Introduction Yakuza film (Japanese: ヤクザ映画, Hepburn: Yakuza eiga) is a popular film genre in Japanese cinema which focuses on the lives and dealings of yakuza, Japanese organised crime syndicates. Early Films In the silent film era, films depicting bakuto (precursors to modern yakuza) as Robin Hood-like characters were common. They often portrayed historical figures who… Read More
Introduction The police procedural, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasises the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on either a private detective, an amateur investigator or the characters who are the targets of investigations.… Read More
Introduction A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction. Background The plot often centres on… Read More
Introduction Mafia films – a version of gangster films – are a subgenre of crime films dealing with organised crime, often specifically with Mafia organisations. Especially in early mob films, there is considerable overlap with film noir. Popular regional variations of the genre include Italian Poliziotteschi, Chinese Triad films, Japanese Yakuza films, and Indian Mumbai… Read More
Introduction A legal drama, or a courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. Background The American Film Institute (AFI) defines courtroom drama as a genre of film in which a system of justice plays a critical role in the film’s narrative.… Read More
Introduction Hood film is a film genre originating in the United States, which features aspects of urban African Americans or Hispanic-American culture – such as hip hop music, street gangs, honour killings, racial discrimination, organised crime, gangster, gang affiliation scenes, gangsta rap, broken families, drug use and trafficking, illegal immigration into the US and the… Read More
Introduction A gangster film or gangster movie is a film belonging to a genre that focuses on gangs and organised crime. It is a subgenre of crime film, that may involve large criminal organisations, or small gangs formed to perform a certain illegal act. The genre is differentiated from Westerns and the gangs of that… Read More
Introduction In the early 1970s, a new genre of Indian crime films and gangster films arose, set in urban India: Bombay underworld films, later called Mumbai underworld films. These films are often inspired by real Mumbai underworld gangsters, such as Haji Mastan, Dawood Ibrahim and D-Company. These films are often set around Mumbai slums such… Read More
Introduction Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as drama or gangster film, but also include comedy,… Read More
Introduction The heist film or caper film is a subgenre of crime film. Background One of the early defining heist films was The Asphalt Jungle (1950), which Film Genre 2000 wrote “almost single-handedly popularized the genre for mainstream cinema”. It featured robbers whose personal failings ultimately led to the failure of their robbery. Similar films… Read More
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