The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines genre as, "a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content."  Genre theory plays a significant role in the categorization and characterization of all movies.  The title movie generally categorizes a particular style of creation. Because films cross a vast array of forms,   arrangement, chic, and emotionally stimulation there calls for a method that better classifies each. By cataloging movies into specific genres, it enables the viewer to be able to watch certain movies with certain expectations knowingly; aiding the viewer to recognize certain styles that are based on what they tend to know about the story formulas, character types, settings, and iconography (Chandler, 1977).  Specifically, when it comes to movies, there is the mainstream style of genres such as comedy, mystery, western, drama and romance and so on. However, genres go significantly further than this mainstream, general branding. Many different sub-genres help to classify further and expanded upon the overarching general categorization.  Nonetheless, genres overall are utilized to give the viewer a central theme of a particular style of a film.

Like many other forms of art, genre theory is a great way to categorize and market a film for the audience.  If all films were the same there would be no need for genre theory, and in honesty, the film industry would reach its demise, but fortunately, this is not the case.  There are many forms of genre which create a unique subject matter that when going below the surface one can see that it is not always so easily definable; genre theory can be far more complex than the mainstream genre titles.  Genre theory is the overall shared term used to describe similar styles that facilitate a particular category a film falls into (Chandler, 1977). Understanding genre theory is essential to understand, especially for the creators and producers of a film to better suit their intended audience.  This is important comprehension because genre helps the viewer comprehend and appreciate the style and theme of what is trying to be conveyed before viewing the movie.  This not only helps the audience knowingly understand the style beforehand but also helps set expectations while viewing.  For example, when considering the horror genre, one would expect to witness scare, intensity, gore, and death.  The viewer goes to a horror film expecting to see specific content and feel certain emotions for this genre.  As described by Goodykoontz & Jacobs, the "horror genre can be expected to produce fear or anxiety in the viewer; some of the many subgenres of horror films include the vampire film, the zombie film, the monster movie, the mad doctor movie, the insane slasher-killer movie, and the psychological horror film, among others." Like a typical horror film, many films can easily fall under one genre umbrella. However, there are a vast array of films which contain similar and easy identifiable aspects of other genres causing the film to cross genres very quickly.

When films start to cross genres, they divide into sub-genres below the primary or original genre; sub-genre is the genre within a genre (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). An example of a sub-genre would be comedy horror which is a genre that falls under the original umbrella of horror but contains many elements of comedy or vices versa.  Although the comedy horror sub­ genre sometimes appears to cross a line with the genre of black comedy, both are distinguishably separate; black comedy is intended to make light of a dark subject matter and not necessarily horror (Foote, 2017).  Comedy horror gives the audience that ability to share to experience their fears while being able to laugh at these common elements. A perfect example of a film that identifies with the comedy horror sub-genre would be the film Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.

In this film, the main characters are preconceived to be violent backwoods hillbillies by none other than the stereotyped dumb college kids heading to the woods for a weekend of parties and camping.  This is how the film captivates the audience by utilizing the known identifiable associations of the horror genre; it can place a comedic twist; using these preconceived notions, the audience is lead down a trail of both comedy and horror moments.  In the film, Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) are local 'back wood' friends going on vacation to their newly acquired cabin in the woods, when cliche ignorant college students mistake these two pals for murderous hillbillies.

The story of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil starts with a group of college kids stopping at a gas station; they come across Tucker and Dale, who are on vacation in their dream run-down lakefront cabin, which is buried in the backwoods.  Dale has a hard time talking to girls so when Dale tries to talk to Allison; one of the college kids, he scares her and her friends because of his hillbilly appearance.  Tucker and Dale leave the gas station and arrive at their dream cabin, and begin the repairs needed.  Nearby, Chad another college kid starts talking about a story about the "Memorial Day Massacre," an attack which took place over 20 years earlier.  The kids decided to go skinny-dipping where Tucker and Dale are fishing.  Allison hits her head and Tucker, and Dale saves her from drowning, her friends think that Tucker and Dale are trying to kidnap her.  Tucker and Dale take Allison back to the Cabin and try their hand at fixing her up.  When Allison wakes Dale is trying to be nice to her and bring her breakfast, she believes they are "psychopathic captors,” which she, later on, discovers they are only helping her.  While Allison is getting help, the other college kids arrive at the cabin to save Allison. While Dale is inside with Allison Tucker is cutting wood and angers a beehive hidden inside the log.  As Tucker frantically waves around his chainsaw, which the college kids misinterpret as hostility.  The college students scatter through the woods, where one of the kids accidentally impales himself on a broken tree, killing himself and Tucker under him.  As the kids head back to the cabin to continue their journey to save Allison.  Allison's friends arrive they see Allison helping out with the construction of an outhouse, but they assume she is being pushed to dig her own grave.  As the college kids attack, two of the college kids Todd and Mike end up killing themselves, and Allison is accidental, again knocked unconscious by Dale's shovel.  As the story is unfolding crazy events keep following Tucker and Dale with hilarious events.  This horror story is covered in slapstick comedy and as Allison friends continue their return of Allison all of her friends end up dying in funny murder scenes.  By the end, Tucker, Dale, and Allison are in a bowling alley, and Dale finally professes his love for Allison, and she feels the same, they end with a kiss.  The twist of events that happen are true comedic, but with such a strong horror genre this sub-genre brings precisely what the audience is expecting.

In conclusion, genres are used to help the viewers pick the specific film they are looking for, such as this comedic and horror movie Tucker & Dale vs. Evil. This film stretches the boundaries of comedy and helps bring the horror to light.  With slapstick humor and gore, this genre keeps all audience members entertained.  Tucker & Dale vs. Evil has taken this sub-genre flick to a whole new level and helps audience; which may not love horror, enjoy horror and walk away loving this type of films.

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