Film Genres

Genre Conventions are specific settings, roles, events, and values that define individual genres and their sub-genres.

1. Love Story

2. Buddy Salvation

3. Road Picture

4. Horror Film
5. Uncanny – source of horror is astound but subject to “rational” explanation – such as beings from outer space, science-made monsters, or a maniac.
6. Supernational – in which the source of horror is an “irrational” phenomenon from the spirit realm.

7. Super-Uncanny – in which the audience is kept guessing between the other two possibilities

8. Modern Epic – individual versus the state – Spartacus, Erin Brockovich

9. Western
10. War Genre
11. Pro-war – covertly glorifying war

12. Anti-war

13. Maturation Plot – Coming of age Story

14. Redemption Plot – film arcs on a moral change within the protagonist from bad to good
15. Punitive Plot – good guy turns bad and is punished
16. Testing Plot – stories of will power versus temptation to surrender – Forest Gump
17. Education Plot – Deep change within the protagonist’s view of life, people, or self from the negative (naïve, distrustful, fatalistic, self0hating) to the positive (wise, trusting, optimistic, self-possessed)
18. Disillusionment Plot – a deep change of worldview from the positive to the negative – Great Gatsby, Macbeth
19. Comedy
20. Parody
21. Satire
22. Sitcom
23. Romantic
24. Screwball
25. Farce
26. Black Comedy

27. Bro Comedy

28. Crime

29. Murder Mystery (master detective POV)
30. Caper (master criminal’s POV)
31. Detective (cop’s POV)
32. Gangster (crook’s POV)
33. Thriller or Revenge Tale (victim’s POV)
34. Courtroom (lawyer’s POV)
35. Newspaper (reporter’s POV)
36. Espionage (spy’s POV)
37. Prison Drama (inmate’s POV)

38. Film Noir (POV of a protagonist who may be part criminal, part detective, part victim of a femme fatale)

39. Social Drama – problems in society 0 poverty, the education system, then constructs a story demonstrating a cure.

40. Domestic Drama (family problems)
41. Woman’s film (dilemmas such as career versus family, lover versus children)
42. Political Drama (corruption in politics)
43. Eco-Drama (battles to save the environment)
44. Medical Drama

45. Psycho-Drama

46. Action/Adventure

47. High Adventure

48. Disaster/Survival Film

49. Historical Drama

50. Biography – must have point of view Gandhi becomes the hero of a Modern Epic, Nixon suffers from Punitive Plot
51. Docu-Drama
52. Mockumentary
53. Musical
54. Science Fiction – often marry the man0against0state Modern Epic with Action/Adventure: Star Wars
55. Sports Genre - a natural home for Maturation Plot, Redemption Plot, Education Plot, Punitive Plot, Testing Plot, Disillusionment Plot, Beddy Salvation, Social Drama.
56. Fantasy
57. Animation
58. Art Film

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