Grindhouse is an aesthetic originating in the 1970s involving the poor living conditions of ghettoes, cheap, low-budget genre films, and decaying urban sprawl. The name is derived from lower-class cinemas, or Grindhouses, which would produce and screen films which today escape the public eye. The term was made popular by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez with their 2007 collaborative double feature, Grindhouse , which attempts to capture the essence of sitting in a Grindhouse movie theater, complete with previews and interludes.

Grindhouse captures the filth and debris of the city, contrasting with cleaner, more mainstream films of its era. One notable example is Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971), which sets itself apart from films such as Car Wash (1976) with provocative commentary on the social climate of the time and a handheld, realistic approach. Grindhouse is characterized visually by grainy footage, blurry motion, and an attention to detail.

While many grindhouse films separate themselves from their mainstream counterparts in their unflinching and unwavering dedication to accuracy and lewd, often borderline disturbing content, most are not pornographic in nature, featuring a few scenes of mild nudity at most, a focus on complex, well-developed characters, and a lack of shots focusing on the genitalia.

Noted directors in the genre include the aforementioned Marvin Van Peebles, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and John Waters. Some might also consider earlier filmmakers, such as Luis Bunuel or Kenneth Anger. This is far from a complete list, as many grindhouse directors are unknown, or went anonymous. Grindhouse includes the subgenres Splatter and Blaxploitation, as well as a few others.

Another important player is Pam Grier, often called the queen of grindhouse, who starred in several notable films, such as Coffy (1973), Foxy Brown (1974), Friday Foster (1975), and later the Quentin Tarantino film, Jackie Brown (1997).