A film genre is a stylistic or thematic category for motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to the film.
Drawing heavily from the theories of literary-genre criticism, film genres are usually delineated by "conventions, iconography, settings, narratives, characters and actors". One can also classify films by the tone, theme/topic, mood, format, target audience, or budget.Hayward, Susan. "Genre/Sub-genre" in Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts (Third Edition). Routledge, 2006. p. 185–192 These characteristics are most evident in genre films, which are "commercial feature films [that], through repetition and variation, tell familiar stories with familiar characters and familiar situations" in a given genre.Grant, Barry Keith. Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology. Wallflower Press, 2007. p. 1
A film's genre will influence the use of filmmaking styles and techniques, such as the use of flashbacks and low-key lighting in film noir; tight framing in horror films; or fonts that look like rough-hewn logs for the titles of Western films.Grant, Barry Keith. Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology. Wallflower Press, 2007. p. 11 In addition, genres have associated film scoring conventions, such as lush string orchestras for romantic melodramas or electronic music for science fiction films. Genre also affects how films are broadcast on television, advertised, and organized in video rental stores.
Alan Williams distinguishes three main genre categories: narrative, avant-garde, and documentary.Alan Williams, "Is a Radical Genre Criticism Possible?" Quarterly Review of Film Studies 9, no. 2 (Spring 1984): 121–2
With the proliferation of particular genres, film subgenres can also emerge: the legal drama, for example, is a sub-genre of drama that includes courtroom- and trial-focused films. Subgenres are often a mixture of two separate genres; genres can also merge with seemingly unrelated ones to form hybrid genres, where popular combinations include the romantic comedy and the action comedy film. Broader examples include the docufiction and docudrama, which merge the basic categories of fiction and non-fiction (documentary).Judith Butler and genre theory.
Genres are not fixed; they change and evolve over time, and some genres may largely disappear (for example, the melodrama). Not only does genre refer to a type of film or its category, a key role is also played by the expectations of an audience about a film, as well as institutional discourses that create generic structures.
Overview Characteristics Characteristics of particular genres are most evident in genre films, which are "commercial feature films [that], through repetition and variation, tell familiar stories with familiar characters and familiar situations" in a given genre.
Drawing heavily from the theories of literary-genre criticism, film genres are usually delineated by conventions, iconography, narratives, formats, characters, and actors, all of which can vary according to the genre. In terms of standard or "stock" characters, those in film noir, for example, include the femme fataleGrant, Barry Keith. Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology. Wallflower Press, 2007. p. 17 and the "hardboiled" detective; while those in Westerns, stock characters include the schoolmarm and the gunslinger. Regarding actors, some may acquire a reputation linked to a single genre, such as John Wayne (the Western) or Fred Astaire (the musical).Grant, Barry Keith. Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology. Wallflower Press, 2007. p. 18 Some genres have been characterized or known to use particular formats, which refers to the way in which films are shot (e.g., 35 mm, 16 mm or 8 mm) or the manner of presentation (e.g., anamorphic widescreen).
Genres can also be classified by more inherent characteristics (usually implied in their names), such as settings, theme/topic, mood, target audience, or budget/type of production.
The setting is the environment—including both time and geographic location—in which the story and action take place (e.g., present day or historical period; Earth or outer-space; urban or rural, etc.). Genres that are particularly concerned with this element include the historical drama, war film, Western, and space-opera, the names of which all denote particular settings. The theme or topic refers to the issues or concepts that the film revolves around; for example, the science fiction film, sports film, and crime film. The mood is the emotional tone of the film, as implied in the names of the comedy film, horror film, or 'tearjerker'. Genres informed by particular target audience(s) include children's film, teen film, woman's film, and "chick flick". Genres characterized by the type of production include the blockbuster, independent film, and low-budget film, such as the B movie (commercial) or amateur film (non-commercial).
Screenwriters, in particular, often organize their stories by genre, focusing their attention on three specific aspects: atmosphere, character, and story. A film's atmosphere includes costumes, props, locations, and the visceral experiences created for the audience. Aspects of character include archetypes, stock characters, and the goals and motivations of the central characters. Some story considerations for screenwriters, as they relate to genre, include theme, tent-pole scenes, and how the rhythm of characters' perspective shift from scene to scene.
