Screenwriting : Genre-Bending by Martin Reese

I see "genre-bending" as mixing genres, Martin Reese. Comedy/Action, Sci-Fi/Thriller, etc. A writer takes elements/tropes from each genre and adds them in a script. If you check IMDb (www.imdb.com), sometimes you'll see two or three genres for movies and shows. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is Drama/Romance/Sci-Fi.

Killer Clowns From Outer Space might be a good example of Comedy & Sci-Fi spliced together. It's a cult classic to be sure lol.

I've been warned against genre-bending. The thriller is the one that is most puzzling to me. It seems as though most good action/adventure films have high levels of suspense. I'd venture to say the thriller is one of the more commonly spliced genres.

Movies are categorized into genres because they conform to certain viewer expectations. Genre Bending exploits a viewer's expectations by taking known genre tropes, twisting them, turning them upside and completely catching an audience by surprise.

This can be achieved by splicing genres together.

Horror/Comedy (TV) Buddy the Vampire Slayer

RomCom was a Romantic Comedy that became so common it became its own genre.

Crime/Thriller Se7en is a good example of a thriller set in a cop movie.