10 Movies So Good They Created the Blueprint for a Whole Genre

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Occasionally, a movie appears that truly shapes—or even reshapes—an entire genre. While it may not be the very first of its type, it establishes the benchmark for all films that follow, becoming a foundational model for new and influential storytelling that echoes through cinema history.

This list includes films from the 1940s through the 2020s. Each movie is remarkably original and has inspired countless other filmmakers over the years. They transformed potentially fleeting trends into enduring classics.

Here are 10 movies that are so good they created the blueprint for a whole genre.

10
‘The Maltese Falcon’ (1941)

Genre: Film Noir


Paramount Pictures

John Huston’s film, The Maltese Falcon, is a classic detective story set in San Francisco. Based on the 1930 novel by Dashiell Hammett, the movie follows private investigator Sam Spade as he searches for a valuable statue, navigating a dangerous world of criminals and a mysterious woman. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, and Peter Lorre, all well-known for other iconic roles like Casablanca, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Roaring Twenties, and M, respectively.

The film The Maltese Falcon is considered a key starting point for the film noir genre. It introduced audiences to the classic noir tropes of a hard-boiled, serious detective and a beautiful, yet untrustworthy, woman. As Phil Hoad of The Guardian noted in 2016, the movie was the first widely successful film to combine these elements, truly launching the genre into popularity.

9
‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ (1966)

Genre: Spaghetti Western


United Artists

Directed by Sergio Leone, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a celebrated western film. The story follows three men on a quest for buried treasure in the desert. Clint Eastwood plays a mysterious bounty hunter, alongside Eli Wallach as the outlaw Tuco, and Lee Van Cleef as the cold-hearted mercenary Angel Eyes. The screenplay was written by Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, and Luciano Vincenzoni, all known for their work on other popular films.

Though technically the last film in the Dollars Trilogy, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the most well-known and really defined what we now recognize as a spaghetti western. It’s famous for its powerful music, frequent close-up shots, and dramatic use of blood. Interestingly, despite being set in the United States, the movie was filmed in Spain by an Italian crew with a relatively small budget. The final showdown in the film is still considered a classic scene.

8
‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968)

Genre: Zombie Movie (and Indie Horror)


Continental Distributing

George A. Romero’s first feature film was Night of the Living Dead, which he directed, edited, and co-wrote with John Russo (also known for The Majorettes). The movie follows a group of people who find themselves together in a farmhouse while flesh-eating ghouls terrorize the country after rising from the dead. The film stars Duane Jones (from Vampires), Judith O’Dea (known for Vampire Zombies… from Space!), Marilyn Eastman and Karl Hardman (who both appeared in Santa Claws), Kyra Schon (The Greenman), Judith Ridley (The Affair), and Russell Streiner (also from The Majorettes).

The film Night of the Living Dead fundamentally changed the zombie genre. According to the British Film Institute, director George Romero transformed zombies into creatures that literally consume flesh, using them to represent a society collapsing in on itself. This idea became a key theme in many later horror films, including The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Romero’s own Dawn of the Dead. Beyond launching the modern zombie movie, Night of the Living Dead also sparked a wave of independent horror filmmaking that lasted from the 1970s through the early 2000s.

7
‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’ (1977)

Genre: Space Western


LucasFilm

Despite being called “Episode IV,” Star Wars: A New Hope was actually the first film in the original Star Wars trilogy, created by George Lucas. It became a hugely successful franchise and made Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher famous for their roles as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia.

While not the very first of its kind, Star Wars really defined the modern space western. It’s an action-packed story filled with bandits and set in a unique world that feels like a character itself. You can still see its influence in today’s space westerns, like Serenity and Guardians of the Galaxy, which share its sense of adventure and humor.

6
‘Superman’ (1978)

Genre: Comic Book Movie


Warner Bros.

Christopher Reeve became famous for playing Clark Kent, also known as Superman, in Richard Donner’s film adaptation of the classic comic book. The movie featured a fantastic cast, including established actors like Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty (known for Network), Jackie Cooper (The People’s Choice), Glenn Ford (The Big Heat), Trevor Howard (The Third Man), and Marlon Brando as Superman’s father, Jor-El, alongside rising stars such as Margot Kidder and Valerie Perrine (Lenny). It also included performances by Maria Schell (The Last Bridge), Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter (Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo), and Susannah York (They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?). The film received three Academy Award nominations and won a special award for its groundbreaking visual effects.

While not the first Superman story – a TV show called Adventures of Superman with George Reeves aired from 1952 to 1958 – the 1978 Superman movie truly launched the modern superhero film. It was a large-scale, epic story for audiences of all ages, and it used groundbreaking special effects. As the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out, its influence is still visible today in films like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe builds its stories and mythology. James Gunn’s recent Superman film clearly builds upon the foundation laid by Richard Donner’s 1978 classic.

