Every few years some genres will gain notoriety and popularity where others will take a step back waiting for its inevitable resurgence. The 80s/90s were dominated by action flicks, the 2000s were overly saturated with rom-coms, and every generation has its ups and downs. Sometimes though a specific movie puts that movement into motion and is a catalyst for dozens to hundreds of films that normally may have been shelved and forgotten.
Movies like When Harry Met Sally revived (or gave power) to rom-coms. The Matrix made us realize that sci-fi movies aren’t always limited to us nerdy folk. Here is a compiled list of movies that have given some genres a breath of fresh air within the last few years. Some of the films themselves are newer affair and are assumptions of potential success for its given genre.
10. Crime – The Departed
Crime as a genre has always dominated the television market. The format works so well on TV because it can do the villain per episode quite successfully. Rarely do you see that format transgress into film, and when it does it’s a rare hit. What’s so entertaining about The Departed is that it doesn’t follow one villain but a multitude of bad guys. Even then most of the bad guys really aren’t that bad as they’re just collateral damage from lies upon lies.
Like any good crime flick, you never truly know where everyone’s loyalty falls and who may be next on the murder block (unless you’ve seen infernal affairs which it’s based off of). The characters are well rounded, and even the smallest of roles end up being the most entertaining (Mark Wahlberg’s off the wall sergeant, for example).
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You should have added
Western – Django Unchained!
I don’t know if that’s necessarily true – in the last few years we’ve had ‘Brokeback Mountain’, ’3:10 To Yuma’, ‘True Grit’, ‘No Country For Old Men’, ‘Assassination of Jesse James…’ etc.
I think that Monsters Inc. rather than Finding Nemo was the first Pixar movie geared towards both adult and child viewers. It took place in a workplace, had the typical tropes of all the co-wrokers anyone who’s worked a day in an office has ever had, and added the whole “parental responsibility” aspect to Sully and Boo’s relationship. I dunno, six of one half a dozen of the other, not all people like all the pixar movies, but both adults and children have a favorite. (You’d think that mine is clearly “Monsters” but I’m more of an “A Bug’s Life” type of guy.
uh your way off with the comic book, it should be either batman begins or the dark knight, iron man…that is insulting
The thing with the batman franchise is, for some audiences was to dark of an approach (especially for younger viewership). Also Batman will always sell itself, where as Ironman opened the flood gates for more risky titles, like thor or the soon to be Gaurdian of the Galaxy.
totally agree with the Dooke. Iron Man came out BEFORE The Dark Knight and did anybody really give to much of a damn about Batman Begins? It wasn’t until The Dark Knight that the franchise really began to get any attention, it’s easy to not remember that fact in retrospect.
These directors of these movies reading this article and telling friends or whatever are now like “yeah one of my movies saved a whole genre, apparently.”
I’d say the Bourne Franchise did more for modern action movies than any James Bond movie did…Considering James Bond movies tried to copy the bourne blueprint fof its next films.
I’d say Spider-Man saved the comic book genre, simply because it was the first good major one out since the Batman films of the 90s/80s which all sucked. It kicked off Marvel and DC taking another stab at comic book movies.
I debated on going with Spider-Man originally, but compared to the amount of hero movies based earlier in the decade vs. now gave me personally a stronger argument with Iron Man. Also Spider-Man 3 left such a bad taste for most people, it tainted the original titles. (Mind you I still enjoy them regardless)
For comic books, is there not an argument for Blade.
Don’t forget that it was made in the middle of a dire market for comic book adaptations (following hot on the heels of Batman and Robin, Spawn, Steel etc), but proved that there was still a market for these types of films when they were well made. Within 2 years we had Spider Man and the whole comic book boom took off.
It also showed that a solid fanbase can sell a comic book adaptation, rather than trying to aim it squarely at the kids market as so many had done before.
I’m sorry but you’re going to have to make a better case about how these movies “saved” their genres. And I do like several of the movies that are featured in this article but giving a brief synopsis isn’t going to cut it.
the hangover saved comedy, wait, what???