Film Main Genres, Sub-Genres, and Mixes
Below are the most common film genre categories with a brief description.
Action Films: A fast paced film that displays the use of human endurance. High energy, big-budgeted physical stunts and chases with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises, non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous. Some examples (see also Adventure Films): Captain Blood (1935), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Beau Geste (1939), The African Queen (1951), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Billy Jack (1971), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Die Hard (1988), Braveheart (1995).
Adventure Films: Adventure films are set in an exotic location or different historical period, from the middle ages through the current century. They typically dramatize the exploits of actual historical figures or incidents, including kings and battles, rebellion, piracy and the Spanish Main, travel, exploration, and the creation of empires. Larger ideological issues are mythicized and conflicts personalized over historical accuracy. For examples see Action Films. Some examples: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Avatar (2009).
Animated Films: Cartoon or stop-motion. Some examples: Fantasia (1940), The Lion King (1994), Toy Story (1995), Shrek (2001).
Biographical/Biopics Films (Sub-Genre): Biopics is a combination of words “biography” and “pictures.” These films depict the life of an important historical personage or group from the past or present era. Biopics cross many genre types, since these films might showcase a western outlaw, a criminal, a musical composer, a religious figure, a war-time hero, an entertainer, an artist, an inventor or doctor, a politician or President, or an adventurer. Some examples: Young Mister Lincoln (1939), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Patton (1970), Reds (1981), Amadeus (1984), Schindler's List (1993).
Black Comedy Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work which treats serious and often tragic subjects, such as illness, war, or death, in a comic fashion. Some examples: The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944), Stalag 17 (1953), Dr. Strangelove (1964), M*A*S*H (1970), Eating Raoul (1982), Fargo (1996).
Buddy Films (Sub-Genre): These are fictional work focusing primarily on the camaraderie between two individuals, usually two men or two women. Often their relationship develops as they are thrown together while traveling or as professional partners. Although perhaps starting our as strangers, or even enemies, a bond usually comes to exist between the pair as they become friends or at least allies. Some samples: Gunga Din (1939), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Bang the Drum Slowly (1973), Lethal Weapon (1987), Thelma and Louise (1991).
Caper Films (Sub-Genre): Caper films are fictional work concentrating on the planning and eventual execution of a single major crime, such as a robbery of a bank vault or museum, requiring meticulous preparation and perfect organization and timing. The task is usually undertaken by a diverse gang to bring together the skills and specializations required, and they often have uneasy personal relations. Suspense derives from the question of whether or how the plans will succeed or fail (by accident or a factor overlooked), what will become of the loot, and whether some or all of the criminals will escape. Some examples: The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Rififi (1955), Topkaki (1964), How to Steal a Million (1966), The Sting (1973), Reservoir Dogs (1992), The Usual Suspects (1995).
Children's Films (Sub-Genre): These are work whose view of the world or narrative presentation indicate they are aimed predominantly at a young, preteen audience. Frequently children, or older individuals or animals, presented in an child-like manner, are the primary protagonists, with adults either absent or relatively remote or menacing secondary characters. Some examples: Heidi (1937), National Velvet (1944), Mary Poppins (1964), Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), Babe (1995).
Comedy Films: The overall intent of comedy films is to amuse, although the humor may have a serious, even pessimistic side. Although many works in different genres may contain humorous moments, a pessimistic side. Although many works in different genres may contain humorous moments, a work is considered to be a comedy when the intent and the expression of the plot itself is humorous or when the tone of the entire work is overwhelmingly comic. Some examples: The Gold Rush (1925), Duck Soup (1933), The Bank Dick (1940), Born Yesterday (1950), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Graduate (1967), Annie Hall (1977), Tootsie (1982).
Concert Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Musical. When a musical group has a concert filmed and released to theaters. Some examples: A Hard Day's Night (1964), Stop Making Sense (1984), U2 – Rattle & Hum (2008).
