Two movie genres that offer styles that are totally opposite are the comedy and horror genres. Although both types of movie appear in theaters regularly, the scenes and set-ups in each are designed for different outcomes in the audience. Comedies are deliberately crafted to amuse and, hopefully, make the audience laugh as much as possible. This is accomplished through both wacky characters and outrageous situations. "Liar Liar," from 1997, is an example of a comedy. Horror, on the other hand, seeks to shock, spook and frighten watchers, placing characters in ongoing peril, often with horrendous, deadly outcomes at the hands of monstrous figures. "Saw," from 2004, and the resulting movies in that series, are horror movies.
A drama offers more realistic characters and situations than a comedy or horror movie. It is the plot, and how situations and relationships springing from it affect the characters, that propels the movie forward in directions that are often decided by particular traits in the main character that guide her decisions. "The Shawshank Redemption," from 1994, is a drama. Action movies, on the other hand, rely on ongoing scenes of high-energy encounters, such as fights, car chases, explosions, non-stop and daring escapes or the human battle against natural disasters, to drive the movie toward its conclusion. "The Dark Knight," released in 2008, is a high-grossing action movie.
Most movies will have a soundtrack, which is the music that accompanies the movie, often featured in scenes within the movie. Only a portion of the song is usually played in the movie, to accompany an unfolding scene. In a musical, however, individual or collective members of the movie cast perform entire songs. Any other genre of movie can be made into a musical, using creativity. Imagine a singing, slick-talking gambler trying to woo a missionary, as in the 1955 movie "Guys and Dolls," and you have a movie that is a comedic story of romance, also become a musical.
Other genres include westerns, widely associated with cowboys, which focus on the American frontier; war movies, which focus on the combat and horrors of actual wars; science fiction, which delves into the wonders of outer space, often examining the results of earth encountering beings or objects from other worlds; thrillers, which use ongoing suspense and tension to "thrill" audiences; gangster movies, which delve into the lives and dealings of groups and individuals in organized crime; and romances spin tales around a theme featuring individuals involved in romantic relationships.