Five Forgotten Film Genres That Deserve a Comeback

Every era in cinema brings its own set of trends, but not all of them manage to stick around. While the mainstays—comedy, drama, action, horror, and the like—continue to dominate, there’s a whole world of lesser-known sub-genres that once flourished, only to fade into obscurity. These categories often captured the spirit of their time, reflecting shifting attitudes and cultural quirks. Think of the psychedelic fever-dreams of the late ‘60s, or the blood-soaked spectacles that predated the slasher craze. Some genres, for all their charm, simply don’t survive the changing tides. From the stylish Italian giallo to the eyebrow-raising nunsploitation, here are five types of film that vanished before their moment truly passed.

Biker Films: Rebels on Two Wheels

There’s a certain mythos attached to the biker film, a genre that once roared through the ‘60s and ‘70s with a mix of grit and glamour. Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising offers a glimpse into the subculture’s allure, with its protagonist transfixed by Marlon Brando’s leather-clad antihero in The Wild One. The genre’s heyday saw everything from the countercultural odyssey of Easy Rider to the surreal antics of The Girl on the Motorcycle. Exploitation directors had their own spin, too—She-Devils on Wheels and the supernatural-tinged Psychomania come to mind. Whether exploring the raw sensuality of chrome and leather or poking at the edges of social order, these films offered a heady mix of rebellion and freedom. Yet, as the appetite for high-octane car chases grew, the humble biker flick was left in the dust, rarely glimpsed since the days of flared jeans and petrol fumes.

Teen Films: The Lost Art of Adolescence

Teen-centric stories have always been a bit of a hard sell to anyone over the age of twenty, but their importance shouldn’t be underestimated. A well-crafted coming-of-age comedy can be a lifeline for those navigating the awkwardness of youth. The ‘80s gave us flawed but memorable classics like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Breakfast Club, not to mention the razor-sharp wit of Heathers. The baton was passed to the ‘90s and 2000s, with Clueless and Mean Girls setting the standard. Of course, there’s no shortage of cringe-worthy entries, but the best have stood the test of time. These days, though, the genre seems to have lost its way, with recent offerings feeling more like algorithm-driven content than genuine reflections of teenage life. Attempts to recapture the magic—Bottoms springs to mind—are few and far between, and the golden age of the teen film feels like a distant memory.

Giallo: Italy’s Neon-Soaked Nightmares

Italy’s giallo films carved out a unique niche in the ‘60s and ‘70s, blending lurid murder mysteries with a dash of proto-slasher violence and a generous helping of style. Directors like Mario Bava and Dario Argento led the charge, their films awash in garish colours and pulsing jazz scores. Blood and Black Lace and Deep Red are just two examples that left a lasting mark, inspiring everything from Halloween to more recent homages. Yet, the genre was a product of its time—arriving before the slasher boom and thriving in an era when exploitation cinema was at its peak. As tastes shifted and new trends emerged, giallo faded, leaving behind a handful of cult classics and a distinctive aesthetic that’s rarely been matched since.

Erotic Thrillers and Nunsploitation: Taboo and Temptation

There was a time when the erotic thriller was a staple of late-night viewing, with films like Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, and Body Double drawing audiences with their blend of suspense and seduction. The genre’s decline can be traced to the rise of internet pornography, which dulled the thrill of on-screen titillation, and a growing conservatism that’s made such fare a risky proposition for mainstream studios. These days, a proper erotic thriller is a rare find, and the genre’s heyday feels like a relic of a more adventurous era.

Then there’s nunsploitation—a sub-genre that revelled in the clash between religious repression and forbidden desire. Films like Mother Joan of Angels and Alucarda leaned into horror, while others, such as The Nun and the Devil, pushed boundaries with explicit content. Though a few recent films have flirted with the style, the true spirit of nunsploitation belongs to the ‘60s and ‘70s, when audiences were less easily scandalised. It’s hard to imagine anything as provocative as The Devils making it to screens today, especially given the uproar over far tamer fare in recent years.