Crime Films: Plots are based on unlawful human actions. Films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or mobsters, particularly bank robbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and murdering their way through life. Criminal and gangster films are often categorized as film noir or detective-mystery films because of underlying similarities between these cinematic forms. This category includes a description of various serial killer films. Some examples: M (1931), On the Waterfront (1954), Badlands (1973), Taxi Driver (1976), Pulp Fiction (1994).
Dark Humor (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of comedy. Also known as black comedy. They are fictional work which treats serious and often tragic subjects, such as illness, war, or death, in a comic fashion. Some examples: M*A*S*H* (1970), Raising Arizona (1987), Serial Mom (1994).
Detective Films (Sub-Genre): They are fictional work in which a detective (sometimes merely an endangered individual forced to "detect" for his own self-protection) attempts to solve a crime, usually a murder or theft. The detective may be an amateur, a private investigator, or a plainclothes member of a police force. Emphasis is placed on the search for clues and rationative power of the detective, rather than the efforts of police or lawbreakers. In the hard-boiled detective film, crime becomes a dark metaphor that is symptomatic of what is wrong with society, rather than simply a single aberration from the norm. The hard-boiled detective film is also usually classified under film noir. Some examples: The Thin Man (1934), The Maltese Falcon (1941), The Big Sleep (1946), And Then There Were None (1945), Out of the Past (1947), Kiss Me Deadly (1958), Vertigo (1958), Klute (1971), Chinatown (1974).
Disaster Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Action. Films which are made to show natural or mechanical disasters, with large death-tolls, that have befallen mankind. They are a sub-genre of action films. Big-budget disaster films provide all-star casts and interlocking, Grand Hotel-type stories, with suspenseful action and impending crises (man-made or natural) in places such as aboard imperiled airlines, trains, dirigibles, sinking or wrecked ocean-liners, or in towering burning skyscrapers, crowed stadiums or earthquake zones. Often noted for their visual and special effects, however not for their acting performances. Some examples: San Francisco (1936), Airport (1970), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Titanic (1997).
Documentary Films: Documentary films are non-fictional, factual works of art. Originally, the earliest documentaries were either short newsreels, instructional pictures, or travelogues without any creative story-telling or staging. However, they have branched out and taken many forms, and have sometimes become propagandisctic and non-objective. Mockumentaries are comedic parodies of documentaries. Some documentaries have been considered propagandistic. Some examples: Night Mail (1936), Salesman (1969), Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976), Brooklyn Bridge (1981), Roger and Me (1989).
Drama Films: Films that deal with strong human emotions. Drama films are serious, plot-driven presentations, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations, and stories involving intense character development and interaction. They usually are not focused on special-effects, comedy, or action. Drama films are probably the largest film genre, with many subsets. See also the melodramas, epics, or romantic genres. Dramatic biographical films are a major sub-genre. Some examples: All About Eve (1950), The Godfather (1972), L.A. Confidential (1997).
Educational Films: Largely nontheatrical work intended for teaching and related informational purposes. Educational work includes classroom films and videos, historical recreations and dramatizations primarily intended to educate rather than entertain, and video or television broadcasting courses; they may be sponsored as well. Some examples: The Future of Life, Gilbane Gold: A Case Study in Engineering Ethics.
Epics/Historical Films: Epics include costume dramas, historical drama, war films, medieval romps, or period pictures that often cover a large expanse of time set against a vast, panoramic backdrop. Epics often share elements of the elaborate adventure films genre. Epics take a historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes, accompanied by grandeur and spectacle, dramatic scope, high production values, and a sweeping musical score. Epics are often a more spectacular, lavish version of a biopic film. Some sword and sandal films qualify as a sub-genre. Some examples: Gone With The Wind (1939), The Ten Commandments (1956), Ben-Hur (1959),Schindler's List (1993).
