In this article we take a look at what is meant by film genre, some of the most popular film genres, and how to understand what different film genres include.
What Does “Genre” Mean?
You can think of genre as “category,” a type of thing in entertainment and art that groups together similar content or styles. Each genre has its own rules or expectations that help the audience know what they’re going to get from that particular piece of work. These can be further broken down into sub-genres too!
The word genre is French, which in turn is from the Latin “genus” meaning kind or style
What is Genre in Film?
In film, genre is how a movie is categorised based on things like the narrative, themes, style, and so on. Understanding what the genre of a film is can help us know what the intended audience should be, but also can influence film-making techniques, like camera work, editing, and the musical score.
What is the Significance of Genre?
We’ve just touched on why we might need to sort film into genres, but let’s break it down a little more.
1. Expectations
Genres let audiences know what the content and tone of a film will be. We know that if we go to see a film billed as a ‘horror’ that we can expect to be scared and in suspense. Likewise, you wouldn’t go to see a romantic comedy and expect to hide behind your seat – you’d want to laugh a lot!
2. Promotion
It’s easier to promote a film if it’s easily classifiable as a particular genre. This taps into what we’ve just mentioned about audience expectations because you can market the film at the right people.
3. Artistic Expression
Film-makers often use the conventions associated with genres and play with them, sometimes subverting them in creative ways to create a fresh perspective on storytelling tropes.
How Many Genres Are There?
This is a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question. There’s no definitive answer because genres are quite fluid and change over time, sometimes overlapping. There are plenty of broad, recognised, and agreed-upon genres, though, so let's take a look at the most popular film genres.
A List of Film Genres: 10 Types of Popular Film Genre
1. Types of Film Genres: Drama
Drama is usually fiction (or semi-fiction – based on real events) centred around great storytelling and character development, and has lots of emotional depth and often quite serious themes.
Key Elements
Themes like love, loss, redemption, and personal growth are common. They tend to explore the complexities of life and revolve around realistic scenarios.
Film Genres: Examples of Drama
Among some of Forbes Best Drama Movies was The Godfather Part II (1974), Schindler’s List (1993) and Casablanca (1942) which are all very different films but still centre around impactful storytelling and characters that we come to love, or love to hate!
2. Types of Film Genres: Comedy
As you’d expect, comedy films are supposed to entertain us and make us laugh. To do that, they usually have to have some pretty tight dialogue, great comedic timing, and characters can often be exaggerated or even stereotypes. Comedy is one of the oldest genres and some of the earliest comedy films were very physical and slapstick in nature because they were shown before sound (live music was played in the theatre), and so what you saw had to be pretty darn funny.
Key Elements
Comedies usually explore everyday life in a way that’s, well… funny! Comedy films most often have a happy ending, but there’s the sub-genre of dark comedy which can subvert that.
Film Genres: Examples of Comedy
This year, Time Out ranked 100 of the Best Comedy Movies, with This Is Spinal Tap (1984) – one of my favourites too! - coming out on top. Several Monty Python films were included in the round-up, as well as Airplane! (1980) and, perhaps surprisingly, Toy Story (1995).
3. Types of Film Genres: Horror
We get a thrill from being scared and that’s exactly what horror films are supposed to do, create fear, tension, and terrify us to within an inch of our lives! A good build-up and satisfactory conclusion are the key to a decent horror film. We should be frightened just enough… too few jump scares and it becomes boring, too many and it’s exhausting!
Key Elements
Pacing that creates suspense, mystery and intrigue and hopefully some twists and surprises along the way. Effective use of sound in horror films is really important, either to add to the tension of the atmosphere, or to punctuate scary moments and make them more effective.
Film Genres: Examples of Horror
Rotten Tomatoes created a huge list of 200 hundred of the best horror films based on their RT ratings. Alien (1979) which is currently enjoying another cinema release in the UK due to its popularity, was number one, with its squeal Aliens (1986) only two spots behind it. The Alien movies are undeniably sci-fi too, so it just goes to show how many of these films comfortably overlap genres.
4. Types of Film Genres: Action
Action films are normally really high energy films with lots of physical stunts, and big dynamic scenes like fights, battles, or chases. The narrative is usually fast-paced, with the action moving along quickly.
Key Elements
Dynamic action and high stakes, with a strong sense of tension and urgency. A little like horror there should be suspense and thrills, and the ending should provide a good resolution for our protagonist(s).
Film Genres: Examples of Action
Empire have gone all in on action films by declaring their 50 Best Action Movies with some expected giants of the genre included like Die Hard (1988), Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
5. Types of Film Genres: Science Fiction (Sci-fi)
Science Fiction, or Sci-fi films often take place in imagined or futuristic settings and explore things like technology, space exploration, life on other planets, alternate realities, and so on.
