A lot of people watch certain kinds of movies because of their familiarity. Actors are also often typecast so it's entirely possible that you'd find certain performers playing the same roles in different films. For example, there was a period where Julia Roberts, for all her star power, appeared in each huge romantic comedy of the 1990s. "Boy meets girl, girl meets boy..." (Funnily enough, she's doing her best work now that she's broken out of that shell; check out August: Osage County, The Normal Heart, and Homecoming to see what I'm talking about). These films followed the same tried and true formula––and people ate it up!
After Redditor stripedsocks00 asked the online community, "What are some of the most overused plotlines in moves?" people chimed in with the ones that annoy them the most.
"Wise character..."
Wise character dies right before they can finish giving the necessary information, but non wise character always has enough time to finish saying their meaningful message before they die
"Manly man doesn't like kids..."
Manly man doesn't like kids, gets thrown into a situation where he has to take care of kids, kids hate him too. Manly man and kids have to defeat bad guy completely by themselves. Manly man and kids now love each other.
"The Hallmark plot."
The Hallmark plot.
Girl works at place preparing for Christmas, and a dream of a man shows up. She is reluctant at first, but by the end they live happily. Bonus points if she already has a boyfriend but he's a boring dude.
"Instead we get a contrived scenario..."
"It's not what it looks like!" scenarios in rom/coms. These movies are not inclined to dive into realistic, but trickier sources of disharmony because people would invariably take sides.
Instead, we get a contrived scenario where something easily explainable just looks bad. I'm pretty sure anyone would actually hear their partner out—and in fact would be eager to hear whatever explanation may follow—rather than storm out in a fit of anger.
"An outsider kid..."
An outsider kid, most likely an orphan, learns he has supernatural abilities, most likely inherited from his parents, which allow him to join some secret order and eventually depose an evil lord, most likely responsible for the death of his parents.
"The main character..."
The main character has a partner of 6, 7, 10 years and leaves them right away for the shiny new person. Instead of feeling completely betrayed and outraged, the dumped partner behaves like a comedic desperado trying to do anything to win them back.
"How has nobody mentioned..."
How has nobody mentioned the annoyed veteran cop being partnered with a new officer who is trying to prove himself, only for them two to discover something really big, and the rookie cop saves the day?
"Villain kidnaps someone..."
Villain kidnaps someone and is about to kill them, but the hero saves them at the last second. Defusing a bomb while it's like 2 seconds before exploding. Protagonist doesn't know which cord to cut, but chooses the right one at the last second.
"There are much better places..."
The whole blood ritual/pact where they slice their palms.
I've talked about this before, because it pisses me off how so many movies and TV shows have this trope. It originated because it was an easy place for them to hide a blood packet back when special effects weren't what they are today, but I don't think Hollywood will evolve from that.
It's so dumb though because if you've ever had a cut on the palm of your hand, you would know that's a terrible place to make a wound. It's such an awkward injury and you pretty much lose the use of that hand, plus it can take a while to heal.
There are much better places to draw blood from, yet we still see it all the time. And on top of that the characters are fine in the scenes after or in the case of shows like Supernatural and the 100, they are making fists and fighting with no problem.
"Also, the nerdy unnoticed chick..."
The "mean" cheerleader VS the nerdy chick that never gets the attention she feels entitled to. Kind-hearted popular people exist and don't always follow the crowd. I've read too many wattpad stories with this insufferable sh!T.
Also, the nerdy unnoticed chick only becoming popular once she's made a significant superficial change in appearance or joined the cheerleading squad. As if there's no redeeming qualities in terms of personality, attitude or approach to social situations. It's just so done to death and boring at this point.
"Two characters of opposite sex..."
Two characters of opposite sex have to end up together at the end. Which sometimes makes sense and they are good for each other but many times is just complete bull. Cause no we cannot leave them single or have them already be married or end up with someone else.
Also when you have two characters who are perfect for each other and have great chemistry and the only reason they don't end up together is because they are the same gender.
"Can we just accept..."
"She can't do that, she's a woman"
Can we just accept the fact that men and women can generally do all the same things and just forget that trope?
"We meet..."
Post apocalyptic world. We meet likable main character. Society led culling occurs. Main character escapes. Meets the rebellion. Becomes spiritual leader. Wins war with society heads. Leads with kindness.
"Group of young people..."
Not now, but the late 70s/early 80s:
Group of young people (late teens) have a cool place to hang out, owned by a nice older man or couple. Somehow a local crooked developer wants the place to knock down for condos, and send his heavies out to make it happen. The teens have none of that and fight the developer and his henchmen away.
Or the crooked developer is instead a small town hood, to which the old man has a debt, and the teens get that erased by exposing a smuggling operation the hood is running, and the old man might know to much about.
With lots of short shorts skateboards, hoods in limos, teens in sportscars or custom vans.
"The main female love interest..."
The main female love interest in a teen romance is bullied for being "unattractive" when she's beautiful and just has a ponytail in her hair, wears some glasses, doesn't wear make-up and wears sweaters all the time. At the end of the movie, she lets her hair down, takes off her glasses, is suddenly able to do excellent make-up and starts wearing the outfits all the popular girls wear.
"Man who loves his wife and children..."
Man who loves his wife and children becomes too poor or too boring so wife leaves him for rich exciting scumbag. Then usually the poor boring man saves the world or saves the child's life or does something extraordinary.
"He wins her back..."
Uptight, professional woman who is really good at her job meets boy-man who woos her and reminds her what it's like to have fun. Boy-man inevitably screws it up somehow because boy-man. He wins her back with a grand gesture as proof he's able to grow up and she goes right back to him since she's learned not to be so uptight and all.
Also, watch her hair transform from a severe ponytail to her wearing it down more often.
"Grizzled detective..."
Grizzled detective with demons (divorce, alcoholism, etc) must crack the case.
"If the main character..."
Every martial arts movie ever:
Main character's sibling is killed and main character must seek vengeance by killing the killer. If the main character is a man, it's his brother who was killed. If the main character is a woman, it's her sister who was killed.
"Washed up, alcoholic former hot shot lawyer..."
Washed up, alcoholic former hot shot lawyer (burned out/traumatized by a previous case) gets a shot at redemption by representing the common man against a corporate giant. And wins against all the odds.
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