Genre elements
The table below outlines the six genres covered in this subject and lists example films and the type of content you are likely to see in these particular genres.
| Genre | Possible content | Examples |
| Horror | Supernatural forces, dangerous killers, monsters such as werewolves and zombies | Poltergeist (1982), Cry Wolf (2005) |
| Western | Cowboys, gunfights, stories set in the Wild West. | Stagecoach (1939), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) |
| Action/Adventure | Globe-trotting, exciting quests, car chases, heroic adventurers battling evil. | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Fast and Furious 7 (2015) |
| Romantic Comedy | Hilarious complications on the path to true love. | You've Got Mail (1998), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) |
| Science Fiction | Strange futures, adventures in space, encounters with the unknown. | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), Interstellar (2014) |
| Crime | Gangster stories, crime dramas, prison films, gang violence, detective mysteries. | The Maltese Falcon (1941), Brighton Rock (1947), Catch Me If You Can (2002) |
| Genre | Horror |
|---|---|
| Possible content | Supernatural forces, dangerous killers, monsters such as werewolves and zombies |
| Examples | Poltergeist (1982), Cry Wolf (2005) |
| Genre | Western |
|---|---|
| Possible content | Cowboys, gunfights, stories set in the Wild West. |
| Examples | Stagecoach (1939), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) |
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
|---|---|
| Possible content | Globe-trotting, exciting quests, car chases, heroic adventurers battling evil. |
| Examples | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Fast and Furious 7 (2015) |
| Genre | Romantic Comedy |
|---|---|
| Possible content | Hilarious complications on the path to true love. |
| Examples | You've Got Mail (1998), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) |
| Genre | Science Fiction |
|---|---|
| Possible content | Strange futures, adventures in space, encounters with the unknown. |
| Examples | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), Interstellar (2014) |
| Genre | Crime |
|---|---|
| Possible content | Gangster stories, crime dramas, prison films, gang violence, detective mysteries. |
| Examples | The Maltese Falcon (1941), Brighton Rock (1947), Catch Me If You Can (2002) |
Although every genre approaches the story and characters differently, they can all be broken down into key components.
Click through the images below to find out more about each one.
Image caption, Iconography
The type of easily identifiable visual elements or symbols which usually appear in a genre. Elements of iconography can, even by themselves, suggest entire genres. A single image of a star-shaped Sheriff’s Badge immediately suggests the Western.
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