The Different Genres How are they different?

Comedy “Home Alone,” “Hail, Caesar!,” “The Pawnshop” – 1916 by Charlie Chaplin Light-hearted plot No serious conflict Exaggerates situations and relationships Spoof – making fun of a real situation Dark Comedy – comedy about something horrible

Action “The Terminator” High energy Non-stop motion Clear good guy, bad guy Plot is easy Not too much backstory

Thriller “Inception,” “Jaws” – also horror Similar to action but with deep plotlines Less action Allows the audience to reflect afterward Not necessarily scary, but intense

Romance “Titanic” – also a historical drama Romance drives plot Focuses on life situations Usually based in reality Intense character development

Horror “It” Designed to frighten/bring out worst fears Shock factor Shocking finale Survival is a big factor for characters in horror films

Sci-Fi “Interstellar,” “Star Wars” – also an adventure/epic Can be scientific or fantasy Imaginative Space sci-fi Magic sci-fi Can be linked to action or adventure

Drama (Historical Drama) “Bridge of Spies,” “Titanic” – also a romance Set in a past time Focuses on both relationships and significance of past events War Historical events Flashbacks and plotlines reflect reality of current times

Animation “Lou,” “Moana” Light plotlines Character development is strong Strong moral message (usually) Aimed for all ages Imaginative

Adventure/Epic “Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars” – also a sci-fi Exciting stories Can be quite long Exotic places Wide variety of places and creatures

Musical/Dance “La-La Land,” “Black Swan” – also a drama Contains full-scale scores (musical pieces) Completely sung (“Les Miserables”) Partially sung (“The Phantom of the Opera” [2004]) Can include dancing and choreography Two styles: Operatic – classical Musical – modern