at Large explores the rise of "Gen Z horror," analyzing breakout hits like *It Ends*, *Obsession*, and *The Backrooms*. Joined by horror correspondent Alex Barish, the hosts discuss how young filmmakers leverage online audiences and low budgets to tackle generational anxieties about intimacy, existential dread, and digital alienation. The episode examines these films' allegorical nature and their potential to reshape Hollywood’s distribution models.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Progressive, Built, and Monarch
Introduction to Critics at Large
Defining the Gen Z Horror Genre
Analysis of the film It Ends with Us
Sponsors: Quince and Wayfair
Deep dive into the film Obsession
Discussion of the film Backrooms
Sponsors: Quince and Wayfair
Gen Z anxieties and anti-AI themes
Hollywood's co-opting of YouTube creators
Closing game and credits
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