TikTok is the wild west and anything goes. Still, the last person I'd expect to see on my feed, guessing Gen Z slang and gushing over their furbaby, is Martin Scorsese. And it's all thanks to his youngest daughter, Francesca Scorsese.
The 24-year-old is responsible for introducing her father and his catalogue of films like Goodfellas, The Departed, and Gangs of New York to Gen Z. Her influence is partly why critics were surprised to find that Killers of the Flower Moon was popular with younger audiences, with Variety reporting that "46% of opening night moviegoers were under the age of 35".
I know what you're thinking: how will the film bros spend their spare time now that someone else is evangelising the next generation? They can take a cue from the rest of us, and sink their free hours into watching the greatest director of all time be directed by his offspring.
Unsurprisingly, the videos have become a reliable source of TikTok high art. Take for example the family holiday card in which the father-daughter duo do a casual fit check or the one where Francesca tries the "flea in my hand" trend and Marty commits wholeheartedly to the bit.
@francescascorsese He lowkey slayed. #fyp #martinscorsese #dadsoftiktok #dadguesses ♬ original sound - Francesca
The most refreshing part about it is Scorsese brings out the playful side of her dad, which can get lost under all the bloodshed, gangsters, and solemnity of his films. He could even qualify for baby girl of the week? Unlike the recent interviews of Marty Scorsese where he's prompted to ponder his own mortality, Francesca captures his reaction to concepts like "sneaky links" and "slay". Like watching a film in 70mm, the videos just hit different.
But Francesca Scorsese is no PR savant. It turns out the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and she's a filmmaker in her own right. In 2023, her first short film Fish Out of Water debuted at Tribeca Film Festival and later screened at Cannes. It follows a young mum who reconnects with her sober father when she learns that her mother's health is declining. Given her own mother, former book editor Helen Morris, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1990 this element of is imbued with the texture of lived experience.
Scorsese has also collaborated with her dad – and not just on viral TikTok videos. If you had access to one of the greatest living directors, you would too. The pair joined forces on the Bleu de Chanel campaign starring Timothée Chalamet; Marty directed and she handled the creative direction. She's also tried her hand at acting, having appeared in Luca Guadagnino's eight-episode teen drama We Are Who We Are.
In an interview with Nylon, Francesca Scorsese acknowledges the doors her last name opens. “Of course I get the upper hand with a lot of things – I'm very fortunate,” she says. “But the one thing I can do is try to keep myself humble, grounded, and spoil the fuck out of my friends." Adding that, "I just try to be the best nepo baby that I can be". Gifting the general public candid glimpses of cinematic royalty ranks high in our books. All other nepo babies take note.
