Introduction to Genre

What is a Genre?

A genre is a category in which different types of films enter into, depending on their conventions, for example, a film like 'Taken' would correspond with the requirements to fit into the 'Thriller' genre. However, there are other definitions that can more specifically define a film, such as a sub-genre or a hybrid genre. Examples of these could be a 'Psychological Thriller' (Shutter Island/ Sub-genre) and a 'Disaster Thriller' (Dante's Peak/ Hybrid genre). However these definitions are required, as many thrillers are significantly different from one another, for example, thrillers such as 'Mr and Mrs Smith' differ entirely from 'Taken'. The comic undertones in 'Mr and Mrs Smith' are mixed with strong elements of thrillers to create a funny yet thrilling film. However 'Taken' focuses on the more serious elements of a thriller, and the focus is almost entirely on thrilling the audience. However we are still presented with two films that share the same thrilling aspect. Although they create and achieve this aspect in different ways, on a basic level, the films are similar. In both films we are presented with thrilling shootouts and car chases, and the audience's response would be similar when watching either film. Within a genre however, films share many of the same traits, for example, in a crime thriller, the audience would expect to be watching a film that not only thrills but also involves the audience with the crime in question, while also providing the audience with a fair amount of action, however, not as much as many action films include.