{
  "id": 703925,
  "title": "Commentary: To understand Gen Z, look not to Hollywood but to indie horror films",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/commentary-to-understand-gen-z-look-not-to-hollywood-but-to-indie",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T21:59:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/backrooms-obsession-horror-movies-gen-z-6290091"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gen Z's insecurities and anxieties are reflected in the rise of indie horror films, rather than traditional Hollywood blockbusters, according to undergraduate Zara Waseem. The Backrooms, an online phenomenon, has become a quintessential Gen Z film, capturing the generation's sense of dread and drawing viewers into an expansive online world. Both Backrooms and Obsession turn Gen Z's insecurities into sources of horror, highlighting the generation's difficulties with communication, vulnerability, and the blurred lines between reality and the virtual world due to the rise of AI. Gen Z's active movie-going habits and desire for authentic representation in films are also explored, with Backrooms providing a more accurate reflection of the generation than conventional blockbusters.",
  "summary": "Backrooms and Obsession turn Gen Z insecurities into sources of horror, says undergraduate Zara Waseem.",
  "key_points": [
    "Gen Z's insecurities and anxieties reflected in indie horror films",
    "\"The Backrooms\" captures Gen Z's sense of dread and virtual world blurring",
    "Gen Z values authentic representation in movies over Hollywood blockbusters"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}