2Movie Types and Supergenres

Movie Types

The most general category in the Taxonomy of All Living Things is “kingdom,” which bifurcates all living things into plant or animal—that’s it—one simple distinction. The Screenwriters Taxonomy has a similar delineation with films: Comedy or Drama. The fundamental distinction within all narrative films is whether they are going to be funny or serious. That’s it. These are the two “Types” of movies.

Of course, there are nuances. There are more than a dozen different brands of comedy, and at least ten brands of drama—including the ever-popular “dramedy.”

10 Brands of Drama

Brand Description Examples
Dark Drama Dramas dealing with intensely serious issues. OldboyRequiem for a DreamThe Reader ...

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