Beginners Guide To Movie Genres

As a movie go-er and film fanatic, you’ve probably heard the term genre thrown around and used to describe your favorite movies. In some cases, the name will give it away and you won’t need to look into the movie details too much. However, some movie titles have been selectively chosen to be deceiving, an artistic choice if you will.

Genres may seem like a straightforward concept that requires no further explanation, but they can become quite complex. What exactly makes The Notebook a drama and Just Go With It a rom-com? What do genres actually mean and how do filmmakers work within these models?

To put it simply, genre refers any form of art, literature, or entertainment. It’s the easiest and simplest way to categories the different stories and their context and provides a glimpse into what can be expected by your chosen form of entertainment as well as similar forms of entertainment.

It’s important to note that movie genres started out with very clear distinctions and almost no overlap between the various forms. In recent times, movie genres have become hybrids, for example rom-coms. These hybrids have given rise to a new world of unique story telling techniques. 

7 movie genres

1. Action: This genre is one of first recorded film genres and is also one of the most popular. These adrenaline pumping movies showcase struggle sand strife and often depict the hero versus villain narrative. This genre can further be divided into:

• • War and Military 
  • Western Shoot ‘Em Up
  • Spy and Espionage
  • Martial Arts

2. Comedy: This genre is a family favorite, appealing to viewers of all ages. The power of laughter is utilized and brings a smile to the audiences’ faces. Subcategories include:

• • Slapstick 
  • Parody 
  • Screwball 
  • Black

3. Horror: All the ghouls and goblins come out to play and capture the imagination of audiences time and time again. Folklore and tales of monsters often feature in this genre. The horror genre can be spilt up into additional categories: 

• • Zombie 
  • Body
  • Folk 
  • Found Footage 

4. Sci-Fi: Investigating the role we play in the universe has always been an area of interest. While not particularly accurate, the sci-fi genre attempts to looking into this often-misunderstood genre. Sub-genres include:

• • Space Travel
  • Cerebral Science
  • Time Travel
  • Disaster and Alien Invasion
  • Robot and Monster Films

5. Western: Cowboys and Indians have taken over our screens since the beginning of televised entertainment. It’s been reimagined and reinvented countless time and has on occasion been considered a sub-genre for action movies. Some of the main sub-genres include:

• • Classic 
  • Fantasy and Space
  • Modern
  • The Revisionist and Anti-Western
  • Contemporary and Neo-Western

6. Romance: Of course, what would the world be without love? Romance can easily be identified in most movie genres and easily intertwines a multitude of genres on cape global tents. Subcategories include:

• • Historical
  • Romantic Comedy
  • Romantic Drama
  • Chick Flick
  • Paranormal

7. Thriller: Conspiracy’s and deep dark secrets, the thriller genre seeks to uncover the inconvenient truths that we often try to avoid. This genre can further be split into:

• • Conspiracy
  • Legal
  • Crime
  • Spy
  • Supernatural

Give it some thought

When you choose a genre, it’s often because you’re familiar with what it entails and have grown to enjoy it, much the same way you know you love style when you click right here and if you’ve tried it before. Next time you’re choosing a movie, why not try something different or even a hybrid of two of your favorite genres?