Espionage/Spy Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Action. Fictional work depicting spies and secret agents seeking to uncover or maintain secrets from each other. Living a masquerade, spies are usually cynical, amoral, deceitful, alienated, and ready to betray another person or cause, although these are often seen as merely the means to achieve a patriotic goal. Some examples: The General Died at Dawn (1936), Notorious (1946), North by Northwest (1959), Dr. No (1962), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Spanish Prisoner (1997).
Ethnographic Films: Nonfiction work documenting specific cultures or types of peoples, including field footage by cultural anthropologists or researchers and edited, analytical work seeking to understand the beliefs, customs, and social systems of various cultures or ethnic groups. Some examples: Nanook of the North (1922), Trance & Dance in Bali (1952), The Holy Ghost People (1967), The Wedding Camels (1976), Naked Spaces: Living is Round (1985).
Experimental Films: Work that seeks to expand traditional form, structure, and content, usually subjective in approach. Largely non-commercial, experimental work is often made by a single filmmaker or a small group. Some examples: Autumn Fire (1930), Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), Mothlight (1963), Lives of Performers (1972).
Family in Films: Fictional work depicting inter-family relations between spouses, parents, offspring, siblings, and in-laws, relating how the family endures or dissolves through such emotions as love, jealousy, rivalry, and hatred. Some examples: The Good Earth (1937), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), East of Eden (1955), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), American Beauty (1999).
Family Films: A film with subject matter suitable for all ages. These are non-offensive, wholesome, and entertaining films (usually rated G for 'suitable for general audiences') that do not include topics or scenes with violence, foul language and other profanity, religious issues, gratuitous sexuality, etc. They are specifically designed for children 12 and under or for family viewing, however, they may actually be suitable for all age groups and covers a wide range of genre categories (comedy, adventure, fantasy, musicals, etc.) Some examples: It's a Wonderful Life (1946), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
Fantasy Films (Sub-Genre): Films that deal with fairy tale adventures or plots from the dark ages. They are usually considered a sub-genre and most likely to overlap with the film genres of science fiction and horror, although they are distinct. Fantasies take the audience to netherworld places or another dimension where events are unlikely to occur in real life. They transcend the bounds of human possibility and physical laws. Often, they have an element of magic, myth, wonder, and the extraordinary. They may appeal to both children and adults, depending upon the particular film. Some examples: The Thief of Bagdad (1924), The Wizard of Oz (1939), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), Superman (1978), Ghostbusters (1984), Being John Malkovich (1999).
Film Noir Films (Sub-Genre): Film Noir means black film. Is a distinct branch of the crime/gangster sagas from the 1930s. Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style or tone of various American films that evolved in the 1940s, and lasted in a classic period until about 1960. However, film noir has not been exclusively confined to this era, and has re-occurred in cyclical form in other years in various neo-noirs. Noirs are usually black and white films with primary moods of melancholy, alienation, bleakness, disillusionment, disenchantment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, and paranoia. They often feature a cynical, lover hero (anti-hero) and femme fatale, in a seedy big city. Also see Crime Films. Some examples: Double Indemnity (1944), Laura (1944), The Killers (1946), Notorious (1946), D.O.A. (1949), Sunset Boulevard (1950), Touch of Evil (1958), Body Heat (1981), Red Rock West (1992), Memento (2000).
Frontier Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Western. This kind of western is treated as a drama. There is minimal gun shooting and the chief concepts explored are the stories of the frontiersmen moving west in 19th century United States.
Futuristic Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Science Fiction.
Gangster Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Crime. Handles gangsters and prohibition. Takes place in the 1920's. This does not include films on the Mob or Mafia. You will find those elsewhere. See also Crime Films. Some examples: Little Caesar (1930), Public Enemy (1931), Scarface (1932), Key Largo (1948), White Heat (1949), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Godfather (1972), Mean Streets (1973), Goodfellas (1990).