5
‘Halloween’ (1978)

Genre: Slasher


Compass International Pictures

John Carpenter’s Halloween is a groundbreaking, low-budget horror film that he not only directed but also scored and co-wrote with producer Debra Hill (known for The Fisher King). Carpenter famously created the terrifying Michael Myers using a simple white Captain Kirk mask and overalls. The film also introduced Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis), who became the archetype for the ‘final girl’ in horror movies. Halloween and its characters, Michael Myers and Laurie Strode, fundamentally reshaped the horror genre.

While not the very first horror film of its kind, Halloween really established the blueprint for slasher movies as we know them. The survival ‘rules’ famously outlined in the movie Scream were actually inspired by Halloween and the films that followed. Halloween was incredibly popular and helped kickstart a new wave of horror in the 1980s, leading to hits like Friday the 13th, Prom Night, and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

4
‘This is Spinal Tap’ (1984)

Genre: Mockumentary


Bleecker Street 

This is Spinal Tap is a funny, fake documentary that follows the adventures of a fictional English rock band, Spinal Tap. The film marked director Rob Reiner’s first feature film, and he wrote the script alongside the band’s stars: Christopher Guest (known for Best in Show), Michael McKean (from Better Call Saul), and Harry Shearer (of The Simpsons). The actors also contributed a lot of their own lines and ideas during filming.

As a huge fan, I always say This is Spinal Tap wasn’t just funny, it was groundbreaking. It really kicked off the whole mockumentary thing, and it’s still hilarious today – people are still quoting lines from it! I recently read in Far Out Magazine that it basically set the rules for how these kinds of movies are made. It’s amazing to think that shows like The Office and movies like Borat probably wouldn’t exist without Spinal Tap paving the way.

3
‘Groundhog Day’ (1993)

Genre: Time-Loop


Columbia Pictures

Directed by Harold Ramis (known for Analyze This), Groundhog Day is a charming romantic comedy he co-wrote with Danny Rubin (Hear No Evil). The movie stars Bill Murray (Ghostbusters) as Phil Connors, a television weatherman stuck repeating the same day – Groundhog Day! The film also features Andie MacDowell (Four Weddings and a Funeral), Chris Elliott (Get a Life), Stephen Tobolowsky (Memento), and Brian Doyle-Murray (Caddyshack).

As a huge movie buff, I always think of Groundhog Day when I see a film where someone gets stuck repeating the same day. It wasn’t the very first movie to play with that idea, but it definitely made it popular – so much so that people call this kind of story a “Groundhog Day Loop”! While it’s easy to think of this setup in a romantic comedy, it actually works really well in other genres too. I’ve seen some great horror movies like Happy Death Day and even sci-fi like Omni Loop that use the time-loop idea to create something really unique and exciting.

2
‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)

Genre: Zom-Com


Rogue Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Shaun of the Dead is the first movie in a comedic trilogy—known as the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy—created by director Edgar Wright and actor Simon Pegg. The film stars Pegg and Nick Frost as Shaun and Ed, two close friends navigating a zombie outbreak. The supporting cast includes Kate Ashfield (known for Born to Kill), Lucy Davis (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Dylan Moran (Black Books), Jessica Stevenson (The Royle Family), Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy), Rafe Spall (The Ritual), and Martin Freeman (The World’s End), along with Penelope Wilton (Ever Decreasing Circles) and Bill Nighy (Living).

I remember when Shaun of the Dead came out, and it totally changed zombie movies for me. Sure, there were zombie films before, but this one was the first that really made me laugh. It wasn’t just scary, it was genuinely funny, and it became a huge hit. Entertainment Weekly described it perfectly – a loving tribute to all things zombie, and that’s exactly what it felt like. It showed such a great understanding and respect for the genre that it really opened the door for things like Dead Set and even Warm Bodies later on.

1
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

Genre: Multiverse Movie


A24

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the team behind Swiss Army Man, completely reimagined the rules of filmmaking with their ambitious comedy, Everything Everywhere All at Once. The film stars Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Quan Wang, a stressed-out laundromat owner who discovers the existence of multiple universes and alternate versions of herself. To protect her family and all of reality, Evelyn needs to connect with and learn from these other selves. The movie also features Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Released most recently, Everything Everywhere All at Once continues to be a groundbreaking film. Though science fiction and superhero movies have explored the idea of multiple universes for some time, this film brought the concept to the forefront at the Oscars, earning an impressive 11 nominations and winning seven awards. It was a critical and popular success in 2022. According to ScreenCraft, the directors, Kwan and Scheinert, truly mastered multiverse storytelling, using its inherent chaos to create a deeply emotional and satisfying conclusion.

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2025-11-16 23:52