Movie Sub Genres: From Action to Anime and Everything In Between

Every time you visit a streaming platform to search for a movie to watch in your free time, it may take you hours. All you see is a list of genres, and when you explore further, you find that there are subgenres in them, too, and the hunt for your favorite watch continues again.

Movie subgenres are always there, and this article will show you the most popular ones that fall under each main genre. This way, you can search better, quicker, and spend time streaming instead of staring at your screen.

Part 1. Action Movie Sub Genres

Action movies are packed with thrill, excitement, adrenaline, and comedy as well. If you are into this genre, there are a few subgenres for this category you might want to know to narrow your search.

Spy Movies

Spy action movies are the most loved sub-genre of the whole action category. The secret missions, covert operations, and the nail-biting suspense that comes with each passing scene are enough for anyone to be glued to the screen till the climax.

Examples: Mission: Impossible, 007 sequels like Skyfall, The Bourne Identity.

Martial Arts Movies

Who wouldn't like hand-to-hand combat in a fast-paced martial arts action movie? These films are filled with inspiration and have already inspired others to learn the art and make a career out of it.

Examples: Enter the Dragon, Ip Man, The Raid: Redemption, Mortal Kombat.

Superhero Movies

Superheroes are not only the favorites amongst kids, but grown-ups love them a lot, too! With the special effects these days, it's hard for anyone not to believe in supernatural abilities and powers of their loved hero or the bad guy, who both try to save or destroy the world or universe around them.

Examples: The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Avengers, Man of Steel, The Hobbit.

Heist Movies

Well, heist movies are rated under the action genre because they have all the elements in them. You got a plot where a team or an individual is on a mission to steal something of great value, and then the action flows through with guns, fist fights, and chase scenes. After the 90s and to this day, many heist films have been released, and pretty much all have done well at the box office.

Examples: Entrapment, The Heist, Ocean's Eleven, The Millions, The Italian Job.

Disaster Movies

Disaster movies also come under the action genre because the characters in them are fighting to prevent a natural catastrophe or survive through it. In a nutshell, there is a lot of chaos and drama in them.

Examples: San Andreas, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Armageddon, Twister.

War Movies

In these films, you witness epic war scenes based on real or fictitious events. There is a lot of gun action, sword fights, drama, and thrill in them.

Examples: Inglourious Basterds, Saving Private Ryan, The Last Samurai.

Part 2. Thriller Movie Sub Genres

Thriller movies always give you that edge-of-the-seat tension. These films pull you in with mystery, danger, and suspense that slowly unfold with the story. You don't always know who to trust, and that's the whole point. Thriller is a broad term, but its subgenres help you spot exactly what kind of thrill you're in for.

Psychological Thriller

These are the ones that mess with your head. The main character usually goes through mental sickness, pressure, or distortion, and you're left wondering what's real and what's not, and that sticks with your mind.

Examples: Black Swan, Gone Girl, The Machinist.

Political Thriller

Power, corruption, secret deals, and people trying to uncover the truth-this subgenre throws you into the world of politics and danger.

Examples: Argo, The Ides of March, Body of Lies.

Survival Thriller

The plot in survival thrillers throws the characters into life-or-death situations where instinct and willpower are all they've got.

Examples: Buried, 127 Hours, Everest, Vertical Limit, 65.

Crime Thriller

Crime thrillers are in this genre because the plot revolves around criminals, plans gone wrong, and a trail of danger that grows with each twist. Someone is on the run, someone's watching closely, and the crime is just the start of a story that keeps getting worse.

Examples: Prisoners, No Country for Old Men, Sicario.

Techno Thriller

Techno thrillers are all about digital systems, cyber threats, and how technology turns into something the people in it can no longer handle or want to avert.

Examples: Eagle Eye, I.T., Snowden.

Part 3. Crime Movie Sub Genres

Crime movies deal with people who break the law, get caught up in dangerous plans, or try to clean up the mess left behind after a crime has already happened. You'll find plots that follow detectives, gangsters, or those stuck in between, and most of them are loaded with tension, regret, and the risk of being caught or killed. This genre is wide, and here are a few subgenres inside it that you might want to look at to find the one that hits the mark.

Detective Movies

Detective stories put the spotlight on someone who's trying to solve a case and uncover what really happened. There's always one clue missing, and every new answer just opens up another question.

Examples: Reptile, In the Shadow of the Moon, Kiss the Girls, The Pledge.

Gangster Movies

Gangster films follow mobsters, cartels, or underground leaders who rise in power while dealing with betrayal, money, and control. The story always turns dirty, and nobody in it walks away clean.

Examples: The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Irishman, Gangs of New York, Blow, Scarface.

Crime Drama

Crime dramas are produced around emotional fallout, where the crime is done, but the damage is spreading. It's not about fast action-it's about regret, loss, and what happens to the people involved long after the act is over.

Examples: Mystic River, A History of Violence, Wind River.