Guys Films (Sub-Genre): They are composed of macho films that are often packed with sophomoric humor, action, cartoon violence, competition, mean-spirited putdowns and gratuitous nudity and sex. Ladies films are their counterpart for females. Guys films are highly subject to opinion, although there are many classic, testosterone-laden guy films that most viewers would agree upon. Some examples: True Lies (1994), Ocean's 11 (2001), The Italian Job (2003).
Historical Films: Sub-genre of Drama. Historical films deal with a major historical event and the actual historical figures involved in it. Often great liberties are taken with the facts to facilitate a two-hour running time or a particular political agenda. These films pay a great deal of attention to re-creating events that live mostly in our memories or in textbooks. Earlier historical films tended to concentrate on eras and political figures who were far from the present and put little emphasis on undermining the accepted mythologies of history. When the production becomes expensive and sumptuous, the cast of characters, and the narrative sweeping and panoramic, this becomes what is called an epic film. The films that deal with totally fictional characters in historical settings would be better described as costume films or period films (costume dramas, costume adventures, swashbucklers, etc.). Some examples: David Copperfield (1935), The Heiress (1949), American Graffiti (1973), A Room With a View (1986), Matewan (1987), The English Patient (1996).
Historical Films – Ancient: Fictional work usually set during Roman times, or occasionally during another early civilization, such as that of Greece or Egypt. Most often the work emphasizes the opulence, cruelty, and decadence of ancient political and cultural life. Some examples: Ben-Hur (1959), Spartacus (1960), Cleopatra (1963), Gladiator (2000).
Holiday Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Family. Story that surrounds a holiday. Made mostly for children. Some examples: It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964).
Horror Films: Films that are created to scare the audience. They are designed to frighten and to involved our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films feature a wide range of styles, from the earliest silent Nosferatu classic, to today's CGI monsters and deranged humans. Horror films are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. The fantasy and supernatural film genres are not usually synonymous with the horror genre. There are many sub-genres of horror: slasher, teen terror, serial killers, satanic, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc. Some examples: Nosferatu (1922), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Cat People (1942), House of Wax (1953), The Night of the Hunter (1955), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Psycho (1960), Night of the Living Dead (1968), The Exorcist (1973), Jaws (1975), Halloween (1978), Poltergeist (1982), Scream (1996).
Journalism Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work centered around the world of reporters and news, with deadlines, breaking stories, competition among their colleagues, feuding with their editor, and yellow journalism and questions of journalistic ethics. Such work is typically involved with such activities as searching for a "scoop," exposing crime and corruption, and obsessively pursuing a story, often to the point of destroying a person's reputation. Includes stories of journalists in the print, newsreel, and broadcast mediums. Some examples: His Girl Friday (1940), The Big Carnival (1951), Network (1976), The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), Broadcast News (1987).
Jungle Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work set in the jungles of South America, Africa, or Asia, relating the adventures of humans against ferocious wild animals, the discovery of lost cities, Westerners against threatening natives, or the competition between rival tribes in an untamed setting. Some examples: Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), King Kong (1933), Mogambo (1953), Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), The Emerald Forest (1985).
Ladies Films (Sub-Genre): Mostly include formulated romantic comedies with mis-matched lovers or female relationships. Often considered an all-encompassing sub-genre, ladies films or gal films also include tearjerkers and gal-pal films, movies about family crises and emotional catharsis, some traditional weepies and fantasy-action adventures, sometimes with foul-mouthed and empowered females, and female bonding situations involving families, mothers, daughters, children, women, and women's issues. Their counterpart films for males are termed guy films. Some examples: Out of Africa (1985), Anna Karenina (1985).
Legal Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work in which the capacity of the legal system to find the guilty and acquit the innocent is measured through the interaction of lawyers, prosecutors, clients, witnesses, and judges, largely in a courtroom setting. The law may prove capable of rendering justice, or it may prove to be a flawed system open to abuse and susceptible to perpetuating a miscarriage of justice. Some examples: Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Stairway to Heaven (1946), 12 Angry Men (1957), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), The Last Wave (1977), My Cousin Vinny (1992).
