11 Movie Genres That Went Extinct From Hollywood

Movie genres are like fashion trends: big one day and then gone with the wind.
Still, movies have been a part of our lives for over a century, entertaining us with their stories and characters.
However, not all film genres have stood the test of time, and some have quietly faded over the years, leaving behind a trail of forgotten films and lost audiences.
In this post, we explore the movie genres that have died out and examine what led to their decline. Let’s read about forgotten corners of cinema history, where we uncover the lost treasures of the cinema.
Musicals Movies

Although some of our most beloved and classic films are musicals like “West Side Story” (2021), “The Sound of Music” (1965), and “Grease” (1978), musical movies are just not able to turn a profit anymore.
While there are still occasional odd hits like “La La Land” (2016) and “Les Misérables” (2012), we’re lucky to get one of these big-budget gems at least once a year.
Why Musical Movie Genre is No More
Early Hollywood released original musicals all the time, while the later Hollywood format would take popular Broadway musicals and give them the big-screen treatment. However, this still happens on occasion, with mixed results. Broadway’s booming business is now stealing from Hollywood Instead.
Hood Films

With the rise of hip-hop, rap, and urban fashion taking over pop culture in the late 80s, it wasn’t long before young, talented African American film directors, like the Hughes Brothers, John Singleton, and Spike Lee, started sharing their experiences on the big screen. Major hits like “Boyz n the Hood” (1991) and “Dangerous Minds” (1995) brought the racially charged tension of the inner city to the forefront and opened the eyes of millions of moviegoers.
Related: Movies That Portray Stockholm Syndrome
Why Did Hood Films Die?
These films both thrived and then quickly died in the mid-90s, pretty much the moment the Wayans Brothers decided to parody them with “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood” (1996).
Splatter Movies

The success of “Saw” (2004) was something that the horror community didn’t expect. Although it was an original and engaging thriller, the studios decided that audiences didn’t care much about the story or character but would keep returning for Gordon. Sadly, they were right, as audiences flocked back for the endless sequels and copycat films.
Why we don’t see splatter Movie Genres Anymore
Movies like “Hostel” (2005) and “The Collector” (2009) took a cue from the splatter films of the 60s and aimed solely to gross fans out.
The sudden rise of the splatter movies sub-genre changed the face of horror for a few years during the 2000s. But, like most horror subgenres, it quickly faded from the spotlight.
Romantic Comedies

Rom-com movies have always been a popular commodity and big hits with audiences. As the years have gone by, romantic comedies have vanished.
While we no longer see the screwball high jinks of the 30s and 40s or the musical love stories of the 50s and 60s, the romantic comedy has had a long, steady run since its Billy Crystal and Tom Hanks days of the 1980s.
When Romantic Comedy Movies Fade Away?
The quirky love affairs of the office romance films like “The Proposal” (2009) and “Failure to Launch” (2006) brought Rom-coms to the new millennium. However, these films have since been dethroned by sappy Nicholas Sparks adaptations like “The Lucky One” (2012), all romance, no comedy.
YA Adaptations

The success of franchises like “Twilight” (2008) and “The Hunger Games” (2012) was so huge that we can’t blame the studios for raiding the young adult sections of their bookstores overnight for ideas.
However, lightning would not strike again as Hollywood quickly learned with adaptations like “The Mortal Instruments” (2013), “The Divergent” series, and “Beautiful Creatures” (2013) becoming critical and some even financial duds.
Is YA Adaptations Movie Genre Extinct?
All attempts to create the next big franchise died quick deaths at the box office. While quieter YA adaptations did pretty well, they were rarely heard from during the early 2010s.
The failure of certain young adult genre made TV series replace these movies genre with shows like “The 100” (2014–2020) “Shadowhunters” (2016–2019), and “13 Reasons Why” (2017–2020), which allow for more complex character development and ongoing story arcs.
Slasher Films

Thanks to a little film called “Halloween” (1978) and “Friday the 13th” (1980), film studios tuned into the morbid attraction of slasher films. They had all kinds of masked killers, reigned supreme throughout the 80s, and revitalized the home video market with cheap, entertaining, over-the-top horror manias.
Although oversaturation killed the genre dead by the 90s, Wes Craven’s “Scream” (1996) brought the genre back from the dead and showed us how ridiculous slasher films come mid-decade.
Why don’t we see Slasher Films Anymore?
Thanks to the Scream series and the rise of splatter movies, the slasher renaissance was butchered to death before it even had a chance. However, recently, we have seen a resurrection in this genre with the release of “Scream 6” (2023).
Found Footage

The found footage gimmick has been used frequently in horror throughout the years, usually with mixed results. The notorious “Cannibal Holocaust” (1980) and “The Blair Witch Project” (2016) were brilliant manipulations and subversive thrill rides.
However, when “Paranormal Activity“ series exploded into cinemas, the studio saw how much they could accomplish with such a minute budget, and all hell broke loose.
Why Found Footage Movies Genre Got Extinct?
Back then, all horror films used found-footage techniques and reserved worse and worse reviews.
But thankfully, they’re also now practically extinct from our theaters; the straight-to-DVD bin, though, is another story.
Parody Films

Parody films may not have always been significant hits, but they were always around to send you into a fit of giggles. The blockbuster gold of the 80s and 90s with hits like “Hotshots” (1991) and “The Naked Gun” series created comedy classics and made comedy superstars out of series actors like Charlie Sheen and Leslie Nielsen.
Why Parody Films Got Extinct?
Things slowly went downhill as the quality of these films progressively declined, from the Wayans Brothers and their “Scary Movies“ franchise to the abysmal attempts by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer.
Film Noir

More of a product of the time, film noir was a stylistic choice that grew to immense popularity in the 1940s and 50s. The genre’s dangerous and violent stories and mysteriously shadow aesthetics gave the pristine Hollywood machine some gritty realism.
Why Film Noir Genre is Gone?
While the days of Humphrey Bogart and Edward G Robinson may be long gone, we occasionally get some great neo-noir films towards the end of the 20th century, like “Blade Runner” (1982) and “Basic Instinct” (1992). Still, they’re no longer a staple of cinemas today.
Even so, some aesthetics are used in the early 21st century, such as in films like “John Wick“ (2014).
Creature Films

While creature feature films are not as prominent in Hollywood as they once were, they have not entirely vanished from the film industry. There are still occasional releases of creature feature films, such as “Cloverfield” (2008), “Pacific Rim“(2013), and “The Meg” (2018).
Why don’t we see Creature Films Anymore?
Creature feature films may be less common today because movie studios are focused on producing big-budget blockbusters that appeal to a global audience. Many of these films rely heavily on special effects and CGI to create their spectacle, which can be expensive.
Another reason could be that audience preferences have shifted towards other genres, such as superhero films and franchises, which have become more prevalent in recent years.
However, it’s important to note that the film industry constantly evolves, and new trends and genres can emerge at any time. This revival is evidenced in Marvel Studios latest release, “Werewolf by Night” (2022).
Westerns

Sadly, considered by many modern moviegoers to be boring and out of style, westerns saw an immediate drop in popularity after the 1960s. The star power of John Wayne and Glenn Ford piqued audiences’ interest, and they flocked to see the adventures of daring cowboys and Indians.
The genre was so popular it even took over televisions in the 1950s. Spaghetti Westerns out of Italy, such as “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” (1966), brought new life to the genre.
Why are Western Movies Extinct?
Today’s studios do pretty well with movies like “True Grit” (2010) and “Magnificent Seven” (2016); you mostly have a hard time finding an original and good Western adventure to watch these days.
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