Movies That Should Have Been Made In a Different Genre

It’s common to watch a movie and think about ways it could have been improved – little tweaks or bigger changes. We all have opinions on what makes a good film. But sometimes, a movie feels like it would have been even better if it belonged to a completely different genre. These are the films that just seem like they were made in the wrong style.

I sometimes watch a movie and can’t help but think it would have been so much better if it had been made as a different type of film. Like, a dark comedy that feels like it’s almost horror, or maybe a live-action musical that just doesn’t work – honestly, it would’ve been amazing as an animated movie! I know animation isn’t a genre exactly, but give me a break – it’s just my opinion!

Some movies just need a few tweaks – better actors, a stronger script, or a faster pace. But these films went further – they needed a complete change in their overall mood and style to truly work.

Films sometimes miss the mark when it comes to genre. For instance, the unsettling idea behind the 2016 movie Passengers would have worked much better as a suspenseful psychological thriller than the sci-fi romance it became. Likewise, the 2008 film The Happening would have been far more successful as a comedic parody of disaster movies, instead of the unintentionally funny and confusing film we ended up with. Although the director, M. Night Shyamalan, has said he intended it as a humorous, low-budget film, the movie’s serious approach and how it was advertised suggest otherwise.

Here are 10 movies that I think could have been improved by switching to a different genre.

10 Movies Made in the Wrong Genre

Passengers Should Have Been a Psychological Thriller

The movie Passengers presents a truly unsettling scenario: a woman traveling alone in cryosleep to start a new life on a distant planet wakes up 90 years early, roused by a lonely man who found her attractive. A malfunction prevents her from returning to sleep, leaving her stranded on the spaceship with him for the rest of her life – a future he essentially stole from her. Despite this terrifying premise, the 2016 film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt was marketed as a romantic adventure. It would have been far more compelling and believable as a suspenseful psychological thriller, slowly revealing the man’s selfish act of waking her up much later in the story.

Cats Should Have Been an Animated Movie

Tom Hooper’s 2019 movie Cats, based on the popular Broadway show, is famously… unusual. Many find it disturbing, with strangely realistic-but-not-quite-right cat people, a confusing plot, and bizarre visuals. It’s memorable, but not in a good way. It’s possible a different approach could have worked; an animated version with a simpler story might have allowed viewers to enjoy the fantastical tale of city cats. Interestingly, Steven Spielberg tried to make an animated Cats movie in the 1990s, but the project was canceled because filmmakers couldn’t find a way to make the story work on screen. While animation isn’t a genre itself, the point remains: adapting Cats for the big screen proved incredibly challenging.

The Happening Should Have Been a Comedy

M. Night Shyamalan’s 2008 film, The Happening, is often remembered as one of the worst movies of the 2000s. Despite being marketed as a serious thriller about a global catastrophe, it’s become unintentionally funny. The movie’s ridiculous plot – plants taking revenge on humanity – combined with awkward dialogue and strange casting (Mark Wahlberg’s delivery is particularly amusing, and his chemistry with Zooey Deschanel is nonexistent) has turned it into a comedic punchline. But what if the film was intended to be a campy, over-the-top disaster movie parody? Seen that way, the tone, acting, and plot actually make sense. We’d be laughing with the movie instead of at it, but either way, The Happening is seriously hilarious.

Lisa Frankenstein Should Have Been a Musical

I really wanted to enjoy Lisa Frankenstein, the new horror comedy from Zelda Williams and Diablo Cody about a lonely teen in the 80s who falls for a reanimated corpse. But despite looking great and having a lively cast, the movie feels surprisingly incomplete. It doesn’t quite succeed as either a horror film or a comedy, and it doesn’t seem to have a clear goal beyond style and 80s nostalgia. It would have worked much better as a campy, satirical musical like Earth Girls Are Easy; then, its silliness would feel intentional instead of a sign of a messy story.

The Mummy Should Have Been a Horror Movie

The 2017 attempt to relaunch The Mummy as a big-budget action movie, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was a clear misstep. While trying to follow in the footsteps of the popular 1999 film starring Brendan Fraser, the new version lacked its adventurous fun. It didn’t succeed as a scary horror movie either, and ended up being surprisingly boring. The film flopped so badly that it derailed Universal’s plans for a shared “Dark Universe” of monster movies. It makes you wonder if Tom Cruise’s Mummy could have done better by embracing a darker, more genuinely frightening tone rooted in ancient Egyptian horror. Hopefully, the upcoming The Mummy from Lee Cronin in 2026 will explore that potential.

End of Days Should Have Been a Mystery Thriller

Released in late 1999, as people grew increasingly anxious about the new millennium, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s action film End of Days had the potential to be a major cultural event. While it certainly made an impact, it wasn’t for the right reasons. The movie centers on a former cop who’s lost faith and is assigned to protect a woman destined to give birth to the Antichrist. However, the film reveals too much too soon, ruining any sense of suspense or mystery. Schwarzenegger feels miscast, and Gabriel Byrne’s over-the-top performance turns what could have been a dark and serious story into something almost comical. It would have been much more effective as a slow-building, mysterious thriller like The Ninth Gate, which came out the same year.

