Genre | Subgenre | Examples | Description |
action | disaster-action | The Day After Tomorrow | Contains one or more disasters such as natural disasters, accidents, or global catastrophes such as a pandemic. |
action | martial-arts-action | Enter the Dragon | Plot and action is centered on a martial artist or a group of martial artists. |
action | spy-action | Casino Royale | Contains espionage by one or more of the main characters. |
action | superhero-action | Avengers: Endgame | The main character(s) have superhuman powers, or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, which are are typically used to protect the public. |
action | sword-and-sandal-action | Gladiator | Set in the Greco-Roman or biblical time period. |
action | epic-action | 300 | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
action | one-person-army-action | Kill Bill, Die Hard, Rambo | Contains the primary character fighting many enemies. |
action | b-action | Miami Connection | Produced on a low budget. |
action | team-action | Predator, Aliens, Red, A-Team, The Suicide Squad | The key action scenes involve a group of people working together. |
action | car-action | Fast and the Furious | The key action scenes involve motor vehicles. |
adventure | space-adventure | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | An adventure set primarily in space. |
adventure | sea-adventure | Master and Commander | An adventure set primarily at sea. |
adventure | jungle-adventure | Jumanji, Jungle Book, Tarzan | An adventure set primarily in a jungle or rainforest. |
adventure | snow-adventure | Ice Age, The Revenant, The Grey | An adventure set primarily in a snowy environment. |
adventure | desert-adventure | Sahara | An adventure set primarily in the desert. |
adventure | urban-adventure | The Warriors | An adventure set primarily in a city, town or village. |
adventure | road-trip-adventure | Mad Max: Fury Road | An adventure set primarily on the road. The mode of transport doesn't matter. |
adventure | survival-adventure | The Edge, Cast Away | An adventure in which one or more characters are in danger and trying to survive natural elements. |
adventure | quest-adventure | Fellowship of the Ring | An adventure in which one or more characters are trying to achieve something besides surviving. |
adventure | swashbuckler-adventure | Pirates of the Caribbean | An adventure involving pirates. |
adventure | epic-adventure | Ben-Hur | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
adventure | mountain-adventure | Cliffhanger | An adventure set primarily in mountains or significantly hilly terrain. |
adventure | dinosaur-adventure | Jurassic Park | An adventure involving dinosaurs. |
adventure | globetrotting-adventure | Raiders of the Lost Ark, Skyfall | An adventure that takes place in more than one continent and more than two countries. |
adventure | teen-adventure | Hunger Games | The main character(s) are teenagers (ages 13-19). |
adventure | island-adventure | Six Days Seven Nights | An adventure set primarily on one or more islands. |
animation | anime-animation | Akira | Animation originating from Japan, or emulating the style of Japanese animation. |
animation | classic-animation | Pinocchio | Animation produced during the 20th century. |
animation | 2d-animation | The Iron Giant | Traditional or computer animation that exists in a two-dimensional space. |
animation | cg-animation | Toy Story | Computer-generated animation. |
animation | for-grown-ups-animation | Sausage Party | Animation catered specifically to adult interests. |
animation | stop-motion-animation | Fantastic Mr. Fox | The animation technique of photographing physical objects that are manipulated between frames. |
animation | live-action-animation | Who Framed Roger Rabbit | Features a combination of live-action and non-photo realistic 2D or 3D animated characters or settings. |
comedy | stand-up-comedy | Eddie Murphy: Delirious | One or more comedians performing in front of a live audience, in real life. |
comedy | farce-comedy | | |
comedy | mockumentary-comedy | Best in Show | A spoof documentary depicting fictional events. |
comedy | crude-humor-comedy | The Hangover | The key humoristic features of the title are distasteful, uncomfortable or even gross. |
comedy | cringe-comedy | Borat, Bad Trip | The key humoristic features of the title make audiences purposefully uncomfortable. |
