The types of films people love to watch vary all over the world. If you go to the movies in India, you will notice that it is a very different experience when compared to visiting the cinema in the US.
Let’s dive into some of the most popular film genres around the world:
New Zealand – action and comedy
It seems New Zealanders love a laugh, and this is little surprise when you consider some of the film exports from the country, including the quirky comedy What We Do in the Shadows. Kiwis love American comedy too, and The Hangover movies have been some of the most successful films for adult audiences. Each made the top 10 grossing film lists in New Zealand in their years of release.
In the first film, the protagonists are at a bachelor party when they are accused of stealing poker chips worth a lot of money, but they can’t remember if they did so and they certainly can’t find them. They turn to the blackjack tables and are able to win the money back at the casino as one of the trio, Alan, knows a lot about the game of blackjack. The popularity of this film in the country may have even led to more people exploring casinos and the variations of blackjack played in NZ, after watching the movie franchise.
Action films are also among the most popular in New Zealand, with James Bond films being popular in the English-speaking country, and Mission: Impossible films doing well, too. Some of Mission: Impossible Fallout was filmed in New Zealand.
Italy – comedy
Comedy is immensely popular in Italian countries. It is one of the quirks of global cinema. For a long time, Italy has had a thriving movie scene and many films are produced in the country. Watching movies continues to be one of the most popular pastimes in Italy.
Movies in the comedy genre are far more popular in Italy than in many other locations. Around 80% more people in Italy love comedy compared to other countries, and while some locations in Asia and South America experience low viewing figures for comedy films, the Italians continue to have a sense
of humor about things.
Much of Asia – action films
Action films are hugely popular in China as well as other Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea.
Studies found that Furious 7 and Jurassic World films had bumped up the numbers, as many people in Asia took to the cinemas to watch these films, but there has always been a significant number of action films that have performed well throughout Asia.
A lot of Asian countries are known to love technology and tech advancements, and these are often best depicted in modern and explosive action films.
India – comedy, action, romance, thriller and drama
Studies have shown comedy, action, romance, thriller and drama films to be the most popular genres in India. As well as the Bollywood industry, there are many other movies produced in India, and the huge population means that there are many films that are attended by many millions of people when they are shown at the cinema.
India has its own scene, and there are a lot of action films that are released to great acclaim. Though Indian cinema is usually viewed by Indian speakers, there have recently been more of these movies being exported and shown in other countries, especially those with large Indian communities. In England, a lot of cinemas now have specific showings for these films, some of which are subtitled for English-speaking audiences to enjoy.
Documentaries – US and Australia
Studies have also found that there is a huge thirst for documentaries in both the US and Australia. In fact, a number of English-speaking countries enjoy watching films that are based on real events or even tell a true story. This is why we also see the popularity of biopics growing in these regions.
A quick look at Netflix shows that there are so many documentaries being made for English speakers. Some focus on natural disasters, quirky events or even true crime, which is a very popular genre among Americans, British and Australian people.
Horror – Mexico, South Korea, Russia
Horror films have always divided opinion and if you check the statistics, you will notice that the relative popularity of these movies varies wildly from one country to the next.
In China and Japan, it is fair to say that most horror films don’t do well. The vast majority of Chinese people prefer other genres of films, and some will actively avoid horror movies.
Countries that do have an appetite for scary films include Mexico, South Korea and Russia. It appears that there are some cultural differences and things that people particularly enjoy watching rather than there being any specific reason for the variance in what the audiences of these countries enjoy.
Conclusion
Certain genres tend to vary significantly in popularity depending on where you are watching them. This is also true of other aspects, such as movie ratings. Some are given really strict ratings, while other countries have a more relaxed system of what they deem too scary for a younger audience.
Different cultures have always enjoyed slightly different versions of entertainment, so it is no surprise that certain film genres perform better in America, while others are more popular in Europe or China.