Y2K Should Have Been a Rom-Com

Set in 1999, the horror-comedy Y2K had a promising idea – a group of high schoolers dealing with the Y2K scare. However, the 2024 film falls flat. It doesn’t succeed as a cult comedy like Idle Hands, nor is it scary or funny enough to stand out like This Is the End. The film wastes the talents of its actors, saddling interesting characters with a confusing plot, poor special effects, shallow nostalgia, and an inconsistent tone. Instead of a low-budget horror-comedy, Y2K might have worked better as a 90s apocalyptic romantic comedy, similar to Zombieland or Warm Bodies, but with technology as the central threat instead of zombies.

What About Bob? Should Have Been a Psychological Thriller

The 1991 comedy What About Bob? stars Richard Dreyfuss as a psychiatrist driven to the brink of madness when his intensely needy patient, played by Bill Murray, unexpectedly joins him and his family on a lakeside vacation. Despite a premise that feels like a horror movie, the film is actually a hilarious comedy, celebrated for the fantastic chemistry between Dreyfuss and Murray, even during its most absurd moments. It’s fun to watch, but it also makes you wonder how chilling Murray’s portrayal of a disturbed character could be if he played it in a darker, more suspenseful thriller like Cape Fear or Unlawful Entry.

Face/Off Should Have Been an Action Comedy

John Travolta and Nicolas Cage deliver wonderfully over-the-top performances in Face/Off, one of the most delightfully wild action movies of the 1990s. The 1997 thriller centers around an FBI agent and a terrorist who undergo a radical, experimental surgery to swap faces. The already outlandish plot is amplified by the actors’ dramatic flair, taking the film to the absolute limit. It’s a hugely entertaining ride that would have been even better if played as a parody of classic action movies, similar to The Naked Gun or Tropic Thunder.

The Mask Should Have Been a Body Horror

I know it’s a popular movie, but I never really enjoyed the cartoonish violence in 1994’s The Mask, even with Jim Carrey as the lead. The film, based on a comic book, is about a mild-mannered man who discovers a mask that turns him into a wild, unpredictable character reminiscent of old Tex Avery cartoons. While it’s become a ’90s classic and influenced pop culture, the way the mask transforms him feels too disturbing and violent—almost like something from a body horror film. It’s interesting to note that the movie actually started as a horror project, which makes that darker interpretation feel even more fitting.

Sequels That Switched Genres

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

The original First Blood (1982) is an action drama that explores the emotional struggles of Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone). Unlike typical action movies, it ends with Rambo surrendering to the police after powerfully describing the trauma of war and his difficult homecoming. The sequel, Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), shifts gears into a more traditional superhero story, portraying Rambo as mentally healed and sent back to Vietnam to rescue American prisoners of war. While First Blood was successful, Rambo: First Blood Part II became a massive hit, earning $300 million globally and launching a long-running franchise with many copycats.

Aliens (1986)

The original film Alien (1979) is a sci-fi horror. Its sequel, Aliens (1986), shifts the focus to sci-fi action. Director James Cameron famously pitched the sequel to Fox with a simple visual: he wrote “alien” on a paper, added an “s” to make “aliens,” and then stylized it as “ALIEN$” to emphasize the increased scale. He got the job and created one of cinema’s best sequels. While Ridley Scott’s Alien was tense and confined, Cameron’s Aliens is much larger in scope and features numerous xenomorphs, a significant change from the single creature in the first film.

Back to the Future Part III (1990)

The original Back to the Future (1985) is a sci-fi comedy where a teenager accidentally travels back in time and meets his parents as young adults. The series evolved with the second film, adding more futuristic elements. However, Back to the Future Part III (1990) took a surprising turn into the Western genre. While playfully poking fun at Western tropes like gunfights and horses, the third movie also embraced and celebrated them, even including a thrilling runaway steam train sequence.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

The original Gremlins (1984) was a surprisingly dark film for children, and it actually influenced the creation of the PG-13 movie rating. The sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), didn’t cause the same kind of stir. Director Joe Dante took the series in a completely different direction, aiming for the chaotic energy of a Looney Tunes cartoon—he even brought in legendary animator Chuck Jones to create new animated segments. The Gremlins in the sequel were less scary and much more silly—one even parodies a scene from the movie Marathon Man. The film embraced its playful spirit with unexpected appearances from celebrities like Hulk Hogan and film critic Leonard Maltin, directly addressing the audience.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

I’ve always been fascinated by how James Cameron revisits his own films. He didn’t just follow the formula with Terminator 2: Judgment Day; he really transformed it from the original The Terminator. While the first film was a scary, low-budget sci-fi horror, he used the success of that movie to get a massive budget for the sequel, turning it into a huge action spectacle. T2 is just bigger in every way – the effects are incredible, there are more action sequences, and we get not one, but two Terminators with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Patrick’s amazing liquid metal T-1000. It really set the standard for all the Terminator movies that followed, with each one trying to capture that same magic. The only exception, in my opinion, is Terminator Salvation, which felt completely different as a war movie set in the future – and honestly, it could probably fit on a list like this too.

