Film Genres
Action: Contains numerous scenes where action is spectacular and usually destructive – e.g. Die Hard, Raiders of
the Lost Ark, The Matrix and The Expendables (Sub Genres include Action-Comedy, disaster films and ActionWar)
Drama: Drama films aim to tell an honest story of human struggles and rely on the emotional and relational
development of realistic characters. Dramatic themes are taken from intense, real life issues – e.g. The
Godfather, Schindler’s List, Forrest Gump, and The Shawshank Redemption (Sub Genres include Period Dramas,
Political, Romance and Biography’s)
Tragedy: The downfall of the character is caused by a flaw within the character. While Tragedy Dramas sometime
put the character in extraordinary circumstances, this genre is really about the self-destructive behaviour of the
character. The flaws of the character come to a head and ultimately result in death or other form of degradation
– e.g. The Great Gatsby
Romance: Explores the complex side of love. The plot usually centres on an obstacle that is preventing love
between two people. The obstacles in Romantic Drama film can range from a family's disapproval, to forbidden
love, to one's own psychological restraints – e.g. Titanic, The Notebook, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Sub Genres
include Romantic Comedy - light-hearted and usually places the two protagonists in humorous situation.
Romantic-Comedy film revolves around a romantic ideal, such as true love. In the end the ideal triumphs over the
situation or obstacle – e.g. Roman Holiday, When Harry Met Sally, Knocked Up, The Holiday and Love Actually)
Epics: Takes historical events and people and interprets them in a larger scale. Historical accuracy is not the main
focus in Epics, but rather the telling of a grandiose story. The drama of an Epic film is often accentuated by a
sweeping musical score, lavish costumes, and high production value – e.g. Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and
Saving Private Ryan (Sub Genres include Biopics, Historical, War and Religious Epics)
Adventure: Revolves around the conquests and explorations of a protagonist. The purpose of the conquest can
be to retrieve a person or treasure, but often the main focus is simply the pursuit of the unknown. These films
generally take place in exotic locations and play on historical myths. Adventure films incorporate suspenseful
puzzles and intricate obstacles that the protagonist must overcome in order to achieve the end goal – e.g. Pirates
of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and Nation Treasure ( Sub Genres include
Swashbuckler Film - characterized by lavish sets and costumes and usually involves a damsel in distress and a
charming hero – e.g. The Three Musketeers, The Mask of Zorro and Robin Hood.)
Animated: Illustrations that are photographed frame-by-frame and then played in a quick succession – e.g.
Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Up, Shrek and The Lion King (Sub Genres include Anime - a form of animation
originating from Japan usually based on television shows or video games – e.g. Castle in the Sky)
Thriller: Aim is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film
falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. Tension builds throughout the film and leads to
a very stressful climax – e.g. The Great Escape, The Silence of the Lambs, Shutter Island, Black Swan and
Inception ( Sub Genres include Action, Crime, Film Nior, Science Fiction, Religious and Psychological)
Horror: Aims to create a sense of fear, panic, alarm, and dread for the audience. These films are often unsettling
and rely on scaring the audience through a portrayal of their worst fears and nightmares. Horror films usually
center on the arrival of an evil force, person, or event. Many Horror films include mythical creatures such as
ghosts, vampires, and zombies. Traditionally, Horror films incorporate a large amount of violence and gore into
the plot – e.g. A Nightmare on Elm Street, Saw, Friday the 13th ( Sub Genres include Comedy Horror Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead, Teen- Horror - I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream, Slasher Halloween, My Bloody Valentine, Super Natural - The Exorcist, The Ring, The Omen)
Musical: Interweaves vocal and dance performances into the narrative of the film. These films explore concepts
such are love and success, allowing the audience to escape from reality e.g. Grease, Funny Face, Singin’ in the
Rain, The Sound of Music, The Lion King and High School Musical (Sub Genres include, Broadway, Animated and
Family)
Fantasy: Incorporates imaginative and fantastic themes. These themes usually involve magic, supernatural
events, or fantasy worlds. Unlike science fiction, a fantasy film does not need to be rooted in fact. This element
allows the audience to be transported into a new and unique world. Often, these films centre on an ordinary
hero in an extraordinary situation e.g. The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Avatar, Star Wars, The Chronicles of
Narnia and The Never-ending Story
Comedy: Uses humour as a driving force. The aim of a comedy film is to illicit laughter from the audience through
entertaining stories and characters. Although the comedy film may take on some serious material, most have a
happy ending. Comedies are more likely than other films to fall back on the success and popularity of an
individual star e.g. Happy Gilmore, Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up and Little Miss Sunshine (Sub genres include,
Romantic, Black-comedy, Parody, Action, Slapstick and Dramedy)
Western: Revolves around stories primarily set in the late 19th century in the American Old West. Most Westerns
are set between the American Civil War (1865) and the early 1900s. Common themes within Western Film
include: the conquest of the wild west, the cultural separation of the East and the West, the West’s resistance to
modern change, the conflict between Cowboys and Indians, outlaws, and treasure/gold hunting. American
Western Film usually revolves around a stoic hero and emphasizes the importance of honour and sacrifice e.g.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Unforgiven and Butch Cassidy, The Sundance Kid and The Good, The Bad,
and the Ugly (Sub Genres include, Spaghetti, Science Fiction and Contemporary)
Crime: Revolves around the action of a criminal mastermind. A Crime film will often revolve around the criminal
himself, chronicling his rise and fall. Some Crime films will have a storyline that follows the criminal's victim, yet
others follow the person in pursuit of the criminal. This genre tends to be fast paced with an air of mystery – this
mystery can come from the plot or from the characters themselves e.g. Fargo, The Silence of the Lambs,
Reservoir Dogs and Sin City (Sub genres include, Thriller, Neo-Nior, Film-Nior and Mob/Gangster)
Children: Aimed at entertaining young audiences, usually rated ‘U’, the majority of Children’s films will
demonstrate some kind of moral message, cautionary tale, or contain a plot that illustrates good overcoming evil.
Often animated e.g. The Muppet Movie, Casper, The Rugrats Movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Toy
Story (Sub genres include, musical, animal and animated)