Researching Genres- Alejandra Arratia

Genre Research

I've research three possible genres my group could film that I have brainstormed for possible discussion, such as Thriller, Psychological and Coming of age which are personally amongst the very pool of categories many of my treasured favorite films lie. I've taken great joy in using those very films as examples below.

Thriller (Prisoners 2013)

Prisoners is an anxiety inducing film. Prisoners is about what families do for their missing children. It uses dark lighting, slow reveal, and anxious uncertainty. It’s unforgiving in its pacing and it’s unforgiving in its high stakes scenarios. Prisoners keep people wondering what is right or wrong and that is part of the draw.

Psychological (Black Swan 2010)

Black Swan is a psychological film about the lead’s mind unraveling. It explores obsession, pressure and identity through the mind of a perfectionistic ballet dancer. It shows her battle through symbolism, hallucinations and a warped reality. The pace of the film ebbs and flows with her mind rather than the external world. This keeps the audience uncomfortable and confused like the characters, which is common in psychological films.

Coming of Age (Lady Bird 2017)

Lady Bird is a coming of age film about being a teenager. A coming of age film about an adolescent young woman high school girl navigating through friends, family conflict, and desire to grow up. It features realistic relationships and emotions that are connected to being a teenager. The identity, finding oneself, and growing up is highlighted. Due to these connected elements, Lady Bird is a compelling coming of age movie for adolescents and young adults.

Convention and Code Research

I also researched the conventions and codes of each of the genres and what the title sequences and openings were like. Thrillers have a lot of action and loud music and fast pacing. Psychological movies open slower with close ups and strange and unsettling images. Coming of age movies open with the main character in a safe familiar place, school, home.

Opening credits differ across genre. Thrillers will have bold fonts, dark colors, and jarring transitions. Psychological will have simple text, less saturated color, and imagery with significance. Coming of age is typically straightforward with font, lighting, and saturated color is warm/neutral or realistic.

This can also be seen in the cover and contents page. Thriller/psychological films use darker colors such as black, red, dark blue as well as the inclusion of more serious fonts. Coming of age uses brighter/lighter colors and more simplistic fonts, as they are about youth, development and reality

The color and typography design varies greatly by genre. Thrillers employ high contrast color and heavy typography, psychological are more subdued and minimalist, and coming of age films have more realistic lighting and colors, and more legible typography.

Overall Conclusion

After comparing the three genres, Coming of Age appears to be the optimal genre for our group project. It is the most doable with the resources available to us, it resonates with teens, and it is about story and acting, not special effects. Yet, incorporating some slight thriller or psychological elements could set this project apart when completed.

Sources:

1. Chen, Sandie Angulo. “Prisoners.” Common Sense Media, 8 Aug. 2022, www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/prisoners. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026. (Common Sense Media)

2. “Prisoners.” IMDb, www.imdb.com/title/tt0947798/. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026. (IMDb)

3. Prisoners. YouTube, uploaded by user, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpXfcTF6iVk. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

4. V Renée. “Video: Possibly the Most Comprehensive 30-Minute Analysis of ‘Prisoners’ You’ve Ever Seen.” No Film School, 12 May 2014, nofilmschool.com/2014/05/video-comprehensive-analysis-of-prisoners. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026. (No Film School)

5. Quintanilla, Emily. “What Is a Coming-of-Age Movie?” Medium, 7 Mar. 2021, medium.com/coming-of-age-with-film/what-is-a-coming-of-age-movie-7ebf1121ca1c. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026. (Medium)

6. “Camera as Psychosis: The Cinematography of Black Swan.” Movie Scene, moviescene.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/camera-as-psychosis-the-cinematography-of-black-swan/. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.