Army of Darkness (1992)

The original Evil Dead (1981) was a traditional horror film. The sequel, Evil Dead II, mixed horror with slapstick comedy. Army of Darkness (1992) continued this trend, often feeling like a blend of classic Three Stooges shorts and the special effects work of Ray Harryhausen – and that’s a compliment! While some frightening moments remain, Army of Darkness largely focuses on putting Bruce Campbell through hilarious physical challenges and showcasing over-the-top special effects. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable film, and a significant departure in tone from the earlier, more serious installments.

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

The film The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) was designed as a large-scale sci-fi action movie for Vin Diesel, released after the success of the first Fast & Furious film. Though it’s a sequel to Pitch Black (2000), that connection wasn’t heavily emphasized. Pitch Black was a smaller, more focused horror film about a group of space travelers stranded on a dangerous planet with hostile creatures. Following the massive success of The Fast and the Furious, Vin Diesel and director David Twohy were able to create a more ambitious and expensive sequel, shifting the focus from a survival horror to a grand space war epic.

The Devil’s Rejects (2005)

Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses (2003), a slasher film, features a group of teenagers targeted by a disturbing family of killers. The sequel, The Devil’s Rejects (2005), is a psychological thriller that shifts the focus, portraying the family as flawed protagonists – though still brutal – who are hunted by the police for past crimes. While I find The Devil’s Rejects to be a strong film, it’s very different in tone and style from House of 1000 Corpses, so it’s understandable why someone who enjoyed the first movie might not like the second.

Cars 2 (2011)

The original Cars (2006) was a road movie centered around racing and had a bit of a Doc Hollywood feel. However, the sequel, Cars 2 (2011), took a strange turn into the spy genre. It unexpectedly made Mater, the comedic tow truck character, a central character. The shift was confusing – why was Mater a spy? Why did these cars need to eat or even go to the bathroom? It’s still unclear why a movie about talking cars needed spy elements or basic bodily functions.

The Hangover Part III (2013)

The original movie, The Hangover (2009), was a comedy that launched a successful franchise. It followed three friends waking up in Las Vegas after a wild night, with no memory of what happened and a friend missing. The Hangover Part III (2013), while attempting to avoid repeating the same formula, took a significantly different turn. It abandoned the mystery and large comedic moments that defined the first two films, becoming a darker, crime-focused adventure that many viewers didn’t find funny. In this installment, the group finds themselves working for a gangster, John Goodman, due to events in the previous movies. While director Todd Phillips deserves credit for trying something new, audiences weren’t impressed with the shift in tone, and Part III performed poorly at the box office compared to its predecessors.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Let’s look at the Captain America movies. The first one, Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), is a classic war story with superhero and science fiction themes, taking place in the 1940s. The sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), is quite different. It shifts gears to become a modern spy thriller, reminiscent of films like Three Days of the Condor and The Bourne Identity, while still maintaining that signature Marvel feel. While all Marvel movies share similarities, the Captain America series demonstrates how the franchise can successfully evolve its style and genre.

Split (2016)

The movie Unbreakable (2000), a drama, unexpectedly connects to Split (2016), a psychological horror film. Director M. Night Shyamalan intentionally kept this connection secret, revealing at the end of Split that its villain, “The Horde,” exists in the same world as Bruce Willis’ character from Unbreakable. While Unbreakable was a suspenseful drama, Split leaned into horror. The stories continued in a final joint sequel, Glass, which brought the characters together and concluded the trilogy.

Army of Thieves (2021)

The movie Army of the Dead (2021) is a survival horror film. Its sequel, Army of Thieves (2021), falls into the crime genre. While often referred to as a sequel, Army of Thieves is actually a prequel. Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead featured a team of mercenaries attempting a casino heist during a zombie outbreak. Army of Thieves, released shortly after, tells the story of one of the characters from Army of the Dead (played by Matthias Schweighöfer) and focuses on a more traditional heist, with fewer zombies, taking place before the events of the first film.

Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

The first Joker film (2019) was a psychological thriller. Its sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), is a surprising departure, being a musical. Director Todd Phillips, like James Cameron, enjoys challenging audience expectations with his sequels. While admirable, this bold shift in genre didn’t resonate with viewers. Joker: Folie à Deux performed poorly at the box office, a stark contrast to the massive success of the original Joker.

M3GAN 2.0 (2025)

The original movie, M3GAN (2022), was a surprisingly successful horror film, known for its witty humor and the frightening idea of artificial intelligence becoming dangerous. The sequel, M3GAN 2.0 (1990), attempted a similar approach to Terminator 2, expanding the story into a larger, more action-packed film with some horror elements. However, unlike T2, this didn’t work for M3GAN 2.0. The sequel wasn’t humorous or thrilling enough to support its silly plot or the change in the movie’s overall feel and style.

2026-01-15 19:02