A film can be placed in categories such as Mainstream Film, Art Film or Historically Significant Film. An example of an Art film could be Alphaville; art films typically portray the work of artists in the form of a documentary and they are independent films rather than mass market films such as “Love Simon” which is a mainstream film.

BOX OFFICE HITS- This is also a way that films can be categorised based on economical contexts and budget and also based on the most popular and viewed genres/types of film.
From the top ten 2022 films based on worldwide box office returns we can see that sequels and franchises such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

The way these categorisations work depends on the target audience the films are aimed at but also on the cultural context which could be:
Geographical- where the movie is directed/produced and the actual location within the film

Economic- The budget needed/used for the film and profit made

Historical- what historical events take place within the film or the time it is made (past)

Institutional- the specific film studio or streaming company that produced/released the film eg Netflix

Technological- this includes development of technological advance during years eg. black & white films, CGI, aesthetics, high definition movies; these all helped to make the audience feel as if they are in that specific place and enhance their experience.

Social- this could refer to any social interaction between people in film eg. body language between the characters that could indicate a deeper meaning which can be used to analyse the social context of that film.

Political- this could be any political references in the film and what impact the film might have on the political opinions of the audience.