Prison Movies

Prison films show what life behind bars looks like, but the crime doesn't stop once the gates close. Some are planning escapes, some are running things from the inside, and others are just trying to survive.

Examples: The Shawshank Redemption, A Prophet, Escape Plan.

Part 4. Comedy Movie Sub Genres

Comedy movies are all about putting everyday situations, awkward moments, and wild ideas in front of you for a laugh. The humor can come from what the people say and do in the most ridiculous ways. But not every comedy is the same, and that's where the subgenres step in to help you figure out the kind that fits your mood.

Slapstick Comedy

Slapstick comedies rely on exaggerated action, physical mishaps, and over-the-top reactions that are meant to be funny just by how absurd they get.

Examples: Liar Liar, Home Alone, Mr. Bean's Holiday.

Romantic Comedy

Romantic comedies, or rom-coms, mix love stories with awkward dating, funny misunderstandings, and people who mess things up before they finally figure it out.

Examples: Notting Hill, 10 Things I Hate About You, Crazy Rich Asians.

Dark Comedy

The situations in these movies are serious and twisted, which then turns into humor that makes you feel guilty for laughing. The jokes hit hard, and the laughs usually come with a sting.

Examples: Fargo, In Bruges, The Death of Stalin.

Teen Comedy

Teen comedies follow school life, embarrassing secrets, first crushes, and the stuff that usually matters when you're fifteen, and everything bad that happens is like the end of the world.

Examples: Superbad, Mean Girls, Booksmart.

Workplace Comedy

These movies spin around office drama, awkward coworkers, bad bosses, and day-to-day routines that somehow turn into complete chaos.

Examples: Office Space, Horrible Bosses, The Internship.

Part 5. Fantasy Movie Sub Genres

Fantasy movies throw you into places that never existed, with powers that don't belong in this world, and stories that are larger than life. The characters in them fight monsters, ride dragons, cast spells, or protect kingdoms that fall apart if one thing goes wrong. These stories follow no rule of the real world, and that's why each fantasy subgenre shows you a different way to escape it.

Epic Fantasy

Epic fantasy stories travel through ancient kingdoms, dark forests, and dangerous mountains where the fate of a world depends on a single journey. There's always a hero, a prophecy, and a battle in the end.

Examples: The Lord of the Rings, Willow, The Hobbit.

Urban Fantasy

Urban fantasy brings magic into the modern world, where sorcery lives quietly inside cities, and strange creatures hide in alleys, bookstores, or abandoned buildings. Even the fights in these films are shot in a way to remain hidden from the world.

Examples: Constantine, Bright, The Mortal Instruments.

Sword and Sorcery

Sword and sorcery tales center on lone warriors, cursed weapons, and wild beasts tearing across lands ruled by dark magic. The fights are personal, the magic is wild, and the story moves fast.

Examples: Conan the Barbarian, Solomon Kane, The Beastmaster.

Fairy Tale Fantasy

The movies in this subgenre follow stories that are all about bedtime legends, where talking animals, hidden spells, and cursed royalty shape the journey of the involved characters.

Examples: Pan's Labyrinth, Stardust, Cinderella.

Mythical Fantasy

Mythical fantasy takes you back into ancient myths, gods, and forgotten creatures that once ruled the old world and still haunt the edges of it.

Examples: Clash of the Titans, Percy Jackson, Immortals.

Romance Fantasy

This one is a gem. People love to watch these films as they center on love stories. The lovely characters are set in magical worlds involving fantastical beings to let you realize the impeccable meaning of romance.

Examples: Stardust, The Shape of Water, Beauty and the Beast, The Twilight Saga.

Part 6. Sci-Fi Movie Sub Genres

Science fiction movies imagine a future, a technology, or a world that questions what life would be like if one thing changed. Sometimes it's a new machine, sometimes it's an alien visitor, and sometimes it's just a simple rule of nature that no longer applies. These films show what happens when humans go too far, dig too deep, or lose control of what they once created.

Space Opera

Movies in space operas take place across galaxies where starships, empires, and massive battles decide the future of entire civilizations. The heroes are caught between duty and survival, and the scale of it is always bigger than anyone imagined.

Examples: Star Wars, Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy.

Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk stories live in cities where machines, corporations, and code control everything. The streets are dark, the sky is crowded, and there's always someone breaking the rules to find the truth.

Examples: Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Akira.

Time Travel

These films spin around timelines, paradoxes, and people who go back or forward to stop something from ever happening. Every decision changes the future, and there are consequences for the choices the characters make.

Examples: Back to the Future, Primer, Looper.

Alien Invasion

Talk about unearthly beings attacking our planet. Sometimes they want peace, most times they don't, and it's up to a few people to survive long enough to find out and do something about it.

Examples: War of the Worlds, Independence Day, Arrival.

Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Post-apocalyptic sci-fi takes place after something has already gone wrong. The world is broken, and what's left of humanity tries to rebuild, fight for the odds, or keep going while everything around them falls apart.

Examples: Mad Max: Fury Road, The Book of Eli, I Am Legend.

