This also applies to books, stage, and television.
Genre in film or television refers to the classification of programs into categories based on their shared characteristics. These characteristics can include the setting, characters, plot, mood, tone, and theme.
Genres help audiences to find what they are likely to enjoy. They also help filmmakers and television producers to create content that appeal to specific target audiences.
Here is a list of the more common genres:
- Action: films that feature exciting and suspenseful scenes of violence and conflict. Examples of action films include Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Mad Max: Fury Road.
- Adventure: films that feature characters embarking on exciting and dangerous journeys. Examples of adventure films include The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- Comedy: films that are designed to make the audience laugh. Examples of comedy films include Bridesmaids, The Hangover, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
- Drama: films that explore serious and emotional themes. Examples of drama films are Nomadland, Parasite, and The Shawshank Redemption.
- Fantasy: films that feature magical elements and supernatural creatures. Examples of fantasy films include The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and Avatar.
- Horror: films that are designed to scare the audience. Examples of horror films include The Shining, The Exorcist, and Alien.
- Mystery: films that feature a puzzle or enigma that needs to be solved. Examples of mystery films include Knives Out, The Maltese Falcon, and The Sixth Sense.
- Romance: films that focus on romantic relationships. Examples of romance films include The Notebook, Titanic, and Casablanca.
- Science fiction: films that feature futuristic or fantastical technologies. Examples of science fiction films include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and Star Wars: A New Hope.
- Thriller: films that are designed to keep the audience in suspense. Examples of thriller films include Se7en, Silence of the Lambs, and Gone Girl.
- Western: films set on the American frontier and tend to be based between 1849 and 1890. They can be from periods outside this range although this is the primary focus of this genre. Examples of westerns include Unforgiven, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Outlaw Josey Wales.
Genres can also be combined to create hybrid genres, such as action-comedy, romantic-comedy, and science fiction-horror.
Genres are not always fixed or rigid. Films and television programs can often be classified into multiple genres. For example, the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring can be classified as a fantasy, adventure film, and an epic film.
Genres are also constantly evolving. New genres emerge and old ones fade away over time. For example, the cyberpunk genre emerged in the 1980s and became popular in the 1990s. However, it has become less popular in recent years.