Check out this cool look into how Film Genre Popularity has evolved over time from 1910 - 2018.

While really a recent invention in the grand scheme of things, as long as they’ve been around movies have always been a great indicator of our collective culture and consciousness.

In this insightful infographic created by Bo McCready (@BoKNowsData) we get an interactive look into the history of film genre popularity over the last 100+ years. It’s fascinating to see how genres have developed - some rising, some falling - over the years. And if you're a fan of infographics, be sure to check out these on analyzing the themes and motifs of Hitchcock and a guide to the history of French cinema.

Based on data pulled IMDB tags (which classifies genres based on information here), we can trace what genres people are interested in and respond to over time. As well as get insights into what genres are trending up (or staying consistent) here in the present day and going into the future.

Note: graph has been updated to include a toggle between varied and constant axes. Just click on the "Standardize Axis Range" at the top!

Film Genre Popularity Infographic

In this interactive version of the infographic above, you can see the top 5 movies each year when you hover your mouse over any given point in each genre. Pretty cool huh?

It's interesting to see the spikes in War and Action over time, as well as the gradual climb of Documentaries and the decline of Westerns. If anything these genres reinforce the notion that film is used by people as a way to process their lives and are a reflection on their time and place.

In the meantime, learn all the specific traits and qualities of each of the TV and Film Genres.

What trends stick out to you? Any insights into film that you could take away on your next project? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.