Macabre Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Horror. Began in the sixties. Films that have a Gothic feel to them. They deal with human beings, but have supernatural undertones. Examples are The Phantom of the Opera, films on Edgar Allen Poe, and selected works of Dario Argento. Some examples: Bloody Mama (1970), Mommy Dearest (1981).
Magic Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Fantasy. Magical powers. Some examples: The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Hocus Pocus (1993), Craft (1996).
Martial Arts (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Action. Martial arts films contain numerous, extensive martial arts fight scenes between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. These films are frequently featured in training scenes and other sequences in addition to fights. Martial arts films commonly include other types of action, such as stunt work, chases, and/or gunfights. As with other action films, martial arts films are dominated by action to varying degrees. Many of these films have only a minimal plot and amount of character development and focus almost exclusively on the action, while other martial arts films have more creative and complex plots and characters along with action scenes. Films of the latter type are generally considered to be artistically superior films, however, many films of the former type are commercially successful and well received by fans of the genre. Some examples: Enter the Dragon (1973), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).
Melodramas Films (Sub-Genre): Melodramas are a sub-type of drama films, characterized by a plot to appeal to the emotions of the audience. Often, film studies criticism used the term melodrama pejoratively to connote an unrealistic, pathos-filled tales of romance or domestic situations with stereotypical characters that would directly appeal to feminine audiences (weepies or woman's films). Some examples: Broken Blossoms (1919), Stella Dallas (1937), Kings Row (1942), Letter from an Unkown Woman (1948), Picnic (1956), Written on the Wind (1956), Love Story (1970), Terms of Endearment (1983), Pleasantville (1998).
Musical/Dance Films: Films that have song and dance as the primary factor. They are cinematic forms that emphasize full-scale or song and dance routines in a significant way, or they are films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography. Major sub-genres include the musical comedy or the concert film. Some examples: 42nd Street (1933), Swing Time (1936), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), On the Town (1949), Singin' In The Rain (1952), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), Jailhouse Rock (1957), West Side Story (1961), The Sound of Music (1965), Cabaret (1972), Nashville (1975), New York, New York (1977), Grease (1978).
Mystery Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Suspense. Murder mysteries. Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes, etc. Some examples Detective and Mystery Films: The Thin Man (1934), The Maltese Falcon (1941), The Big Sleep (1946), And Then There Were None (1945), Out of the Past (1947), Kiss Me Deadly (1958), Vertigo (1958), Klute (1971), Chinatown (1974).
Opera Films (Sub-Genre): Nonfiction or fiction work featuring opera, opera singers, or opera composers. Some Samples: La Bohème, Don Giovanni.
Parody Films (Sub-Genre): Nonfiction or fictional work which aims to humorously imitate another film, program, or story, or another genre's formula. Some examples: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Take the Money and Run (1969), Blazing Saddles (1974), This Is Spinal Tap (1984).
Police Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Crime. Fictional work portraying the activities and personalities of official law enforcement officers and agencies (from municipal police to F.B.I. to G-men) in tracking criminals. Police stories offer many of the same elements as the crime and mystery genres, but with an added concentration on the procedures of police work and characterizations of police officers. Narratives are often concerned with their excessive devotion to their work and police procedure as they cope with office routine, bureaucracy, and the death of fellow officers in the line of duty. Unlike detectives, policemen fear discovering that they will turn corrupt or are beginning to share traits in common with their criminal adversaries, by also adopting illegal tactics, although for the purpose of apprehending criminals. Some examples: The Big Heat (1953), The FBI Story (1959), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Dirty Harry (1971), The French Connection (1971), The Untouchables (1987), L.A. Confidential (1997), Minority Report (2002).