Examples of genres and subgenres +Genres and subgenresGenreDescriptionSubgenre(s)ExamplesAction filmAssociated with particular types of spectacle (e.g., explosions, chases, combat) Disaster film Heroic bloodshed: defined by stylized action sequences and themes such as duty, brotherhood, honour, redemption. Martial arts film: focusing on the excitement and values of martial arts Spy film: centered on the excitement and entertainment of espionage rather than political or psychological aspects. Superhero film War film Commando (1985) Die Hard (1988) Face/Off (1997) The Last Samurai (2003) Pushpa: The Rise (2021)Adventure filmImplies a narrative that is defined by a journey (often including some form of pursuit) and is usually located within a fantasy or exoticized setting. Typically, though not always, such stories include the quest narrative. The predominant emphasis on violence and fighting in action films is the typical difference between the two genres. Pirate film Swashbuckler film Samurai film Swiss Family Robinson (1960) Romancing the Stone (1984) Wanted: Dead or Alive (1984) Stardust (2007) Jungle Cruise (2021)Animated filmA film medium in which the film's images are primarily created by computer or hand and the characters are voiced by actors. Animation can incorporate any genre and subgenre. CGI animation Cutout animation Live-action animated film Stop motion film Claymation Traditional animation Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Toy Story (1995) Spirited Away (2001) Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) Ne Zha 2 (2025)Comedy filmDefined by events that are primarily intended to make the audience laugh. Action comedy film Buddy comedy Dark/black comedy film Mockumentary Parody film (including spoof film) Screwball comedy Slapstick film Safety Last! (1923) Some Like It Hot (1959) Caddyshack (1980) Old School (2003) 3 Idiots (2009)Drama filmFocused on emotions and defined by conflict, often looking to reality rather than sensationalism. Docudrama Legal drama Medical drama Political drama Psychological drama Teen drama The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Citizen Kane (1941) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Sooryavansham (1999) Changeling (2008)Fantasy filmFilms defined by situations that transcend natural laws and/or by settings inside a fictional universe, with narratives that are often inspired by or involve human myths. Contemporary fantasy Dark fantasy High/epic fantasy Urban fantasy The Wizard of Oz (1939) Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022)Historical filmFilms that either provide more-or-less accurate representations of historical accounts or depict fictional narratives placed inside an accurate depiction of a historical setting. Alternate history Biopic Historical epic Historical event Historical fiction Period piece Joymoti (1935) Cleopatra (1963) Schindler's List (1993) Gladiator (2000) RRR (2022)Horror filmFilms that seek to elicit fear or disgust in the audience for entertainment purposes. Found footage Ghost films Monster movie Vampire films Werewolf films Slasher film Splatter film Zombie film Supernatural horror Frankenstein (1931) Night of the Living Dead (1968) The Exorcist (1973) Shaun of the Dead (2004) Tumbbad (2018)MelodramaA genre, mode, style or sensibility characterized by an emphasis on intense and exaggerated emotions and heightened dramatic situations. Much like film noir, its recognition as a genre with specific formal and thematic characteristics came retrospectively, and was driven by a 1970s critical re-evaluation of the films of Douglas Sirk, who came to be considered the greatest exponent of melodrama. The canonical form of melodrama, associated with the 1950s Hollywood films of Sirk, Vincente Minnelli, Nicholas Ray, George Cukor, Billy Wilder and Joseph Losey, among others, is known as "family melodrama" and centers on middle-class family conflicts, often generational, within contexts of social mobility and emotional trauma. Unlike drama, melodrama functions as a code that opposes realism, exaggerating the conventions of representation and mise-en-scène to depict the emotional states of the characters. Korean melodrama Way Down East (1920) Brief Encounter (1945) All That Heaven Allows (1955) Imitation of Life (1959)Musical filmA genre in which songs performed by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters or may serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate "production numbers". Jukebox musical Sung-through musical Singin' in the Rain (1952) West Side Story (1961) The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Moulin Rouge! (2001) Secret Superstar (2017)Noir filmA genre of stylish crime dramas particularly popular during the 1940s and '50s. They were often reflective of the American society and culture at the time. Neo-noir Horror-noir Tech-noir Pulp-noir Rural-noir The Letter (1940) Laura (1944) Chinatown (1974) Blood Simple (1984) Marco (2024)Pornographic filmPornographic films are typically categorized as either softcore or hardcore pornography. In general, softcore pornography is pornography that does not depict explicit sexual activity, sexual penetration or extreme fetishism. It generally contains nudity or partial nudity in sexually suggestive situations. Hardcore pornography is pornography that depicts penetration or extreme fetish acts, or both. It contains graphic sexual activity and visible penetration.Erotic horrorBlue Movie (1969) Mona the Virgin Nymph (1970) Deep Throat (1972) Behind the Green Door (1972) The Devil in Miss Jones (1973) The Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976) Romance filmCharacterized by an emphasis on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters, with romantic love or the search for it typically being the primary focus. Historical romance Paranormal romance Romantic comedy Romantic drama Romantic fantasy Romantic thriller Gone with the Wind (1939) Casablanca (1942) When Harry Met Sally... (1989) Ghost (1990)