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Best Movie Sub-genres To Keep You Entertained

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movie sub-genres
Movie sub-genres that you have been overlooking. Stock image
movie sub-genres
Movie sub-genres that you have been overlooking. Stock image

Tired of watching the same type of movie over and over again? If you are, why not delve deeper into the world of movie sub-genres for your next movie night. 

You might have heard about Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy, Crime and Drama as broad genre classifications for movies, but how deeply have you delved into all the movie sub-genres of the world? You might never have searched this topic, but just like music, there are a seemingly endless number of genres.

While there might be some overlap between them, and some might arguably fall between more than one, it’s nevertheless fun to take a lot at all the sub-genres out there. This is especially the case when you consider how many different movie-making areas there are around the world.

If you’re a bit tired of the movies that your personalised algorithm is bringing up for you again and again on your chosen video and movie streaming platforms, why not try some of the films in the sub genres below? To get you started, this article gives just 5 of the many sub-genres out there to choose from on your next movie night in.

5 of the Best Movie Sub-genres To Keep You Entertained

Halloween Movie sub-genres
Halloween Movie sub-genres as cult favorite.

1. Horror: Halloween

If you’re one of the people out there who do 31 day Halloween movie marathons, you might already be a fan of this sub-genre. Actually, the fact that there are so many Halloween movies out there shows how popular a genre it is.

However, instead of watching Jason and his hockey mask, or Scream, or Carrie, why not add something a bit different by incorporating some Japanese horror films onto this year’s playlist?

Interestingly, some of the most famous Japanese horror films were remade into what many people know as The Ring or The Grudge. As with many of the remade versions, the Japanese original versions are said to be exquisitely terrifying, so why not give some of those a go?

2. Sci-fi: Vintage Sci-Fi

Sci-fi is a groundbreaking movie genre, which really pushed the boundaries of filmmaking, long before the advent of sound or complex special effects. While it’s quite a different experience to watch a movie without sound, some of the more famous silent ones are incredible to watch with a soundtrack.

In fact, some of these movies were actually screened with live orchestras playing at the same time- can you imagine that kind of combined live audio experience?

To get you started, one of the most well known Sci-Fi films from the 1920’s is the German production Metropolis. This movie was a big budget, dystopian sci-fi thriller that explores the underbelly of a city, in the time between the two world wars.

For more movies like this, watch A Trip to the Moon and Frankenstein.

3. Drama/Crime: Casino Movies

You might be a fan of crime thrillers, but have you ever noticed how many film plots centre around a casino? As debated dens of inequity, casinos really do bring together some interesting elements of society. With such a variety of personalities to add to a cast list, makes it one of the most thrilling sub-genres with a list of classics and recent blockbusters.

Some of the most famous casino movies are The Cooler, Casino, Rounders, and of course, the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy. While these movies are specifically centred around a casino, some other famous movies that technically fall into this sub-genre are Swingers and of course, everybody’s favourite Zack Galifianakis movie, The Hangover.

4. Comedy: British Comedy

North American comedy might dominate the world box offices, especially when it comes to animated movies. However, for something a bit more alternative, why not explore comedy from a different country? British comedy in particular has a strong reputation for dry humour and silly characters, so why not give it a try?

Some of the more famous movies include the original version of Death at a Funeral, as well as Notting Hill, Withnail and I and the Full Monty.

You might not get the same kind of slapstick humour that you might be used to, but the dry, witty repartee might convince you to explore the genre further.

5. Action: Hong Kong

It seems safe to say that pretty much everyone around the world knows about Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, but how much do you know about the earlier films that led to the kung fu film wave of the 1970s?

In fact, some of the earlier films in the Hong Kong movie industry focused more on mysticism and swordplay, which was known as the wuxia style. If you are a fan of more modern kung fu movies, checking out some of the earlier wuxia films could be an interesting experience. This includes films like The Adorned Pavilion, The Six-Fingered Lord of the Lute and Sacred Fire, Heroic Wind.

To take things a bit further, watch the famous Shaw Brothers remake of the 1920s classic Temple of the Red Lotus (1965), which led to a surge of “new wave” wuxia films.

In this article, we’ve only covered just a handful of the many different movie sub-genres out there. In fact, while you’re reading this, there are probably some being created and filmed right now that you don’t even know about for example VR movies.  In the meantime, why not give some of the films above a try? Who knows, you might end up opening up a door to a whole new world of entertainment that you never knew existed. Either way, it’s sure to be a fun experience trying out something new.

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