To make war and revolution movies attract Gen Z audiences

WHY DO TUNNELS ATTRACTIVE GEN Z?

The fever of Tunnels: Sun in the Dark shows a strong shift in the tastes of young audiences, especially Gen Z.

It can be seen that what makes the film reach this audience group lies in its modern, emotional storytelling and understanding of social media reception behavior. First of all, the timing of the film's release is an advantage for promotion. Released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, the film captures the emotional flow of the community, when patriotism and the need to connect with the past are strongly promoted.

Tunnels: Sun in the Dark Movie Scene

PHOTO: GALAXY

On the other hand, what is more important is the modern cinematic language of director Bui Thac Chuyen that makes the difference. Without shouting slogans or recreating dry history, The Tunnels depicts war through very ordinary people with personal emotions and familiar details, helping Gen Z see themselves in young people living in another era. In addition, the visual and technical elements are also seriously invested in, creating a visual experience on par with international cinema - something very important for a generation that is familiar with blockbusters and high aesthetics.

Ultimately, it is the authenticity that helps the film overcome the generation gap, becoming a humane, accessible story but powerful enough to make young audiences stop and think. Commenting on the appeal of Tunnels to Gen Z audiences, critic Nguyen Phong Viet shared with Thanh Nien : "April is a very special time in the nation's history and the film was released at the right time. Moreover, young people always look to history and the film conveys historical content at a special time. The film is not heavily propaganda; it approaches the taste of young audiences for movies shown in theaters and is well communicated. Another thing is that the film does not face any "heavyweight" competitors currently showing at the box office."

From a professional perspective, director Do Thanh Son believes that the film attracts young audiences because it has a new, modern approach, not telling stories in the same way as previous war films; the film's pace is fast, the editing is intense, creating a sense of suspense. The film uses light, sound, and especially camera angles that create a feeling of suffocation and tension, making it difficult for the audience to take their eyes off the entire 128 minutes of the film. "Gen Z's psychology is to care about personal experiences and inner emotions. The characters in the film are mostly young people, so young people can easily sympathize with the characters. The film not only tells about the past but also reflects the things that Gen Z cares about: choice, courage, and the journey to overcome fear," the director further analyzed.

Movie Peach, Pho and Piano

PHOTO: DPCC

CHANGE YOUR APPROACH AND REACH EMOTIONS

Remember when Dao, Pho and Piano created a sudden box office fever and also attracted young audiences, director Phi Tien Son once shared that if he wanted young people to approach history more easily, they had to change their approach. In the context of diverse social media and communication platforms, content creators cannot do it the old way. Director Dao, Pho and Piano also believes that filmmakers must have a way of telling stories and conveying film messages that are suitable for today's viewers, so that they can see themselves in it. That is to touch emotions, love, and create emotions that make young people feel responsible for the country and themselves.

In order for war and revolutionary films to attract Gen Z audiences, critic Nguyen Phong Viet also said that for a long time, we have often viewed war and revolutionary films as illustrative. That is different from the taste of Vietnamese youth today. Because they are currently exposed to many cinemas in the world , their thinking about watching movies is very open, so if the work does not touch their emotions, it is easy to fail. "For war films to attract Gen Z audiences, we must determine that the film is made to serve the audience. The script must be good, it must touch the audience. Up to now, there have been films with this theme, but the stories do not touch emotions, so filmmakers need to be more open and creative about the content. In addition, there must be funding for communication to help the film spread faster, not the type of state-run filmmaking that "abandons the child", not caring about revenue", critic Nguyen Phong Viet added.

According to young critic Lucas Luan Nguyen, the wave of national pride is spreading more strongly than ever. With Gen Z, going through a period of reaching out to integrate; international cultural trends and products easily create impact and influence. Once integrated, we begin to dig deeper into our own identity, to answer the question "What makes me Vietnamese?". It is not too difficult to search online to see young people supporting Vietnamese costumes, loving ao dai... That shows that the community of young people who love history and spread cultural values ​​is growing larger and larger. "With the production model and success of the film Tunnels: Sun in the Dark , I think that war - historical films brought to the screen, if they are at the right level, true to history, invested in script and production, will reach young people and be accepted by them", critic Lucas Luan Nguyen emphasized.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/de-dong-phim-chien-tranh-cach-mang-hut-khan-gia-gen-z-185250420195249358.htm