Spring is the season of growth, change and renewal. It’s a time for improving, whether that be by doing some much needed “spring cleaning” or by starting a new project. Either way, it involves stepping out of your comfort zone, and the perfect way to do this (that’s still enjoyable) is through movies.
Romance, comedy, horror, action.
These are the typical genres of modern movies, but what you may be unaware of is how many subgenres lay within them. Thanks to these subgenres, even if you don’t want to try a movie in a new genre, you can branch out from inside your genre of choice.
Romance
“Paranormal Romance”
I’m personally not a romance fan, but I do think the “paranormal” subgenre gets a bad rap. That’s probably because of its most popular movie: “Twilight,” aka, the moody, teen tale of a human girl entangled with vampires and werewolves. But, if you’re not a fan of the second-hand embarrassment of Bella and her vampire boyfriend, don’t worry, the other movies of the “paranormal romance” subgenre are much less… humiliating.
“Crimson Peak” (2015)
“Crimson Peak” follows a young woman, Edith, who moves into her new husband’s gothic mansion, only to be met with the horrors of the undead and that of her new step-sister.
I will admit that when I watched this movie, I was more than a little confused (and bewildered), but I’m chalking that up to my short attention span at the time. Even though I didn’t give it my full attention, I can say that it was a beautiful film. That’s really no surprise, as its director, Guillermo del Toro, is known for making these gothic, eerie and entrancing movies (ex. “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006), “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” (2019), etc.). Besides the cinematography, its other strong suits are its experienced cast (Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska), and its costumes, which are all meant to match the time period (the late 1800s).
Other popular films in this subgenre that may be worth a look are “The Love Witch” (2016) and “Warm Bodies” (2013).
Comedy
“Mockumentary”
Comedy is a genre that I actually tend to enjoy. However, one can only watch Adam Sandler somehow pull Jennifer Aniston so many times (or just watch Adam Sandler doing his thing, in general). A smaller and less-explored subgenre of comedy is the mockumentary: a fake and usually satirical documentary on something real.
“Cunk on Life” (2024)
“Cunk on Life” is definitely my favorite film of this subgenre. Join “professional documentarian” Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) as she explores the meaning of life with the help of actual historians and scientists who have no idea what she’s doing.
The star of this movie is Diane Morgan, who plays Cunk so well that I’d be surprised if that wasn’t just her real personality. That being said, Cunk wouldn’t be anywhere near as funny without the confusion of the experts she interviews. No matter what strange or nonsensical question she throws their way, they try to give a valid response, and watching their struggle is probably the best part. If you’re not certain you’ll like Philomena Cunk, then you can always watch some of the shorter skits (usually found on YouTube) to test the waters.
If “Cunk on Life” proves to be disappointing, give “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014) or “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” (2016) a try.
Horror
“Folk Horror”
Horror probably has the most subgenres out of any genre. Slashers, supernatural horror, found footage, monster, gothic, arthouse, psychological horror, science fiction and on and on. But what sets folk horror apart from many of these is its connection to the real world. Folk horror movies are films containing real urban legends, myths and folklore usually local to wherever the story takes place.
“Midsommar” (2019)
Possibly the most popular pick from the folk horror subgenre, “Midsommar” definitely lives up to its reputation. Dani, played by Florence Pugh, travels to an off-the-map community in Sweden with her boyfriend and his friends for a much-needed break. Unfortunately, the life she is trying to escape back in the U.S. may be less terrifying than the events that unfold in Sweden.
“Midsommar” is one of my favorite movies, and not just because Florence Pugh is in it (though she does an absolutely amazing job playing Dani). The cinematography in this film is astounding, from the picturesque views of the Swedish countryside, to the more eerie and unsettling imagery that occurs later in the story. This movie also addresses a great deal of important and hard-hitting themes, mainly centered around grief and loss. In short, it may be disturbing, but it’s disturbing for a reason. Plus, it was directed by Ari Aster (“Hereditary”) and produced by A24 (“Lady Bird,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once”); what more could you want?
However, if “Midsommar” isn’t what you’re looking for, you may want to take a look at “Lamb” (2021) or “The Wailing” (2016).
Action
“Noir”
What do you think of when you think of action movies? A vast majority of well-known action movies fall under the category of “superhero” or “spy” films. However, there are many more subgenres of action than just those two. If you’re tired of seeing subpar special effects and overused plotlines, a noir action may be for you. Noirs are characterized by dark, moody and often ill-motivated protagonists and gritty, intense settings. The classic noir is a black and white film, but obviously most modern noirs are shot in color.
“The Killer” (2023)
“The Killer” wastes no time on introductions–as you could probably tell by the name–and opens with a lone assassin as he prepares for his next job.
The plot of this film honestly isn’t that important; what makes it special is the way it’s told. Throughout the entire film, the voice of the assassin narrates everything that he does, almost retrospectively, as he speaks on the mentality one has to have in order to do his job. As the plot progresses, however, his controlled, apathetic monologue finds itself shaken. You’ll just have to watch the movie to find out why.
More action noirs to try are “Oldboy” (2003) and “The Usual Suspects” (1995).
