Here is a clear list of film genres and sub-genres to help define your film. Genre hybrids are also common, where one or more genres are combined to describe the tone, style, or structure of a project more accurately.
Action
Associated with explosions, chases, and combat.
Sub-genres: superhero, martial, heroic, military, spy, swashbuckler
Example: Spy Action (James Bond films)
Adventure
Associated with journeys, quests, and pursuit.
Sub-genres: pirate, jungle, desert, treasure hunt
Example: Pirate Adventure (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Animation
Associated with computer-generated or hand-crafted movement, voiced over by actors.
Sub-genres: traditional, stop motion, puppet, claymation, cutout, CGI, live action, rotoscoping
Example: Live Action CGI Animation (Shrek)
Comedy
Created with the intention of making the audience laugh.
Sub-genres: slapstick, romantic, farce, musical, buddy, sports, action, parody, mockumentary, light-hearted, screwball, road
Example: Romantic Comedy (The Wedding Date)
Crime
Built around crime, investigation, and detection.
Sub-genres: courtroom, gangster, prison, detective, heist, cop, caper
Example: Heist Film (Ocean’s 11)
Drama
Focused on real emotions and conflict within the story arc.
Sub-genres: family, biographical, costume, coming-of-age, sports, teen, medical, legal, philosophical, anthropological
Example: Political Drama (Wag the Dog)
Fantasy
Set in fantastic worlds with elements of dream and wonder.
Sub-genres: time travel, fairy tale, cyber, disaster, dystopian, mythological, urban, children, heroic, high, magical, contemporary
Example: Magical Fantasy (The Lord of the Rings)
Historical
Based on past events or set in a specific time period.
Sub-genres: biopic, war, period, biblical, epic, fiction, alternate fiction
Example: Historical Biopic (Amadeus)
Horror
Designed to create fear in the audience.
Sub-genres: natural, ghost, monster, vampire, zombie, occult, slasher, splatter, body, creepy, extreme, psychological, quiet
Example: Monster Horror (Dracula)
Musical
Uses songs as a central way to tell the story.
Sub-genres: rock, Broadway, Bollywood, punk, jazz, reggae
Example: Broadway Musical (Cats)
Mystery
Builds around piecing together clues to uncover a solution.
Sub-genres: sleuth, detective, caper, cozy, hardboiled, whodunit, legal, locked room, medical
Example: Detective Mystery (Sherlock Holmes)
Romance
Centred on a journey involving a love story.
Sub-genres: historical, chick-flick, rom-com, period, thriller, comedy
Example: Romantic Thriller (Phantom of the Opera)
Sci-Fi
Set in fictional worlds with futuristic or speculative elements.
Sub-genres: space travel, time travel, robot, tech, military, apocalyptic, utopian, contemporary, cyberpunk, space opera
Example: Space Travel Sci-Fi (Star Wars)
Slice of Life
Generally used for documentaries, news, and investigative projects.
Sub-genres: poetic, expository, investigative, observational, participatory, reflexive, performative
Example: Participatory Slice of Life (Paris Is Burning)
Thriller
Created to build suspense and tension in the audience.
Sub-genres: psychological, suspense, conspiracy, crime, supernatural, mystery
Example: Psychological Thriller (Psycho)
Western
Styled around cowboys, gunfighters, and frontier settings.
Sub-genres: spaghetti, epic, outlaw, marshal, revenge
Example: Spaghetti Western (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)