Young Americans are leading an unexpected rebound at the box office, with Generation Z now the most active moviegoing demographic according to a Fandango survey, defying fears that the pandemic had permanently turned younger viewers away from cinemas. Two low-budget horror films made by first-time directors in their 20s — "Obsession" and "Backrooms" — have been surprise smash hits, with "Backrooms" opening to $81 million and outperforming the big-budget "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" in May; analysts say Gen Z audiences are hungry for original stories over franchise reboots and sequels. The surge, which also includes Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" (which drew half its opening-weekend crowd from the 18–34 age group), is shaping up to be Hollywood's strongest summer box office in the United States since 2023, suggesting that the communal cinema experience retains a powerful draw for younger generations.