Final answer:
A film genre is a category of movies with shared narrative and stylistic patterns. Films within a genre fulfill certain audience expectations and criteria for their type, and while genres evolve, Hollywood trends often shape the popular ones.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term you are asking about is film genre. A film genre is a classification for movies based on their narrative and stylistic patterns, subject matter, and thematic elements. Films within a genre share distinct similarities that fulfill audience expectations and align with established norms for those types of movies. For instance, science fiction films often explore speculative concepts and technological advancements, whereas romance films focus on love stories. It's important to note that some films may not fit neatly into one single genre and can encompass elements from multiple genres, creating sub-genres or cross-genre films.
Film genres not only guide audiences but also influence how movies are critiqued and reviewed. Different genres have different evaluation criteria; for example, a horror film might be assessed on its ability to create suspense and fear, while a romantic comedy might be evaluated based on its humor and the chemistry between characters. Moreover, genres can evolve over time, and certain elements that may have been novel in one era can become clichéd in another, prompting filmmakers to find a balance between originality and familiarity.
The Hollywood movie industry, with its major studios, often dictates popular genres based on what has been successful in the past. These trends result in commonalities among big-budget films, such as the frequent appearance of superheroes, sequels, and heavy reliance on special effects.