comedy | stoner-comedy | Pinneapple Express | The key humoristic features of the title come from the main character(s) consuming marijuana. |
comedy | teen-comedy | American Pie, Clueless etc. | The main character(s) are teenagers (ages 13-19). |
comedy | quirky-comedy | New Girl, Napolean Dynamite | The key humoristic features come from peculiar or unexpected traits in the characters, situations, or filmmaking. |
comedy | surreal-comedy | Monty Python, Tim & Eric | The key humoristic features come from deliberate violations of causal reasoning, resulting in situations and behaviors that are obviously illogical, irrational or absurd. |
comedy | dark-comedy | Death to Smoochy | The key humoristic features make light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered too serious or painful to discuss. |
comedy | alternative-comedy | Election, Being John Malkovich | Makes a conscious break from the mainstream comedic style of the era it was released. |
comedy | parody-comedy | Spaceballs, Hot Shots! | A comedy that imitates the style or character of one or more other works. |
comedy | satire-comedy | The Campaign, Borat | The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. |
comedy | buddy-comedy | Booksmart, Step Brothers | A comedy where the main characters are a comedic duo. |
comedy | high-concept-comedy | Liar Liar, Bruce Almighty | A comedy with a clear comedic premise or 'what if…' scenario. |
comedy | road-trip-comedy | Little Miss Sunshine, Vacation | A comedy where most of the plot develops on the road while traveling. |
comedy | showbiz-comedy | The Producers | A comedy where the main character(s) work within or around the entertainment industry. |
comedy | raunchy-comedy | American Pie | A comedy where sex and relationships drive the key comedic aspects of the plot. |
comedy | body-swap-comedy | Freaky Friday, 13 Going on 30 | A comedy where the main character(s) finds themselves in a different or changed body. |
comedy | slapstick-comedy | Clue, Rat Race, The Bellboy, A Fish Called Wanda | The key humoristic features of the title involve exaggerated actions, and absurd, usually mildly violent situations. |
crime | scandi-noir-crime | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | The plot follows police officer(s) trying to solve a crime in Scandinavia or Nordic countries. Typically has a dark and bleak mood to it. |
crime | heist-crime | Heat, The Town, Heist | The plot follows the planning, execution and aftermath of a large robbery. |
crime | true-crime | GoodFellas, The Wolf of Wall Street | The plot features a crime that actually occurred in real life. |
crime | organized-crime | Gone In 60 Seconds | The plot follows the members and dealings of a gang of criminals. |
crime | police-procedural-crime | Law & Order | The plot follows police proceedings in detail. |
crime | serial-killer-crime | Seven | The plot follows a series of murders committed supposedly by the same person. |
crime | drug-crime | Sicario, Breaking Bad | The plot follows drug-related crimes. |
crime | caper-crime | The Sting, Oceans 11, Logan Lucky | The plot follows one or more crimes perpetrated by the main characters in full view of the audience, typically with elements of humor, adventure, or unusual cleverness or audacity. The main characters often have comical idiosyncrasies and the law enforcement individuals are characterized by ineptitude or inadequacies. |
crime | buddy-cop-crime | Lethal Weapon | The main characters are a law enforcement duo. |
documentary | art-documentary | Basquiat The Radiant Child, Banksy Does New York - Going After Him, Le mystère Picasso, The Cool School, Gerhard Richter: Painting, Tim's Vermeer | Non-fiction title about any of the art forms. |
documentary | entertainment-documentary | Jim & Andy | Non-fiction title about people in the entertainment business or the making of a move or TV show.. Some might fit best under biographical-documentaries. |
documentary | environmental-documentary | I Am Greta | Non-fiction title about environmental issues. Titles about the environment from a mere natural sciences perspective may fit better under nature-documentaries. |
documentary | crime-documentary | Inside Job | Non-fiction title about a crime. |
documentary | food-and-drink-documentary | Julia | Non-fiction title about food and drink. |
