Annie Reneau, in a post for Upworthy titled “I Showed My Gen Z Kids ‘Dead Poets Society’ and Their Angry Reactions to It Floored Me,” writes about her experience watching the film through the eyes of her Gen Z daughters (or, you know, exactly what the headline explicitly states).

Reneau comes to three main conclusions: 1) Gen Z prefers “systematic change” over individual growth; 2) they aren’t accustomed to being “blindsided” by tragic storytelling; and 3) they’re very protective of establishing and maintaining boundaries with the opposite sex.

"but, poetry, beauty, romance, love; these are what we stay alive for".

dead poets society, 1988.pic.twitter.com/LeTg3WF9GN

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— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) April 14, 2025

Reneau concludes that Gen Z is different from Gen X (duh) and has different expectations for what makes a movie “traumatic.” For instance, she notes they were upset that she showed them the movie in the first place.

Yeah, Dead Poets Society is a sad movie, but in movies, just like in life, bad things happen, and sometimes there is no “justice,” “retribution” or “change.” Things are bad, and they stay that way until someone fixes them.