Part 7. Sports Movie Sub Genres

The sports movie genre focuses on the crowd, the pressure, and the personal struggles, but still, this category has many subgenres.

Contact Sports

Contact sports films cover fighters who step into the ring, the cage, or the mat-where pain is part of the job, and the fight is always more than physical.

Examples: Rocky, Warrior, The Wrestler.

Team Sports

These films are about the struggles of a whole team, with the main character, to achieve a difficult milestone.

Examples: Remember the Titans, Miracle, Coach Carter, FI, Ford v Ferrari

Underdogs

The stories in this subgenre focus on someone counted out from the beginning, who slowly pushes through doubt and setbacks to prove they belong in the game.

Examples: The Blind Side, King Richard, Eddie the Eagle.

Part 8. Western Movie Sub Genres

Western films carry stories of dusty towns, silent strangers, open land, and rough justice.

Here are its subgenres:

Classic Western

Talk about heroes who ride into lawless places, stand their ground, and walk away when it's done.

Examples: Open Range, Appaloosa, The Harder They Fall

Spaghetti Western

Spaghetti westerns are grittier, dirtier, and usually bloodier than the old classics, with heroes who possess a calm attitude towards danger and engage in more brutal shootouts.

Examples: Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, Four Bullets for Joe

Neo-Western

Neo-westerns push these old themes into the present day, with modern landscapes, new enemies, but the same harsh codes.

Examples: Hell or High Water, No Country for Old Men, Let Him Go

Part 9. Animation Movie Sub Genres

Animated films can tell any kind of story, but the way they do it with visuals is extraordinary, and the characters leave a mark whether they're human, animal, or something in between.

Fantasy Animation

Fantasy animation films let wild worlds unfold through drawings and effects that don't rely on following real rules.

Examples: Spirited Away, The Lion King, How to Train Your Dragon.

Adventure Animation

Adventure anime are big journeys, long friendships, and the kind of danger that comes with discovery.

Examples: Up, Finding Nemo, Moana.

Animated Comedy

The comedy subgenre in animation uses voice, timing, and expression to pull off gags that work better in cartoons than in live-action.

Examples: Shrek, Despicable Me, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Minions.

Part 10. Horror Movie Sub Genres

In the horror movie subgenres, the main theme of the primary category is always there. Something is chasing, watching, or waiting to be unleashed, and no one ever walks away without scars.

Supernatural Horror

Supernatural horror deals with ghosts, curses, demons, or poltergeist activity that goes beyond the natural world.

Examples: The Conjuring, The Ring, Insidious.

Slasher Horror

Slasher horror centers around a killer on the loose, stalking victims one by one, usually with a sharp weapon and a worse motive.

Examples: Halloween, Scream, Friday the 13th.

Psychological Horror

Psychological horror traps the mind and makes the fear crawl in slowly, often blurring the reality of the situation.

Examples: Hereditary, The Babadook, The Others.

Part 11. Romance Movie Sub Genres

Although love is there, not all romance movies are the same, as there are a few subgenres in them, too.

Romantic Drama

Romantic dramas lean into heartbreak, hard decisions, and characters who try to love each other in the middle of something bigger than them.

Examples: The Notebook, Atonement, Me Before You.

Romantic Comedy

These bring in laughs with the awkward, the misunderstood, and the accidental. Two people cross paths, fumble through it, and somehow make it work.

Examples: Anyone But You, Love, Rosie, Silver Linings Playbook

Historical Romance

Historical romance puts love inside grand settings where rules are strict and emotions are louder.

Examples: Titanic, Brooklyn, Atonement.

Part 12. Documentary Movie Sub Genres

Documentary films stay grounded in truth but use storytelling to pull you in as strongly as fiction. They chase answers, uncover secrets, show real life up close, and leave you thinking long after they end.

Biographical Documentaries

You discover one person's life, decisions, and legacy from every walk of life-whether they changed the world or just survived it.

Examples: Amy, The Last Dance, Whitney, Senna.

Crime Documentaries

Crime documentaries explore real-life mysteries, unsolved cases, or deep dives into people who crossed the line.

Examples: Making a Murderer, The Jinx, American Nightmare.

Social Documentaries

In this documentary, the spotlight is on injustice, activism, and everyday life that often gets overlooked.

Examples: 13th, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, I Am Greta

Part 13. Make a Short Sub-Genre Movie with HitPaw AI Video Generator

Do you want to create a short movie in your favorite subgenre? HitPaw AI Video Generator lets you do this with ease in 3 steps:

• Step 1.Visit the HitPaw Online AI Video Generator site, and click Text to Video.

  

• Step 2.Write a detailed prompt for the short movie you want to make, then adjust the additional video settings (resolution, duration, aspect ratio, sound).

  

• Step 3.Hit Generate and download.

  

Part 14. FAQs of Movie Sub Genres

Conclusion on Movie Sub Genres

So, now you know what movie sub genres are and which films fall under every main genre. Hopefully, this will help you cut your time finding the film you love the most.