Political Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Drama. Fictional work centering on the political milieu, often of candidates, elections, and elective or appointive office. Some of the protagonists may be corrupt or dictatorial. Some examples: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), All the King's Men (1949), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), The Candidate (1972), The American President (1995).
Prehistoric Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Science Fiction. Fictional work taking place in the distant past, before civilization or recorded history, and concentrating on showing living creatures long since extinct. Despite sometimes conflating the chronology of evolution, events are treated as factual, not fantasy (that is, without supernatural or magical elements). Plots frequently show cavemen fighting rival tribes as well as dinosaurs or early giant mammals. Alternatively, modern humans find prehistoric life, still surviving in an isolated "lost world" in one of the Earth's remote regions; they must then learn to survive amidst these conditions and escape. Some examples: Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), One Million Years B.C. (1966), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1993).
Prison Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work set primarily behind bars, where life becomes strictly regimented, impacting the lives of guards and wardens as well as prisoners. Nonetheless, methods of evading control and supervision are found, and motifs include attempts to escape, prove innocence, or await the death penalty. With the primary characters all criminals, one is bound to assume heroic status, if only because of differences from fellow criminals. Some examples: The Big House (1930), The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Papillon (1973), Midnight Express (1978), The Shawshank Redemption (1994) .
Propaganda Films (Sub-Genre): Fiction or nonfiction work designed primarily to instill or reinforce a specific ideological belief or set of beliefs in the viewer, presented either as a documentary or as a fictional story. Propaganda may be produced by all parts of the political spectrum, and should not be interpreted pejoratively. Some examples: October: Ten Days That Shook the World (1927), Triumph of the Will (1934), Reefer Madness (1936), Why We Fight (1943-45).
Religious Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work designed to demonstrate the positive (and, less often, negative) power of spirituality and redemption through religious faith. Typical strains are dramatizations of the life of Christ or adaptations of Biblical stories, frequently emphasizing miracles, the beginning of Christianity, and conflicts with nonbelievers. Some examples: Going My Way (1944), The Ten Commandments (1956), A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Mission (1986), Kundun (1997).
Road Films (Sub-Genre): Road films have been a staple of American films from the very start, and have ranged in genres from westerns, comedies, gangster/crime films, dramas, and action-adventure films. On thing they all have in common is an episodic journey on the open road or undiscovered trail, to search for escape or to engage in a quest for some kind of goal – either a distinct destination, or the attainment of love, freedom, mobility, redemption, the finding or rediscovering of oneself, or coming-of-age (psychologically or spiritually). Some samples: Sullivan's Travels (1941), The Road to Rio (1947), Easy Rider (1969), The Sure Thing (1985), Thelma and Louise (1991).
Romance Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Drama. Fictional work focusing on an affectionate relationship between two people, whether in courtship or marriage, and set in modern or historical times. The lovers often face obstacles of family, occupation, money, or social class that may imperil their permanent union. There are also the difficulties of day-to-day compatibility, temptation, and infidelity. The plot climaxes either on overcoming, or failing to overcome, these difficulties. Unlike the conventional appearance of romantic subplots in many genres, romances concentrate on the love story as the main conflict. Use more specific genre headings when possible. Some examples: The Sheik (1921), City Lights (1931), Casablanca (1942), Roman Holiday (1953), The Apartment (1960), The Way We Were (1973), When Harry Met Sally (1989).
Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) Films: Fictional work that relies on some type(s) of advanced technology, scientific development, or encounter with alien life, to make the narrative possible. Stories frequently have a prophetic nature, forecasting how technological changes may impact society in the years to come. The likely future is often seen as dehumanized, dystopian, or post-apocalyptic. May be set on both Earth or in outer space, and (most often) in the future, although sometimes set in the present or past. Horror may overlap with science fiction when advanced technology or alien life prove malevolent and terrifying. Some examples: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The Thing (1951), Forbidden Planet (1956), Godzilla (1956), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), 2001 - A Space Odyssey (1968), Planet of the Apes (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Star Wars (1977), Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), E.T. (1982), The Terminator (1984).
