Netflix comedy series Beef is hailed the ‘perfect example’ of the millennial rage genre

Netflix’s new comedy series Beef has been taking the internet by storm since its release earlier this month.

And it’s already being hailed as the “perfect example” of an emerging media genre currently branded as “millennial craze.”

US-based TikTok creator Megan Cruz is one of those who coined the term, explaining how projects in the category tap into what midlife crises look like for millennials.

But she was quick to emphasize that Beef isn’t the first to fall into the genre — and its popularity continues to grow.

US-based TikTok creator Megan Cruz is one of those who coined the term “millennial craze,” explaining how projects in the category tap into what midlife crises look like for millennials

In one of Megan’s clips, which has been viewed over a million times to date, she speaks on camera as she discusses the new series with Steven Yeun and Ali Wong.

She begins, “I can safely say that [Beef] is one of the best Netflix series of all time.

“This series fits perfectly into an emerging movie genre I like to call millennial craze, along with movies like Emily The Criminal and The Worst Person In The World.”

Explaining the term, Megan said, “They all seem to be asking the question of what midlife crises look like for millennials, because we’re certainly not trying to run and escape the stability and boring routine of our everyday lives.”

“Instead, the series plays on the trauma and undercut rage of having to live out our existence for decades and the existential dread of feeling like you’ll never have a place in the world or be truly connected.” with other people.’

She then goes on to praise the actors’ performances and storyline before adding, “I feel like a lot of millennials whose lives have been repeatedly bogged down by global crisis after global crisis are being told that we just have to wait our turn, that existential crisis turns to anger.”

Megan concluded, “I hope we get another million millennial craze projects.”

Following the popularity of her video, the content creator posted a second clip to reveal what other works encompass the new genre.

Another on her list is the 2020 comedy Palm Strings (pictured), which revolves around two wedding guests caught in a time loop exploring their budding relationship as they relive the same day over and over again

Following the popularity of her video, the content creator posted a second clip to reveal what other works span the new genre, including Emily The Criminal (left) and Search Party (right).

She said, “I think we’re going to see a huge wave of film and television about people in their 30s and 40s depicting them in existential crisis — particularly very filled with rage…

Some of the defining features of the [millennial rage] genre to me is a protagonist who is an adult who is in a state of stagnation – someone who has missed or been held back from real opportunities and growth.

“The next is social commentary on the systems in place that have caused that kind of stagnation for the protagonist and/or delving into the shared trauma specific to the millennial generation.”

Megan then reveals a slew of other movies and series that already fall into the genre.

The first she mentions is the thriller Emily The Criminal, released in 2022, in which an unemployed woman (played by Aubrey Plaza) saddled with student debt sees a life of crime to get the life she wants.

Another on her list is the 2020 comedy Palm Strings, which revolves around two wedding guests caught in a time loop exploring their budding relationship as they relive the same day over and over again.

And the genre also seems to be resonating with the wider demographic, with dozens of Megan’s followers flooding the comments with praise.

Megan argues that this is an example of the genre because it encompasses “the literal stagnation and inability to move on with your life that you achieve as a millennial in your 30s.”

She reveals a selection of other titles, but concludes that one of the best examples of the millennial craze genre is the HBO Max series Search Party – an “absurdist noir mystery” that follows a group of twenty-somethings who become entangled in the disappearance of a past college acquaintance.

And the genre also seems to be resonating with the wider demographic, with dozens of Megan followers flooding the comments with praise for the projects that fall into the emerging category.

One wrote: ‘This genre makes sooo much sense! Millennials suppressed their real desires and feelings all their lives.”

Another added, “Millennial craze is a real genre. It’s about time we practiced radical honesty.’

And a third quipped, “I’m an irate millennial, so this genre hits right on the relatable sentiments.”