Film genres and sub-genres serve as essential categories that help audiences identify and understand the type of content they’re about to watch. This comprehensive list explores over 100 different genres and sub-genres, including a few examples.
Action
- Martial Arts
- Combat-focused narratives featuring traditional fighting styles
- Example: “The Challenger” (2015) – A short film about a young martial artist facing her first competition
- Military Action
- Focuses on armed forces and warfare
- Example: “Day of the Fight” (1951) – Stanley Kubrick’s first film
- Spy/Espionage
- Stories involving secret agents and intelligence operations
- Superhero
- Based on comic book characters or individuals with supernatural abilities
- Disaster
- Natural or human-made catastrophes
- Heist
- Complex theft or robbery narratives
Adventure
- Exploration
- Journey-based narratives
- Example: “The Great Chase” (1962) – A dialogue-free adventure short
- Survival
- Characters fighting against natural elements
- Swashbuckler
- Historical adventure featuring sword fighting and romance
- Lost World
- Discovery of unknown places or civilizations
Comedy
- Slapstick
- Physical comedy
- Example: “The Immigrant” (1917) – Charlie Chaplin short
- Romantic Comedy
- Love stories with humorous elements
- Parody/Spoof
- Satirical imitations of other genres
- Black Comedy
- Dark or taboo subjects treated humorously
- Screwball Comedy
- Fast-paced, witty dialogue and romance
- Comedy of Manners
- Satirizing social conventions
- Comedy of Errors
- Based on misunderstandings and mistaken identities
Drama
- Historical Drama
- Based on real historical events
- Example: “An Irish Story” (2017) – Short film about Irish immigration
- Biographical Drama
- Life stories of real people
- Medical Drama
- Set in healthcare environments
- Legal Drama
- Focusing on law and justice systems
- Political Drama
- Government and political intrigue
- Social Drama
- Addressing societal issues
- Domestic Drama
- Family relationships and home life
Horror
- Supernatural Horror
- Ghost stories and paranormal events
- Example: “Lights Out” (2013) – Short film that launched a feature franchise
- Psychological Horror
- Mental and emotional terror
- Body Horror
- Physical transformation and mutilation
- Folk Horror
- Based on rural traditions and folklore
- Gothic Horror
- Classic horror elements in historical settings
- Found Footage
- Presented as discovered video recordings
- Slasher
- Serial killer narratives
Science Fiction
- Space Opera
- Epic space adventures
- Cyberpunk
- High tech, low life futures
- Example: “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB” (1967) – George Lucas student film
- Post-Apocalyptic
- After civilization’s collapse
- Time Travel
- Temporal manipulation stories
- Biopunk
- Biotechnology-focused futures
- Hard Science Fiction
- Scientifically accurate narratives
- Alternate History
- Changed historical events
Fantasy
- High Fantasy
- Complete fictional worlds
- Urban Fantasy
- Magical elements in modern settings
- Example: “The Magic Portal” (1989) – Stop-motion animation
- Dark Fantasy
- Combining fantasy and horror elements
- Sword and Sorcery
- Heroic adventures with magic
- Contemporary Fantasy
- Magic in the real world
- Mythological Fantasy
- Based on ancient myths
Romance
- Period Romance
- Historical love stories
- Contemporary Romance
- Modern love stories
- Tragic Romance
- Doomed love affairs
- Paranormal Romance
- Supernatural love interests
Documentary
- Nature Documentary
- Wildlife and natural phenomena
- Biographical Documentary
- Life stories
- Example: “The Lead Role” (2020) – Short doc about aspiring actors
- Social Issue Documentary
- Current affairs and problems
- Historical Documentary
- Past events and periods
- Sports Documentary
- Athletic achievements
- Arts Documentary
- Creative processes
Experimental
- Abstract
- Non-narrative visual experiences
- Example: “Meshes of the Afternoon” (1943) – Maya Deren’s surrealist short
- Surrealist
- Dream-like imagery
- Structuralist
- Form over content
- Found Footage Art
- Repurposed existing footage
Musical
- Traditional Musical
- Integrated songs and dance
- Rock Musical
- Contemporary music-based
- Dance Film
- Focus on choreography
Western
- Classical Western
- Traditional frontier stories
- Spaghetti Western
- Italian-style westerns
- Contemporary Western
- Modern frontier tales
- Revisionist Western
- Deconstructing genre tropes
Film Noir
- Classic Noir
- 1940s-50s crime dramas
- Neo-Noir
- Modern noir style
- Tech-Noir
- Combining noir with sci-fi
Thriller
- Psychological Thriller
- Mental manipulation
- Crime Thriller
- Criminal investigations
- Political Thriller
- Government conspiracies
- Erotic Thriller
- Sexual tension and danger
- Medical Thriller
- Healthcare-related suspense
Crime
- Police Procedural
- Law enforcement focus
- Gangster Film
- Organized crime
- True Crime
- Based on real cases
- Prison Film
- Incarceration stories
War
- Anti-War
- Opposing conflict
- Combat Film
- Battle-focused
- Resistance Film
- Fighting occupation
- Home Front
- Civilian wartime experience
Sports
- Underdog Story
- Unlikely champions
- Biography
- Athlete life stories
- Team Sports
- Group dynamics
Children’s
- Family Animation
- All-ages cartoons
- Educational
- Learning focus
- Fantasy Adventure
- Youth-oriented quests
Teen
- Coming-of-Age
- Growing up stories
- High School Drama
- Teen social life
- Teen Horror
- Youth-focused scares
Animation
- Traditional Animation
- Hand-drawn
- Stop Motion
- Frame-by-frame objects
- CGI Animation
- Computer graphics
- Anime
- Japanese animation style
- Mixed Media
- Combined techniques
Art House
- New Wave
- Experimental narratives
- Minimalist
- Stripped-down storytelling
- Avant-Garde
- Pushing boundaries
Mixed Genres
- Horror Comedy
- Blending scares and laughs
- Action Comedy
- Humor and excitement
- Romantic Thriller
- Love and danger
- Science Fantasy
- Science fiction and magic
- Historical Fantasy
- Magic in history
Modern Emerging Genres
- Found Phone
- Stories told through mobile devices
- Social Media Horror
- Digital platform fears
- Virtual Reality
- VR-specific narratives
- Interactive Film
- Audience choice-driven
- Eco-Horror
- Environmental threats
- Pandemic
- Disease outbreak stories
- Climate Fiction
- Climate change focus
This extensive list demonstrates the rich diversity of film genres, each offering unique storytelling opportunities and viewing experiences. As cinema evolves, new genres and hybrid forms emerge, further expanding the possibilities for creative expression in film.
