People Explain Which Movie Tropes They Wish Would Die Out

People Explain Which Movie Tropes They Wish Would Die Out
Image by MasterTux from Pixabay

Every new Hollywood movie seems to hinge an all-important balance: be novel and innovative, but not so experimental that people could ever feel alienated or too shocked.


After all, those movies are playing to old people, little kids, and the parents in between, all at the same time.

But some of those tropes that appear in every single movie--because they're reliable for filmmakers and comfortable for audiences--can begin to stick out once we've seen them enough.

A few Redditors gathered to share the movie tropes that annoy them most of all.

RB_Liz asked, "What movie tropes need to die in a horrendous explosion?"

Fantasy Films 

"High school in movies is one big trope. I swear to god no one in the film industry has ever been to high school." -- Bloodragedragon

"They went to high-school so long ago they remember it through either rose or black-tinted glasses. It's either a nightmare of cliques and systematic bullying, or an idealised youth cult." -- LalaMcTease

"Yeah, I dont recall seeing so many 30 year olds in my senior year class." -- BaconReceptacle

This Needs Love

"Forced romance."

"Not every movie needs to have a romantic subplot. Few things can absolutely ruin an otherwise great movie like having one tacked on that clearly serves no purpose to the story."

-- lewton_bus

Plenty to Choose From 

"Women going to bed/getting up with a full face of makeup, ridiculous banquet-like meals that people don't eat, obviously empty coffee cups, shi**y exposition where people talk like no one ever would in daily conversation ("Hi sis!")." -- ididitforcheese

"Empty coffee cups have been this minor annoyance of mine that has built over the years. Whenever anyone holds a drink in film these days, my eyes glue to how they hold the stupid thing." -- RB_Liz

When a Text Message Could've Ended the Film Right There 

"Very basic miscommunication or misunderstandings being the basis of major plot points. It's just lazy, unrealistic writing that completely ruins immersion for me." -- VVillyD

"Yea, especially when someone tries to explain and the answer is 'I don't have time for this.' And the hole stupid plot would not exist if they had listened. I get so irritated by this, it's just not healthy." -- FlippyFlippenstein

We Love Us Some Speeches 

"'Before you die Hero, let me tell you about my ingenious plan'..."

"villain starts monologing, Hero finds an opportunity to escape." -- icemage27

"Or the villain has an obvious chance to kill the main character, but just laughs and walks away." -- Mondayslasagna

"I feel like this one is more often parodied than presented straight at this point." -- Mddcat04

In What World 

"The 'poor character' who lives in a normally expensive a** apartment." -- SomeRightsReserved

"Hollywood poor is renting in general not owning a 5 bed 4 bath" -- Arkneryyn

"And is covered in really well done tattoos."

"Quality tattoos cost a lot. Getting them discounted from bubba down the street is an option but they are not going to be high quality, more like weird smudges." -- Stayinschool-tty

How Convenient 

"Gets in random car, keys are above the sun visor." -- kukukele

"Or gets in random car, hotwires it in 3 seconds." -- Mondayslasagna

"Gets in very old car in post Apocalypse that clearly hasn't been used for years. The battery works fine and it actually revs up." -- Tactical_Operations

"Dude worse than all of these: Gets in random car, NOBODY EVER HAS TO ADJUST THE SEAT. I don't think ever." -- OlympusMonsPubis

An Unbelievable Level of Skill 

"Instant and silent death by a knife thrown from 30ft away." -- oblongunreal

"The amount of force required to stick a blade 5 inches into a carcass would surprise a lot of people. Then to do it with pin point accuracy from long distance?"

"All those assassins could have been the best major league baseball pitchers ever!" -- DerangeR14

Setting Feminism Back One Movie at a Time 

"I hate the lifetime movie tropes, she's a strong independent woman who don't need no man....... and the next hour and a half is about how getting a man solves all her problems." -- demonardvark

"Introduce strong female character, who is intelligent, independent minded and very competent. She meets male lead."

"By end of movie: woman is entirely unable to do simple tasks without assistance from male lead, is dumb as a brick with no independent personality." -- BobbyP27

Single File, Gents 

"When the main character is surrounded, but manages to fight off the bad guys because they attack him 1 at a time rather than all at once." -- Wheatleytron

"Well, it's polite to wait your turn. You don't want to crowd the guy." -- SadButterscotch2

"Every time this happens, I watch the goons in the background that aren't fighting the hero, just because they move in such ridiculous ways to give the illusion of extra action to the scene."

"They look like every guy at a club who tries to dance and has zero idea how to do so." -- PianoManGidley


Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Among the many reasons people watch, and rewatch, sitcoms is to imagine your life was more like the one you were watching.

Being able to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village on a line cook's salary, somehow always having the comfortable sofa available at your favorite coffee shop whenever you pop in, or having your best friends always available at your beck and call whenever you need them.

For the romantics, however, it's wishing you could have a romance like you've seen on television.

True not all sitcom romances are exactly the sort that makes you go all aflutter (Were Ross and Rachel actually on a break? And don't even get me started about Ted and Robin.)

Other sitcom couples are so captivating, though, that we would have given anything to be at their wedding... or at the very least go to their home for dinner every Friday.

And this includes plutonic couples, as there is nothing more heartwarming than a lasting friendship.

Keep reading...Show less
a woman with her hands on her face
Photo by Kier in Sight on Unsplash

As an editor, I am not just in charge of proofreading and correcting style and format. I am also in charge of making sure all the contact information provided, such as phone numbers and emails, work.

After working for 10 hours straight a few months ago, I forgot to check the phone numbers and let a brochure go to publication with a phone number that did not work.

Luckily, a similar mistake had actually happened before with another editor for another client a year prior, so contact info on print materials like this brochure were checked by every department rather than just editorial, and the mistake was caught.

Since I didn't know this, when I heard the phone number was wrong, my heart dropped to my stomach and I thought I was sure fired. Luckily, I was just told to make sure this never happens again. I was relived that there was no fallout, but when I first heard what happened, my only thought was. 'I totally f**ked up!'

Redditors are no strangers to this feeling, as they've made egregious mistakes themselves. They are only too eager to share their experiences.

Keep reading...Show less

With the world's finances the way they are, it's a miracle if people can save their spare change.

Inflation has a stronghold on too many people.

Sometimes it feels like just breathing can cost you money.

It's hard to make and absurdly easy to lose.

So be vigilant with your wallet.

And try to spend on certain things in moderation.

Going out for meals three times a day adds up.

Even with Wendy's value menu.

Keep reading...Show less

We all have strong opinions about something, but when we think of opinions, we often think of hot button topics like political subjects.

But as it turns out, sometimes we can have just as strong of opinions of our preferred types of pasta.

Keep reading...Show less