Screwball Comedy Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work in which the plot normally focuses on a comic battle of the sexes between a generally passive or weak male and an eccentric (and often well-to-do) female. They are caught up in a romantic pursuit or patching up a marriage, with romantic love triumphing in the end. The heroine is often the only one aware of romance until the male's resistance is overcome. The characters behave in a wacky manner and the dialogue is fast paced and witty. Some examples: It Happened One Night (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), The Awful Truth (1937), Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), The Lady Eve (1941), The Palm Beach Story (1942), Adam's Rib (1949), What's Up Doc (1972), All of Me (1984).
Show Business Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work dramatizing the world of performance, both on stage and on screen. The creative and artistic process is depicted, often going behind the scenes of the show, frequently dwelling on an individual tormented artist or the travails of a group producing their project. Some examples: 42nd Street (1933), All About Eve (1950), A Star is Born (1954), The Producers (1968), My Favorite Year (1982), Get Shorty (1995).
Slapstick Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Comedy. Vaudeville. Comedy teams. Physical Humor. Some examples: Gremlins (1984), Return of the Living Dead (1984), Shaun of the Dead (2004).
Slasher Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Horror. Began in the late 60's. The actual term was not used until 1978 with the release of Halloween. The title refers to the murders and weapons of the main antagonist, and that the creators of such films use the blood and edged weapons as shock value. This sub-genre can be used in Science Fiction also. Some examples: Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Child's Play (1988), Candyman (1992).
Social Problem Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work dramatizing a specific societal ill, or a contemporary topic in the political arena, from alcoholism and drug addiction to racial and religious intolerance, to draw attention to the issue and take advantage of topical interest in a subject. Some examples: I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Lost Weekend (1946), On the Waterfront (1954), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), Coming Home (1978), Philadelphia (1993).
Speculation Films (Sub-Genres): Sub-genre of Documentary. These documentaries are films about mysteries of the world such as Bigfoot, UFO's, etc.
Spoof Films (Sub-Genres): Sub-genre of Comedy. When a film makes fun of a certain film genre. Examples are Airplane, and films by Mel Brooks. Some examples: Hot Shots (1991), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997).
Social Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Drama. Deals with social issues of the world.
Sports Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work concentrating on how an individual athlete or team, through strength, training, agility, and/or tactics, compete in the often corrupt world of sports. Plots usually relate the victory of an underdog or the fall (and sometimes return) of the champion. Usually the world of a single sport is dramatized, such as baseball, basketball, boxing, football, horseracing, bullfighting, or automobile racing. Some examples: Pride of the Yankees (1942), Pat and Mike (1952),
The Hustler (1961), Raging Bull (1980), Bull Durham (1988), Bend It Like Beckham (2002).
Stand-Up Films (Sub-Genre): A sub-genre of Comedy: When a stand-up comedian has his concert filmed and released in the theaters. Some examples: Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity (2007), George Carlin: It's Bad For Ya (2008), Ron White: Behavioral Problems (2009)
Supernatural Films (Sub-Genre): Films that take place during the Medieval times. They are a sub-genre category and may be combined with other genres, including comedy, sci-fi, fantasy or horror. They have themes including gods or goddesses, ghosts, apparitions, spirits, miracles, and other similar ideas or depictions of extraordinary phenomena. Until recently, supernatural films were usually presented in a comical, whimsical, or a romantic fashion, and were not designed to frighten the audience. There are also many hybrids that have combinations of fear, fantasy, horror, romance, and comedy. Some examples: Ghost (1990), City of Angels (1998), The Sixth Sense (1999).