Key Elements
Unique visuals, often with a lot of CGI for a really impressive looking environment. Sci-fi movies look at philosophical or ethical dilemmas and the consequences of advancements in science.
Film Genres: Examples of Sci-Fi
Rolling Stone kicked off 2024 with The 150 Greatest Science Fiction Movies of All Time and at number one was a film I know is a classic but dislike intensely non-the-less: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) with the visually dazzling and dystopian Blade Runner (1982) nipping at its heels at number 4. Fritz Lang’s ground-breaking movie, Metropolis (1927) is at number 8 and certainly deserves a mention as one of the great influences on the Sci-fi genre.
6. Types of Film Genres: Fantasy
In fantasy, we expect to be transported somewhere filled with strange creatures, mythical quests, or magic and enchantment. Whatever the type of fantasy film, it should have a sense of wonder and escapism – no matter how outlandish, we should believe in the world we see and that’s down to good world-building, and well-written protagonists.
Key Elements
Epic quests or adventures, mythical creatures, and themes of good and evil are all usually present in some way in fantasy films. Characters usually go through some personal growth and are often faced with moral dilemmas.
Film Genres: Examples of Fantasy
Forbes rates classic film The Seventh Seal (1957) as its number one fantasy film. It’s a movie that’s sparked a lot of homages and has a memorable scene between a character representing Death, and a knight, who play chess. Other notable entries include The Lord of the Rings films (2001-2003).
7. Types of Film Genres: Thriller
Sometimes the genres of thriller and action can seem pretty similar, but they have different approaches to storytelling, character development and themes. There can be overlap, but action tends to focus on spectacle while thrillers engage through suspense and tend to have more complex plot structures.
Key Elements
Detailed narratives with lots of layers and intricate plot developments, plus well developed characters. An engaging premise will usually be setup from the start, the editing is usually tight, with a good use of music for drama, and creative camera work.
Film Genres: Examples of Thriller
Elle put American Gangster (2007) at number one when it comes to the best thriller movies, and it certainly fits the complex plot and in-depth character traits we mentioned, centring around a drug lord in the ‘70s who becomes a powerful figure investigated by a detective determined to bring him down. Also on the list is the much discussed Saltburn (2023)… and that’s all we’ll say about that film.
8. Types of Film Genres: Western
Westerns generally take place in the American Old West during the 19th century and show vast plains, mountains, frontier towns, and so on. Characters in Westerns are usually a mix of cowboys, outlaws, pioneers, and Native Americans.
Key Elements
Conflict and confrontation, and exploration are at the heart of Westerns. They’re well known for the iconic cinematography, as well as the lovable tropes we’ve come to expect like cowboy hats, boots, and spurs.
Film Genres: Examples of Westerns
In Vulture’s 50 Greatest Western Movies Ever Made you’ll find classic gems like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) as well as more modern Westerns like The Power of the Dog (2021), a fantastic film by Jane Campion.
9. Types of Film Genres: Musical
It’s going to come as no surprise that the key factor in the genre of ‘musical’ is… music. There’s more to it than that though, the songs should be catchy and memorable, and they should work as a storytelling device. Musicals feature strong performances by actors who can sing and dance, as well as act.
Key Elements
Songs and dialogue flow naturally with the plot. They often explore themes like love, friendship, and ambition. There’s usually at least one song that’s a musicals’ iconic number, having a lasting impact after you’ve watched the film.
Film Genres: Examples of Musicals
IndieWire ranked the Best 65 Movie Musicals of All Time and lots of Disney Musicals made it – they’re classics for a reason! - but you can also find some great films like Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and The Sound of Music (1965).
10. Types of Film Genres: Documentary
Documentaries are frequently being done episodically rather than in a movie, but there are still plenty of documentary feature-length films, and in any case the rules generally still apply! A documentary should, first and foremost, be factual and present that information credibly, with a commitment to the truth.
Key Elements
Documentaries need to be impactful and present perspectives and points of view, often many of those to encourage the audience to reach their own conclusions from what’s presented. Documentaries combine footage of interviews and real-life events and incidents, with cinematic techniques to still tell engaging stories.
Film Genres: Examples of Documentary
Esquire’s The 64 Best Documentaries of All Time ranges from The Beatles: Eight Days a Week (2016), to nature documentary March of the Penguins (2005).
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About This Page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Andrew Blackman. Andrew is a freelance writer and editor, and is a copy editor for Envato Tuts+.
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