A film genre categorizes motion pictures by shared stylistic or thematic elements, such as narrative, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response they evoke. These categories are typically defined by common conventions, iconography, settings, characters (like the "femme fatale" in film noir or "gunslinger" in Westerns), and even actors, profoundly influencing filmmaking styles, musical scores, and how films are marketed.
While some theorists like Alan Williams propose broad classifications like narrative, avant-garde, and documentary, genres frequently evolve into specific subgenres, such as the legal drama, or merge to form popular hybrid genres like the romantic comedy. Importantly, film genres are not static; they constantly change, appear, or disappear, with audience expectations and institutional discourses playing a significant role in their ongoing evolution and structure. Theorists like Alireza Kaveh have also developed broader classification systems, highlighting the dynamic nature of cinematic categories.