The Gen Z Movie Focus Group

Anora 2024

Jade's last watch, at home after the Oscars. Thumbs up.

Death of a Unicorn 2025

Jack saw it at the Burbank Town Center 6. 'Really, really bad. I would not recommend it.'

Mission: Impossible 1996

Jomi rewatching the original on Paramount+ to 'lock back in' before the eighth film.

Top Gun: Maverick 2022

Jomi's go-to funk-breaker: 'the plane goes upside down over the cascading mountains... I feel alive.'

Black Bag 2025

Part of Jomi's theater-heavy weekend at Los Feliz 3.

Mickey 17 2025

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie 2024

The 'Looney Tunes movie' from Jomi's weekend binge.

Wicked 2024

Jade saw it twice in theaters; hasn't rewatched at home since it hit streaming.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy 2025

Cited as a reason people pay for Peacock.

Monsters, Inc. 2001

Both Jade and Jomi name it as their first movie in a theater.

The Incredibles 2004

Jade on Pixar as a childhood staple.

The Cheetah Girls 2 2006

Jade: a formative Disney Channel soundtrack.

High School Musical 2006

Jack remembers it as an 'event film in elementary school.'

High School Musical 2 2007

Jomi unpacked a road-trip car in record time to catch the premiere.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year 2008

Jade saw it at a themed birthday screening at the El Capitan.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2015

Jack's first big theater experience, at 14, seeing it with his dad.

The Empire Strikes Back 1980

Jack's dad was 13 when it came out, the generational bookend to seeing Force Awakens together.

A Million Ways to Die in the West 2014

The first R-rated movie Jack snuck into.

Moonrise Kingdom 2012

Jack's 'when things went Technicolor' movie: 'I can't believe movies can be like this.'

Johnson Family Vacation 2004

Jade's number-one childhood pick: 'a certified hood classic.'

Roll Bounce 2005

Jade on the feel-good family movies she rewatched.

17 Again 2009

Jade's Zac Efron favorite.

Fantastic Four 2005

Jomi dragged his mom to it as a kid: 'to you it was perfect.'

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer 2007

Jomi's birthday movie one year. 'The movie stunk and my birthday stunk, but it was still a good time.'

The Rugrats Movie 1998

The orange Nickelodeon VHS tapes.

Iron Man 2 2010

Part of Jomi's 2010 top four, all within a 62-day span the summer before high school.

The Losers 2010

Jomi 2010 top four.

The A-Team 2010

Jomi 2010 top four.

Knight and Day 2010

Jomi's 'Night and Day,' the fourth of his 2010 top four.

North 1994

Amanda's birthday movie as a kid, with Elijah Wood, and it turned out bad.

Avengers: Endgame 2019

Jack's case: the highest-percentage-watched film for the generation, and the FOMO event you remember whether or not you cared.

Lady Bird 2017

Jack's second answer: critically acclaimed, about someone his exact age, and a launchpad for Chalamet, Ronan, and Gerwig.

Shrek 2001

Jomi's pick, defended via memes and a friend who collects the same Shrek DVD by the hundreds.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 2001

Jade's third pick; Amanda argues the early films skew younger. Jack notes it and Shrek are both 2001.

Twilight 2008

Jade's pick; Jack argues 2008 is 'a little too early,' closer to millennial.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 2004

Jomi's secondary pick. Lesson taken: 'adventure is out there.'

The Hunger Games 2012

Jack floats it as 'in real contention.'

Booksmart 2019

Jack: one of the films that best captures growing up in the digital age, but too niche to be the answer.

Eighth Grade 2018

Jack's other digital-age pick, same caveat.

Oppenheimer 2023

Where Jomi's GOAT, Robert Downey Jr., won his Oscar before returning to Marvel.

Anyone But You 2023

Jomi mourning the rom-com: 'movies are back, bro.'

A Family Affair 2024

The Zac Efron / Nicole Kidman Netflix rom-com Amanda recommends to Jade.

Red Notice 2021

Cited in the Dwayne Johnson box-office tangent. 'It's quite bad.'

Jungle Cruise 2021

The other Rock vehicle in Jack's argument about watchability.

Avatar 2009

The forgettable-star problem: nobody can name Sam Worthington.

Moana 2016

One of the Rock's 12 $200M+ credits since 2016, by voice.

Black Bag 2025

Jack's best of the last year: 'I love Soderbergh.'

Everything Everywhere All at Once 2022

Jomi's best of five years, a first watch at the Alamo that went on to win Best Picture.

The Worst Person in the World 2021

Jack's five-year list.

West Side Story 2021

Jack's five-year list, the Spielberg version. Yes, he's seen the original.

Tár 2022

Jack's five-year list.

Spider-Man: No Way Home 2021

Jomi's admitted 'cheating' three-in-one, alongside Black Widow and Eternals.

Black Widow 2021

Eternals 2021

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning 2025

Jomi: 'I will be there no matter what.'

The Fantastic Four: First Steps 2025

Jomi was already wearing the merch.

Superman 2025

Part of Jomi's stacked summer.

The Phoenician Scheme 2025

Jack's 'new Wes.' Still no trailer at record time: 'I don't know if I need a trailer.'

One Battle After Another 2025

Jack's 'new PTA.' 'Great trailer.'

Marty Supreme 2025

Josh Safdie's ping-pong movie with Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey 2025

Kogonada's film with Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, moved to September.

Sentimental Value 2025

Joachim Trier, of The Worst Person in the World, with Renate Reinsve.