After a generation of living with all the conveniences that technology has bestowed upon us, it may be hard to believe that there could be enough material to make a film at all. But this is not the case for members of Gen X. Born between 1965 and 1980, our generation has seen some of the best and worst economic markets in history as well as some of the most significant technological innovations. This list includes ten movies about Gen Xers that are worth taking a look at.
Movies About Gen X
1. Reality Bites
This is a quintessential Gen X film, and one that shows us exactly what it was to be young and in the middle class in 1994. The film follows the romantic lives of a group of twenty-something friends living in Chicago. While they do not have aspirations of making it big in the corporate world, they do not necessarily want to work at coffee shops either. Instead, they all want careers with money and importance. This is a film that demonstrates what it means to be young and ambitious even when those ambitions are not particularly realistic or attainable.
2. Singles
Another film set in Seattle, Singles is the tale of 20-somethings trying to make a living and find love in a city that they feel they were priced out of. Full of music and wit, Singles is a great Gen X movie because it shows what it means to be young and struggling to advance financially while remaining optimistic about the future.
3. Grosse Pointe Blank
1997 was a very good year for Gen X films, and this is another one that stands out as one of the best. A black comedy about assassins and relationships, Grosse Pointe Blank is just plain fun to watch. It is a movie about Gen Xers who are trying to make it big in big city life, but are instead scattered and alone.
4. The Lords of Flatbush
A comedy about two Irish actors who have been cast as gangsters for a film called The Lords of Flatbush, this film is a Gen X classic that was a little too ahead of its time. The film stars the almost unrecognizable Arye Gross as one of the main characters along with Danny Aiello and Madeline Kahn.
5. Whiplash
This is another music-themed movie that explores what it means to be young and talented while making your way through the competitive world of music school. While Whiplash is not a Gen X movie in particular, it is about people who are struggling to make their way through the world, and that struggle shows with the characters in this film.
6. Office Space
Set in the “not so distant future”, Office Space shows us how technology was shaping the lives of workers and employers alike. A classic movie that perfectly captures what it means to be a Generation Xer, Office Space has since become a cult classic.
7. Donnie Darko
This sci-fi tale of time travel mixed with teenage angst and an existential crisis is one of the best films to come out when Gen X was at its peak. The film’s main character Donnie Darko is full of self-doubt and uncertainty as he tries to make his way through this confusing, unappealing and uncertain world.
8. Clueless
Another film that beautifully captures the carefree and image-obsessed world of Gen X, Clueless is the story of a young woman trying to find her way in Los Angeles. The film is full of style, fashion and materialism that Gen Xers will take great pleasure in watching.
9. True Romance
This Quentin Tarantino classic is yet another film about Gen Xers making it big as musicians in Los Angeles. Perhaps the most violent of the Gen X movies, True Romance tells the story of a young man who gets mixed up with some wrong people, and is forced to do everything he can in order to get his life back.
10. The Cable Guy
Another black comedy with a twisted main character, The Cable Guy is about an antagonist we love to hate. This film is a must-see for any member of Gen X who likes their humor on the dark side and who remembers the days when cable was something that only commercialized.
Conclusion
It’s nearly impossible to sum up an entire generation and its defining characteristics in a simple list, but these 10 movies about gen x do a good job of introducing the people and culture that made up the nineties.