Genre fusing

I really like the movie Prisoners because it’s got all the hallmarks of a good thriller but done in a new and exciting way.

There’s good tension, great problem solving, the case is not so complicated that you lose interest but it’s complicated enough that it remains interesting, the detective gets it wrong numerous times and ultimately gets thrown off the case but you feel he’s so close to the truth.

The movie ticks all of the boxes for that genre, so if you like thrillers there’s a good chance you’re going to like this movie.

But what about the movies that fuse genres?

What about the Nightmare before Christmas?

It has enough elements of the Christmas genre for it to be considered a Christmas movie but would those who love Christmas movies think it’s ‘good’?

The aspects of the film that do not conform to the Christmas movie norm buck the trend so hard that it doesn’t feel like a Christmas movie at all.

The predominant colour in the visuals is black rather than fluffy white snow, gorgeous green trees, dazzling golds and fantastic reds.

The characters in the film do not resemble the cream of the crop beauty wise but rather look like they would be right at home in a horror film.

The plot is not a trivial matter like spoiled kids getting enough for presents but instead it’s the haunting tale of jolly old Saint Nick being kidnapped and potentially eaten alive by a terrifying monster.

So it’s not your classic Christmas movie.

Those who love the Christmas genre might not deem this movie ‘good’, in fact they might go so far as to call it ‘bad’.

But interestingly for those who like Tim Burton movies, this movie hits the nail on the head.

It fits perfectly within the filmmaker’s body of work and if you like the rest of his movies odds are you’ll enjoy this one too.