Top 10 Best Gen Z Movies

These future classics are already shaping a generation. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Gen Z Movies.

For this list, we’ll be looking at films where the characters and subjects directly tie into the interests of Generation Z, which generally consists of people born between the mid-to-late ‘90s and early 2010s.

Racism, unfortunately, isn’t restricted to generations of the past. Gen Z has grown up surrounded by heated racial tensions, and few films do a better job of conveying this than “The Hate U Give.” Based on Angie Thomas’s young adult novel, the film stars Amandla Stenberg as a 16-year-old African-American who witnesses a friend die as a result of racial profiling and police brutality. What ensues is an emotional rollercoaster that’s often heartbreaking, occasionally hopeful, and always relevant. The film came out a couple of years after the Black Lives Matter movement formed and has only gained more prominence in the wake of the George Floyd protests. Years from now, Gen Z will look back at “The Hate U Give” as a haunting time capsule.

“Blockers” is to Gen Z what “American Pie” was to millennials. Where “American Pie” centered on teenage boys trying to lose their virginities on prom night, “Blockers” shifts to a female perspective. While the humor is unapologetically crude, “Blockers” addresses peer pressure, coming out, and “the first time” in a surprisingly wise manner. The three main girls share a genuine rapport, whether they’re speaking in person or texting eggplant emojis. Of course, the film is just as much about their parents, who are progressive, but still highly protective. For all of their uproarious shenanigans, the parents do learn a valuable lesson about trusting their daughters to know when they’re ready. The film isn’t just about the loss of virginity, but also letting go in general.

Many Gen Z kids share a common dream of pop superstardom, having been raised on singing competition shows. “Teen Spirit” isn’t a flight of fancy like “Jem and the Holograms,” however. It’s a grittier film that never glorifies the music business or the young adult experience. Even the musical segments have a grounded sense of realism, although director Max Minghella still brings a strong visual flair to the equation. At the center of the film is a raw performance from Elle Fanning as Violet, an aspiring singer who finds herself at a pivotal moment in life. While Violet lights up the stage, it’s her honest relationships with her manager and mother that give “Teen Spirit” a unique voice.

The “Terminal Romance” genre, as some have called it, has seen a surge of popularity that’s coincided with the rise of Generation Z. Where many of these films lean heavily into soap opera territory, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” brings out the comedy in tragedy. This approach, oddly, makes the characters and their circumstances feel more relatable. While the film is full of laughs, it doesn’t shy away from the very real hardships that come with cancer. Leukemia isn’t the only disease that plagues our young protagonists, however. Isolation is the true illness at the root of this story. The central relationships strike the perfect balance of heart, humour, and honesty, showing how important it is to have a close friend or two.

“Booksmart” has been described at Gen Z’s answer to “Superbad,” and not just because it stars Beanie Feldstein, Jonah Hill’s sister. Beanie and co-star Kaitlyn Dever make for one of the best duos in recent teen comedies. They’re so similar in some respects and complete opposites in others, which only adds the spontaneity of their crazy night out. Although we’ve seen this formula in other teen movies, “Booksmart” possesses a distinctly Gen Z voice. Instead of relying on stereotypes, the characters have layers rarely seen in high school movies. A slacker can have ambitions and an overachiever can have a wild side. The way the film portrays LGBTQ+ relationships feels especially modern, although the real love story here is the one between two lifelong friends.

Hailee Steinfeld is one of the most versatile actresses to come out of Gen Z, and “The Edge of Seventeen” is irrefutable proof. In some respects, Steinfeld’s Nadine exemplifies the worst traits often stereotypically associated with Gen Z. She’s whiny, sarcastic, and wrapped up in her own world. Yet, Steinfeld brings an authenticity to the character that makes her impossible to dislike. What’s more, we understand where Nadine’s angst is coming from. While not all of us grew up with a Pedro Sánchez haircut, Nadine’s confusion and insecurities feel all too real, as do the various awkward situations she finds herself in. This film understands that for a contemporary seventeen-year-old, nothing is more mortifying than accidentally sending an explicit text.

We’re not sure if future generations will have any idea what Bitcoin is, but Gen Z will definitely remember a time when this cryptocurrency was all the rage. Bitcoin is just one of the many modern innovations that the young characters in “Dope” use to their advantage. At the same time, the characters are obsessed with ‘90s nostalgia, listening to old-school audio cassettes and dressing as if they just walked off “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” set. The film has one foot in the past and the other in the present, which sums up Gen Z to a T. “Dope” also thoughtfully explores what it’s like to be a person of color in today’s world, as well as what it’s like to be a geek.

Spider-Man has been brought to the silver screen multiple times, but Tom Holland’s depiction stands out as a clear product of Gen Z. Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker didn’t have to worry about cracking his smartphone! Just as Peter has evolved with the times, the same can be said about characters like Flash Thompson, who’s more in line with modern bullies than the ones from the ‘80s. While more contemporary than past interpretations, Holland nails all of the qualities that’ve made Spidey timeless. “Homecoming,” and its 2019 follow-up, are also the first “Spider-Man” movies to truly capture the high school experience. If a fifteen-year-old were actually bitten by a radioactive spider, we imagine they’d get wrapped up in a similar web of crime-fighting and teen drama.

This generation may be more accepting than previous ones, but coming out can still be a very difficult experience. In Simon Spier’s case, it’s a journey of self-discovery that takes him to a complicated, yet ultimately heartfelt, places. “Love, Simon” had the distinction of being the first major Hollywood film centered on a gay teenage love story. In addition to its progressive romance, “Love, Simon” is also quite timely in its depiction of how contemporary teenagers fall in love. For much of the film, Simon only communicates with the mysterious Blue via email. Not every romance that starts online ends well; for Simon, however, the digital age provides him with a platform to express himself in ways that he struggles to articulate in person.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“The Fault in Our Stars” (2014)
A Definitive Gen Z Tearjerker

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018)
A Rom-Com for Every Gen Z Slumber Party

“Alex Strangelove” (2018)
A Love Triangle Tailored Towards Gen Z

“Good Boys” (2019)
A Raunchy Yet Heartfelt Gen Z Comedy

With his feature directorial debut, Bo Burnham proves that he might be Gen Z’s equivalent to John Hughes. Coming from a hugely successful YouTube background, Burnham is among the few filmmakers who truly understand how Gen Z communicates. Like many other kids transitioning from middle school to high school, Kayla Day is at her most comfortable when she’s talking through text messages and webcams. While Kayla freely speaks her mind on YouTube, attending a pool party overwhelms her with social anxiety. Burnham’s dialogue is only made more genuine thanks to actress Elsie Fisher, who naturally slips into the role of Kayla. “Eighth Grade” isn’t afraid to take its audience to uncomfortable places, but viewers are rewarded with enlightening life lessons they don’t teach at school.