documentary | military-and-war-documentary | They Shall Not Grow Old | Non-fiction title about war and/or military. |
documentary | music-documentary | When You're Strange | Non-fiction title about music and/or the art of artists or bands. More personal documentaries about musicians might fit the biographical-documentary subgenre best. |
documentary | nature-documentary | The Year Earth Changed | Non-fiction title about nature, including all life-forms and earth sciences. Documentaries about sustainability might fit best under environmental-documentary. |
documentary | politics-documentary | Fahrenheit 9/11, RBG | Non-fiction title about politics, or focused socio-political themes. Documentaries about specific politicians might fit the biographical-documentary subgenre best. |
documentary | religion-and-spirituality-documentary | Becoming Nobody | Non-fiction title about religion and spirituality. |
documentary | science-and-technology-documentary | An Inconvenient Truth | Non-fiction title about science and/or technology. |
documentary | social-documentary | Flee, Waiting for Superman | Non-fiction title about social issues. |
documentary | sports-documentary | Deigo Maradona | Non-fiction title about a sport or game. |
documentary | travel-documentary | The Last Tourist | Non-fiction title about locations. |
drama | docudrama-drama | The Wolf of Wall Street | A drama based on a true story. |
drama | domestic-drama | CODA, American Beauty, Lady Bird | A drama based on family issues and relationships. |
drama | dramedy-drama | Parasite, Inside Llewelyn Davis, About Schmidt | Used to categorize titles with comedic undertones that qualify for the Drama genre but not necessarily the Comedy genre |
drama | epic-drama | The Godfather, There Will Be Blood | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
drama | legal-drama | 12 Angry Men | The plot takes place in a legal setting or around court proceedings. |
drama | medical-drama | John Q, Contagion | The plot takes place in a medical setting, such as a hospital. |
drama | political-drama | Vice | The plot takes place in a political setting. |
drama | prison-drama | The Shawshank Redemption | The plot takes place in a prison. |
drama | psychological-drama | Uncut Gems, Whiplash | The plot features the viewpoint of stressed characters, revealing their distorted mental perceptions. |
drama | supernatural-drama | The Green Mile, Annihilation, The Sixth Sense | The plot features the suspenseful and mysterious presence supernatural creatures or happenings within the real world, where magic and fantastical creatures are not perceived as normal. |
drama | teen-drama | The Breakfast Club | The main character(s) are teenagers (ages 13-19). |
drama | tragedy-drama | Requiem for a Dream, The Godfather Part II | The plot follows sorrowful or terrible events encountered or caused by the main character(s). |
drama | workplace-drama | Working Girl, Up In The Air | The plot takes place in an office setting that's not covered by other sub-genres (ex: medical-drama, legal-drama, academic-drama). |
drama | period-drama | Pride and Prejudice, Godfather | A drama set in a specific time period at least a decade before the release date. |
drama | cop-drama | Training Day | The main character(s) are police officers. |
drama | coming-of-age-drama | Booksmart, Juno, Eighth Grade | The plot features the psychological and moral growth or transition of the main character(s) from youth to adulthood. |
drama | academia-drama | Dead Poet's Society, Mona Lisa Smile, The Chair, Kill Your Darlings, Good Will Hunting, Social Network | A drama set in a higher-education academic setting. |
drama | costume-drama | Marie Antoinette, The Great, Bridgerton | A drama set between the middle ages and the start of World War I. |
drama | disaster-drama | Don't Look Up, Chernobyl, San Andreas | An impending or ongoing disaster is the center of the plot. |
drama | showbiz-drama | A Star Is Born | The plot takes place in an entertainment business setting. |
family | animals-family | Marley & Me, Beethoven, Babe, Black Beauty | A family-friendly plot that features non-human animals as the main character(s). |
family | kids-family | The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Blues Clues Movie | A family-friendly plot catered specifically for young children (7 and under). |
