Carey Mulligan Reflects on the Gen Z vs Millennial Conflict in Netflix’s Beef

Netflix’s latest series Beef pits Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac against each other, as well as their younger counterparts, in a tale of escalating animosity. The second season shifts focus from a chance encounter between strangers to the friction within a more familiar setting—a high-profile couple’s marital struggles. Mulligan portrays Lindsay, a British wife in California, while Isaac plays her husband, Joshua, who manages a upscale country club. The couple’s volatile relationship reaches its breaking point when two young employees capture their heated argument on video, sparking a plot of blackmail.

The generational divide between the older couple and their Gen Z adversaries drives the narrative. Mulligan highlights the mutual dislike, explaining,

“They can’t stand us and we can’t stand them. Everything they do is annoying, particularly after the inciting incident of the whole show.”

The tension between the two groups mirrors the show’s exploration of societal rifts, with the older pair’s resentment rooted in their perception of the younger generation’s entitlement. “We have a common enemy in them, and that’s the way we stay together,” she adds, emphasizing how their shared disdain for the Gen Z couple becomes a unifying force.

Meanwhile, the younger characters—personal trainer Austin (Charles Melton) and his fiancée Ashley (Cailee Spaeny)—face their own challenges. Melton notes that his character and Ashley begin their journey in a “honeymoon phase,” navigating a world shaped by capitalist structures. “The country club was a great example of that hierarchy,” he says, underscoring the show’s satirical take on class and generational attitudes.

Isaac, who is 47 and considered Gen X, contrasts the older couple’s experiences with the younger generation’s idealism.

“They’re entitled to all these things we worked really hard for,” he explains. “Their view of love seems so certain, but they haven’t experienced the real pitfalls of relationships.”

The show’s creator, Lee Sung Jin, drew inspiration from a real-life feud involving boomers, but chose to set it in a younger context. “The generation gap is smaller here, much like how society is brainwashed by social media and headlines to clash with one another,” Lee remarks, highlighting the show’s commentary on modern rivalry.

Mulligan’s character, Lindsay, a designer with a dachshund named Burberry, humorously refers to the Gen Z couple as “the kids,” a label she admits feels unjust. “Charles is actually 33,” she points out, noting that Melton is just five years younger than herself. The older couple’s bitterness stems from envy, Mulligan says, as they witness the younger pair’s “first flush of romance” and their unwavering confidence in love. “We believed the same things they do when we first meet them,” she reflects, adding that their inability to accept the younger generation’s perspective fuels the conflict.

As the series unfolds, both couples are forced to confront their own flaws. The Gen Z characters, initially portrayed as carefree, gradually become entangled in the club’s murky dealings with its new millionaire owner. “The older couple’s petty behavior is laid bare,” Mulligan observes, while the younger pair’s idealism wavers under the weight of their escalating feud.