MOVIE GENRES

Categorizing the Movies You Watch

“Zhan-ruh”

The term “genre” is used a lot around the movie industry to break down the type of film

into categories.

It's difficult to place a lot of films in a single category. For this reason a lot of films have

multiple genres.

Main Film Genres Action Adventure Animation Biography Comedy Crime Detective/Courtroom Documentary Drama Epic Family Fantasy

Film-Noir History Horror Musical Mystery Romance Sci-Fi Sports Thriller War Western

Movie Narrative

All movies must have narrative, e.g., “tell a story.”

All movie stories must have a “central struggle.”

The central struggle is the problem with which the main

character is confronted

Action

Stories whose central struggle plays out mainly through a

clash of physical forces.

Action Movies

The Dark Knight 48 Hours Face/Off Die Hard Lethal Weapon Fight Club Bourne Ultimatum

Adventure

Stories whose central struggle plays out mainly through

encounters with new “worlds.”

Adventure Movies

Apollo 13 Indiana Jones and the Temple of

Doom Water World The Matrix Wizard of Oz Into the Wild

Animation

Animation is not a strictly-defined genre category, but rather a film technique, but it is large enough

to deserve its own category.

Animation Movies Snow White and

the Seven Dwarfs

WALL-E South Park The Incredibles Monsters, Inc. Shrek Watership Down Wallace &

Gromit Fantasia

Biography

Stories whose central theme focuses on an important

historical person, place or thing.

Biographical Movies

Ray Patton The Aviator Amadeus Gandhi Evita Citizen Kane Man on the Moon

Comedy

Stories whose central struggle causes hilarious results.

Comedy Movies

Ace Ventura, Pet Detective

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The Big Lebowski

The Wedding Crashers

Caddyshack Meatballs

Crime

Also: GangsterStories whose central struggle is

about catching a criminal – or watching him or her get away.

Crime/Gangster Movies

48 Hours Fargo The Usual Suspects Pulp Fiction The Sting No Country for Old Men The Departed

Detective/Mystery

Also Courtroom and MysteryStories whose central struggle is to find out what really happened

and thus to expose the truth.

Detective/Courtroom Movies

A Few Good Men Caine Mutiny The Verdict Vertigo The Maltese

Falcon Chinatown Vantage Point JFK

Documentary

A movie that attempts to document reality.

Documentary Movies

Fahrenheit 9/11 Bowling for Columbine An Inconvenient Truth March of the Penguins Super Size Me Hoop Dreams

Drama

Stories whose central struggle involves intense realistic

characters and situations in conflict with either themselves,

others, or forces of nature.

Drama Movies

I Am Legend 21 Casablanca Memento Shawshank

Redemption Eternal Sunshine

of the Spotless Mind

Epic

Stories whose central struggle plays out in the midst of a clash of

great forces or in the sweep of great historical change.

Epic Movies

300 Star Wars The Ten

Commandments Ben Hur 2001: A Space

Odyssey Empire of the

Sun

Family

Also: Children’sStories whose central theme is primarily for children and

families.

Family Movies

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Home Alone Charlie and the Chocolate Factory A Bug’s Life Shrek Sky High

Fantasy

Stories which are animated, or whose central struggle plays out in two worlds - the "real" world

and an imaginary world.

Fantasy Movies

Big Ghostbusters Mary Poppins The Mask Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Lord of the Rings Groundhog Day

Film-Noir

Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the

mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film.

Film-Noir Movies

Citizen Kane Murder, My Sweet Notorious The Maltese Falcon Sunset Blvd. Double Indemnity The Third Man Touch of Evil

History

Stories which bring to life an actual historical event, place or person—usually not as grand as

an epic.

Historical Movies

Gettysburg Malcolm X Chaplin Nixon The Alamo Galipoli Ride With the Devil Wyatt Earp

Horror

Stories whose central struggle focuses on escaping from and eventually defeating a Monster (either human or non-human).

Horror Movies

Blair Witch Project Psycho Scream Tremors Saw The Grudge Amityville Horror The Exorcist

Musical

Stories that can revolve around any theme as long as the

narrative is significantly carried along by songs.

Musical Movies

Singin’ in the Rain Moulin Rouge! Chicago The Sound of Music Rocky Horror Picture Show West Side Story

Romance

Also: LoveStories whose central struggle is between two people who each want to win or keep the love of

the other

Romance Movies

Ghost Pretty Woman The Way We Were Titanic Sleepless in Seattle Sex and the City Annie Hall As Good As It Gets

Sci-Fi

Science-FictionStories whose central struggle is generated from the technology

and tools of a scientifically imaginable world.

Sci-Fi Movies

The Sixth Sense Star Wars series Back to the Future Iron Man The Truman Show The Prestige Twelve Monkeys Planet of the Apes

Sports

Stories whose central struggle is related to a sport or sports

figure.

Sports Movies

Miracle Remember the Titans The Natural Brian’s Song Cool Runnings Hoosiers Chariots of Fire Slap Shot

Thriller

Stories whose central struggle pits an innocent hero against a lethal enemy who is out to kill him or

her.

Thriller Movies

Three Days of the Condor The Dark Knight Silence of the Lambs Hotel Rwanda There Will Be Blood Reservoir Dogs Fatal Attraction

War

Stories whose central struggle deals with war or the impact

of war.

War Movies

Saving Private Ryan The Longest Day Platoon Full Metal Jacket M*A*S*H Gladiator Stalag 17 Kelly’s Heroes

Western

Stories whose central struggle deals with the

Western/cowboy era.

Western Movies

Red River Silverado Tombstone The Cowboys Outlaw Josie Wales Quigley Down Under High Noon