10 films that change genre right along the narrative (11 photos)

Today we will look at several extremely unusual films that, as the story progresses, completely transform in the eyes of the viewer, becoming completely different from what they seemed at the beginning or even in the middle.





Has this ever happened to you: you watch a movie, watch it, and suddenly at some point you stop understanding when and how you ended up in such a movie? Not because it has become worse or better, but because it has become categorically different.

Changing genres within one film while maintaining quality and interest is a very rare trick in cinema, but there are definitely ten examples. Watched? Do you agree? And be prepared for spoilers!

From Dusk Till Dawn (1995)



Genre transition: crime road movie -> vampire horror.

Having started out as a completely Tarantino film of those years in the style of “Reservoir Dogs”, “True Romance” or “Natural Born Killers”, Robert Rodriguez’s film does a somersault, and the viewer, along with the main characters, suddenly find themselves in a mystical bar filled with vampires.

Like Hot Fuzz (2007)





Genre transition: parody British comedy -> detective thriller with powerful action scenes.

A typical British comedy starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost suddenly turns into a big-budget action movie with cool shootouts and Hollywood explosions. In addition, this film has a plot twist that is quite frightening for a comedy.

Mother! (2017)



Transition of genre: drama -> chaotic horror film -> mysticism.

Darren Aronofsky's parable is only disguised as a Hollywood film with famous actors. The closer the finale gets, the more the audience gets the feeling: “This is not the movie we sat down to watch.”

Titanic (1997)



Transition of genre: melodrama -> disaster film.

The romantic story of Rose and Jack crashes into an iceberg along with the ship itself, and then we follow the most famous and detailed disaster in the history of cinema.

Psycho (1960)



Transition of genre: crime detective -> horror.

The most classic example of changing genre settings, unsurprisingly, belongs to Alfred Hitchcock. The girl ditches her boss and escapes from the city with a large sum of money. We think the film will focus on this crime aspect. But no! Moreover, halfway through the film it turns out that the main character is not so main, and her entire storyline gives way to something else.

Predator (1987)



Transition of genre: military action -> science fiction.

An elite squad of American mercenaries lands in the jungles of Guatemala and easily dispatches their opponents. People. But then the action movie turns almost into a slasher film in the jungle - with alternate mysterious murders of heroes and an unknown maniac in a mask. Only at the end of the film does Arnold Schwarzenegger's character realize that he is in an evil version of the movie "E.T."

Screen test (1999)



Transition of genre: melodrama -> the most terrible horror film.

Let’s take the already familiar effect “We sat down to watch this is not this movie at all,” multiply it 4 times and add 100 points of disgust. Probably the most famous example of a film going completely wrong where we would like it to go. However, in the end, this Japanese horror even received cult status, and not only in its homeland.

Life is Beautiful (1997)



Transition of genre: family comedy -> military drama.

The beginning of Roberto Benigni's drama immerses the viewer in the pleasant atmosphere of some "Roman Holiday", and then rather suddenly switches to the horrors of the Holocaust.

Inferno (2007)



Genre transition: science fiction -> horror.

This sci-fi adventure film by Danny Boyle looks like it will go down the same path as Interstellar, but instead it veers into the Alien route. And much more unexpected than “Alien” itself.

Parasite (2019)



Genre transition: comedy -> drama -> thriller.

A kaleidoscope film that has almost everything. As the story progresses, the tone becomes increasingly darker, and the plot twists become increasingly harsh and irreparable. There are even horror elements here and there. Although we actually started watching a comedy!

What other similar transitions do you know?