fantasy | epic-fantasy | Fellowship of the Ring | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
fantasy | dark-fantasy | Pan's Labyrinth | Incorporates dark or unsettling themes. |
fantasy | fairy-tale-fantasy | Jack the Giant Slayer | Draws on themes, characters and images from the classic folklore. |
fantasy | sword-and-sorcery-fantasy | Dragonheart | The main character(s) yield swords or wands in their quests. |
fantasy | steampunk-fantasy | Wild Wild West | Incorporates retro-futuristic technology and/or aesthetics. |
fantasy | teen-fantasy | Harry Potter | The main character(s) are teenagers (ages 13-19). |
fantasy | superhero-fantasy | Thor | The main character(s) have superhuman powers, or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, which are are typically used to protect the public. |
fantasy | supernatural-fantasy | Ghostbusters | The plot features the suspenseful and mysterious presence supernatural creatures or happenings within the real world, where magic and fantastical creatures are not perceived as normal. |
history | epic-history | Braveheart | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
history | sword-and-sandal-history | Troy | Set in the Greco-Roman or biblical time period. The plot is based on real-life events of historical significance and features real-life characters (allowing for some artistic license). |
horror | supernatural-horror | The Ring | The plot features the suspenseful and mysterious presence supernatural creatures or happenings within the real world, where magic and fantastical creatures are not perceived as normal. |
horror | psychological-horror | It Follows | The plot features the viewpoint of stressed characters, revealing their distorted mental perceptions . |
horror | zombie-horror | Dawn of the Dead | The main character(s) are or fight zombies. |
horror | vampire-horror | Dracula | The main character(s) are or fight vampires. |
horror | witch-horror | The Witch | The main character(s) are or fight witches. |
horror | werewolf-horror | Wolf | The main character(s) are or fight werewolves. |
horror | monster-horror | The Thing | The main character(s) are or fight a non-natural creature. Natural creatures (sharks, anacondas) may fit best under nature-horror. |
horror | folk-horror | Midsommar, The Witch, The Ritual | Derives horror from naïve outsiders coming up against the actions and beliefs of people rather than explicitly supernatural elements. Often in rural settings. |
horror | found-footage-horror | The Blair Witch Project | Produced to generate the impression that the footage was found as shown. |
horror | nature-horror | Lake Placid | The main character(s) fight, flee, or survive a dark side of nature. |
horror | slasher-horror | Halloween | The plot involves a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed tools. |
horror | splatter-horror | Saw | Focuses on graphic portrayals of violence and gore. |
horror | b-horror | Dead Alive | The title is produced on a low budget. |
horror | teen-horror | Jennifer's Body | The main character(s) are teenagers (ages 13-19). |
horror | body-horror | Old, The Fly | Focuses on grotesque or psychologically disturbing depictions of the human body. |
music | blues-music | The Blues Brothers, Summer of Soul | Contains significant elements of blues music. |
music | classical-music | Amadeus | Contains significant elements of classical music. |
music | country-music | A Star Is Born, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Walk the Line | Contains significant elements of country music. |
music | dance-music | Footloose, Step Up, Human Traffic | Contains significant elements of dance music. |
music | disco-music | Saturday Night Fever | Contains significant elements of disco music. |
music | electronic-music | I Dream of Wires | Contains significant elements of electronic music. |
music | folk-music | Inside Llewyn Davis | Contains significant elements of folk music. |
music | funk-music | Get on Up | Contains significant elements of funk music. |
music | hip-hop-music | 8 Mile, Straight Outta Compton | Contains significant elements of hip-hop music. |
music | jazz-music | Whiplash, La La Land | Contains significant elements of jazz music. |
music | latin-music | La Bamba, Selena, El cantante | Contains significant elements of Latin music. |
music | pop-music | Bohemian Rhapsody, Pitch Perfect | Contains significant elements of pop music. |