Suspense Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work frequently related to the crime genre in that the subject is usually some aspect of criminal activity, but with the emphasis away from a detective, gangster, caper, or even the crime itself. Instead, the narrative concentrates on suspense as an individual or group is placed in a dangerous situation whose outcome hinges on sudden reversals of fate. Frequent themes are political conspiracy, terrorism, innocents on the run, romantic triangles leading to murder, and individuals suffering from psychosis. Some examples: Rebecca (1940), The Third Man (1949), Diabolique (1955), Charade (1963), The Conversation (1974).
Sword & Sorcerer (Sub-Genre): These are a fantasy sub-genre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tales, though dramatic, focus mainly on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters. Some examples: The Excalibur (1981), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
Terror Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of Horror. No monsters. All human beings. Ex: Psycho.
Thriller Films (Sub-Genre): Sub-genre of suspense. No Mystery. The audience still is gripped until the end. Thrillers are often hybrids with other genres such as action-thrillers, crime-caper thrillers, western-thrillers, film-nor thrillers, even romantic comedy-thrillers. Another closely-related genre is the horror film genre. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations. They are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. The acclaimed Master of Suspense is Alfred Hitchcock. Spy films may be also considered a type of thriller/suspense film. Some examples: Rear Window (1954), Chinatown (1974).
War Films: Fictional work portraying military conflicts. Includes not only portrayals of combat, but stories set in POW camps, accounts of the homefront, and depictions of the difficulties of demobilization and the veteran returning to civilian life. The genre includes depictions of the primary fronts during the war, as well as the battles on the geographical margins of the conflict. The genre ranges from work enthusiastically dramatizing the war effort, with harsh portrayals of the enemy, to denunciations of war. Some examples: The Big Parade (1925), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Grand Illusion (1937), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), From Here to Eternity (1953), The Bridge Over the River Kwai (1957), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), The Deer Hunter (1978), Apocalypse Now (1979), Platoon (1986), Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Thin Red Line (1998).
Westerns Films: Fictional work set in the period of American westward expansion. In the name of civilization, the wilderness is conquered and nature subordinated. Key thematic oppositions are between civilization and nature, law and anarchy, settler and nomad, and the new arrivals and the Native American. The hero is a person of integrity and principle, who tames the land, stands alone, faces danger, and is the fastest draw. Although usually set in the western United States from 1865-1900, settings in the Western may extend back to the era of America's colonial period, or as far geographically as Mexico, and into the first half of the 20th century. Some examples: Stagecoach (1939), My Darling Clementine (1946), Red River (1948), High Noon (1952), Rancho Notorious (1952), Shane (1953), Johnny Guitar (1954), The Searchers (1956), Rio Bravo (1959), Ride the High Country (1962), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), The Wild Bunch (1969), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), Unforgiven (1992).
Woman in Films (Sub-Genre): Fictional work usually concentrating on a woman and the challenges unique to the position of her gender in society. As a result, common situations are finding love, making a career, and/or raising a family. The protagonist is often faced by various romantic possibilities, or the belief that she has chosen the wrong profession or that she should sacrifice a career or health for her family. Frequently, these polar opposites demonstrate the limited possibilities and social roles open to women at a given historical moment. However, because the genre is centered on a woman's needs, not those of a man, the genre has often been a vehicle to examine the achievements of strong women characters who overcome stereotyped gender roles. Because male characters are often marginalized, the women's genre has often been aimed primarily at the female segment of the audience. Some examples: Stella Dallas (1937), Mildred Pierce (1945), The Country Girl (1954), Juliet of the Spirits (1965), Tess (1979), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), The Hours (2002).
Youth in Films (Sub-Genres): Fictional work portraying aspects of the trajectory through adolescence, including high school years, peer pressure, first love, beach parties, and initial attempts at adulthood, along with strains in the relationship with family. Teenage years are usually emphasized, although younger characters may also be included in a mix of ages, or the work may cover the transition from pre-teen to teenager, depicting a coming-of-age. A frequent emphasis is on a school setting including these ages. Some examples: Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Splendor in the Grass (1961), Breaking Away (1979), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Clueless (1995).
