Types of Subgenres for Crime

About
Crime has a couple subgenres that I could use to revolve my film opening around. I'm going to explore and talk about my opinion on a few subgenre that I'm interested. Ill make a small summary on the subgenre and explain why I would or would not use it for my film opening.

Crime thriller

Crime thriller as a subgenre can be confused with both horror and crime, but it depends on the main focus. I want to focus more on the investigative part and detectives instead of the fear that slasher films usually create. In this genre, the plot is about an unknown killer committing unusual murders. The killer might leave hints or riddles for the police. In this subgenre, there are many twists where you might never know who the killer is, but the most interesting thing is how they discover and detain the killer. Sometimes we also see from the point of view of the killer, where we see their psyche and the way they see the world. It can get very deep because we see what caused the killer to start their murders and the traumas they have. These movies usually include things like knives and suspenseful moments. This genre is always suspense driven and is meant to keep viewers thinking while feeling tension in important scenes.

This is a subgenre that I find very fascinating because creating an interesting killer sounds difficult but fun, and I always love the plot twists these types of movies have. Furthermore, I like the obstacles that the investigators face.

Example of Movies:
These are some movies I used ChatGbt for recommendation as classic which I might use to review crime thriller film openings.

The Silence of the Lamb
The French Connection (1971)
Heat (1995)

Gangster/ Crime

Mobster is also a subgenre of crime that isn't as popular as it used to be. I learned it began in the 1930s and declined after mobs became less popular, with the falloff being around the 1980s. Gangster films usually have large organizations that commit illegal activities for different reasons, which could be either for greed or for family. Other things that are normally seen in this genre are guns and ruthless techniques that you will see from the gangsters as they try to stay on top and maintain power. Furthermore, characters are usually presented as materialistic or self-destructive. In this genre you will regularly see the theme of good versus evil, which does not just apply to police vs. gangster. The types of crimes you see in this genre of movies are bank robberies, murders, and drug dealing.

This genre, after further research, is interesting but difficult to make in my opinion. If I were to make a film opening in this genre, I would like to show a group of people that can represent different gangsters and organizations. A problem I may face in trying to represent that is actors, which I have yet to pick. Moreover, picking actors will be difficult, so I might have to try to limit my actors to at least two while still letting the audience identify that these characters are gangsters.

Example of Movies:
It's been a long time since I had watched these movies so I had to make sure it was the right genre but these are some popular movies of this genre.

The Godfather (1972)
Goodfellas (1990
Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Crime/ law thriller

Legal thrillers usually focus on suspenseful moments that come from what is said and done in court. They are normally set in courtrooms and show legal procedures, as well as a demonstration of what the victim and the accused did. Judges and lawyers are always present because they are crucial to the story. The main theme is usually justice, either for the victim or for someone who has been falsely accused. These stories often include twists that arise from witness testimony, which heighten the tension in the courtroom. The case should feel as realistic as possible to give the audience the sense of watching a real trial. The target audience is people who enjoy real court cases, crime, and suspense, so it is important that the movie delivers all of these elements.

I like this genre, but I'm not sure if I want to make my film opening centered around a law thriller. I'm not sure if I can portray a courtroom, and I would rather not try. What I did learn while researching this genre is that I should get familiar with how the law works, since the main genre I'm doing is crime and I want it to look as real as possible.

Example of Movies:

Just Mercy (2019)
A Civil Action (1998)
A Time To Kill (1996)

What's next?
After researching these 3 subgenres I will go in-depth on one. The one I'm leaning towards is Crime/Thriller ,because when I imagine what my film opening will look like I can see it being more incline to crime thriller than the other genres. After, I pick a subgenre I will search three movies from that genre and analyze how they start and all write all the details they use in order to show it's a crime thriller.