music | rap-music | All Eyez on Me | Contains significant elements of rap music. |
music | reggae-music | The Harder They Come, Rockers, Marley | Contains significant elements of reggae music. |
music | rock-music | Bohemian Rhapsody, Almost Famous, Yesterday | Contains significant elements of rock music. |
music | soul-music | Ray, Dreamgirls, Summer of Soul, The Blues Brothers | Contains significant elements of soul music. |
musical | stage-musical | Sing 2, West Side Story, Hamilton | Features a live stage performance. |
musical | jukebox-musical | Sing 2, Sing, Mamma Mia! | Features well-known songs as opposed to original ones. |
musical | pop-musical | West Side Story, Encanto, West Side Story (1961) | The score is largely of the pop musical genre. |
musical | rock-musical | The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Rent, Grease 2 | The score is largely of the rock musical genre. |
musical | bollywood-musical | Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Devdas | Of Indian origin, featuring original song and dance. |
musical | operetta-musical | The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Pirates of Penzance, The Pirate Movie | Contains spoken dialogue as well as song, and stands somewhere between an opera and a musical. |
musical | classic-musical | West Side Story, Les Misérables , The Sound of Music | Genre staple, either because it was produced during the golden age of cinema, or because it has subsequently defined the genre. |
mystery | hardboiled-mystery | Chinatown, The Maltese Falcon | The plot features a detective rendered cynical by cycles of violence and a corrupt justice system. |
mystery | whodunnit-mystery | Murder on the Orient Exp, Knives Out | A detective unravels a complicated plot to identify the author of a crime. |
mystery | suspense-mystery | Searching, Shutter Island | Features a mystery that generates uncertainty and psychological unease. |
mystery | bumbling-detective-mystery | Pink Panther, The Naked Gun | The main characters investigate a crime, but are incompetent or perhaps inexperienced, generating some comic relief. |
romance | feel-good-romance | Notting Hill | A romance with a happy ending, often a romantic comedy. |
romance | teen-romance | Little Women | The main character(s) are teenagers (ages 13-19). |
romance | tearjerker-romance | Titanic | The plot explores emotional themes of longing, heartbreak, and loss in romantic relationships. |
romance | epic-romance | Pride & Prejudice | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
romance | dark-romance | Lolita,Unfaithful, Indecent Proposal | The plot explores emotional themes of fear, danger, and pain in troubled romantic relationships. |
romance | tragic-romance | A Star is Born | A romance with a tragic ending. |
romance | holiday-romance | Love Actually | The plot is centered around the winter holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and/or New Years Eve. |
romance | steamy-romance | Love | Features repeatedly explicit intimate scenes. |
romance | period-drama | Titanic, Downton Abbey | A drama set in a specific time period at least a decade before the release date and is also a romance. |
sci-fi | space-sci-fi | Interstellar | The plot is set in space. |
sci-fi | alien-invasion-sci-fi | Independence Day | The plot features an alien invasion. |
sci-fi | giant-monster-sci-fi | Godzilla etc. | The main character(s) or villain(s) are giant creatures (e.g. Godzilla). |
sci-fi | steampunk-sci-fi | Wild Wild West | The plot features retro-futuristic technology and/or aesthetics. |
sci-fi | cyberpunk-sci-fi | The Matrix | The plot is set in a dystopian future that futures a combination of high-tech and lowlife. |
sci-fi | dystopian-sci-fi | Finch | The plot is set in a future where a controlling institution or a calamitous disaster has created a state of great suffering and injustice. |
sci-fi | robot-sci-fi | Transformers, The Terminator, Ex Machina, Blade Runner | The main character(s) are robots or androids (robots designed to look human). |
sci-fi | cyborg-sci-fi | Robocop, Upgrade, Ghost in the Shell, Inspector Gadget | The main character(s) are cyborgs (humans with technological enhancements). |
sci-fi | biotech-sci-fi | Prometheus | Focused on the implications of biotechnology. |
sci-fi | artificial-intelligence-sci-fi | Ex Machina | Focused on the implications of AI. |
