film serial

A film serial is a series of short, episodic movies released over time, typically shown in theaters before the main feature. Each installment advances an ongoing story with cliffhangers ending episodes to keep audiences returning for the next. They often feature suspense, action, or adventure themes, and were especially popular from the 1910s to the 1940s. Serial films allowed filmmakers to build long-term storytelling and maintain audience engagement, similar to modern television series, but were distributed as individual short movies in theaters.