No one wants to be a victim of crime, but it certainly does make exciting subject matter for movies. The activity of criminals and the people whose job it is to apprehend them is perhaps the most common subject in the plots of mainstream American films, whether they're action movies, suspenseful thrillers, dramas, or even comedies.
The action crime movie is one of the most common variants in the genre. Police, private investigators, military personnel and sometimes even hapless civilians find themselves engaged in car chases, foot pursuits, gun battles and other kinds of pulse-pounding intrigue as they try to stop evil doers from doing evil.
Another variant is the caper movie, in which the audience is asked to take the side of the criminal-who usually has some moral justification for committing his crime-as he constructs an elaborate plan to pull of his daring escapades. It helps when the criminal is played by George Clooney or Brad Pitt.
Yet another twist on the crime genre is the crime-centered comedy, of which the buddy cop movie is one type. In this subgenre, two cops-generally an uptight veteran and a young, wacky sidekick-fight crime side by side as they try to deal with their hilariously conflicting personalities.