sci-fi | time-travel-sci-fi | Back to the Future | Focused on time travel. |
sci-fi | space-opera-sci-fi | Star Wars | Focused on space warfare, with melodramatic and romanticized elements. |
sci-fi | epic-sci-fi | Dune | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
sci-fi | b-sci-fi | They Live | The title is produced on a low budget. |
sci-fi | superhero-sci-fi | Guardians of the Galaxy | The main character(s) have superhuman powers, or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, which are are typically used to protect the public. |
sci-fi | interdimensional-sci-fi | The Butterfly Effect | Set in a world where multiple dimensions collide, or where traveling or communicating between them is possible. |
sport | american-football-sport | Remember the Titans | The plot features American football. |
sport | aquatic-sport | Blue Crush | The plot features water sports. |
sport | baseball-sport | Moneyball | The plot features baseball. |
sport | basketball-sport | Space Jam | The plot features basketball. |
sport | combat-sport | The Karate Kid | The plot features combat sports. |
sport | cycling-sport | Rad | The plot features cycling. |
sport | extreme-sport | Sunshine Superman | The plot features extreme sports, such as climbing, basejumping, or skateboarding. |
sport | soccer-sport | Bend It Like Beckham | The plot features football (soccer). |
sport | motorsports-sport | Ford v Ferrari | The plot features motorsports. |
sport | boxing-sport | Rocky | The plot features boxing. |
sport | teen-sport | The Mighty Ducks | The plot features teens playing a sport (ages 13-19). |
sport | underdog-sport | Major League | The plot features an underdog team or athlete. |
sport | other-sport | Seabiscuit | The plot features a sport without a defined sub-genre. |
sport | winter-sport | I Tonya | The plot features winter sports, such as ice skating, bobsledding, or snowboarding. |
sport | racket-sport | King Richard | The plot features racket sports, such as tennis, badminton, or ping pong. |
thriller | conspiracy-thriller | The Game | The plot features a suspected conspiracy. |
thriller | cyber-thriller | The Net | The plot features cybercrime, or futuristic technology. |
thriller | political-thriller | Zero Dark Thirty | The plot features a political power struggle. |
thriller | psychological-thriller | Shutter Island | The plot features the viewpoint of stressed characters, revealing their distorted mental perceptions. |
thriller | spy-thriller | No Time To Die | Contains espionage by one or more of the main characters. |
thriller | supernatural-thriller | Last Night in Soho | The plot features the suspenseful and mysterious presence supernatural creatures or happenings within the real world, where magic and fantastical creatures are not perceived as normal. |
thriller | techno-thriller | Tenet | The plot features a technology becoming the enemy of humanity whether through its own intelligence or in the hands of nefarious people. |
thriller | legal-thriller | A Few Good Men | The plot takes place in a legal setting or around court proceedings. |
thriller | giallo-thriller | Deep Red | A mid-20th Italian-produced murder mystery horror-thriller film that often contains slasher, psychological thriller/horror, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural horror elements. |
war | epic-war | 1917, Saving Private Ryan | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
war | fictional-war | Red Dawn, Dr. Strangelove | The plot features a war or battle not based on any historic wars or battles. |
western | classical-western | High Noon | A western produced during the golden age of the genre, subsequently defining the genre. |
western | spaghetti-western | The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly | A western produced in Italian locations or by Italian top crew. |
western | contemporary-western | Hell or High Water, No Country for Old Men, HUD | The plot takes place after 1950. |
western | epic-western | Unforgiven | Features large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle - often focused on a heroic character. |
western | revisionist-western | The Power of the Dog | Subverts the myth and romance of the traditional westerns by adding realism and complexity to the "old west" setting. |
western | b-western | 7 Men from Now | Produced on a low budget. |