Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Tropes Completely Ruin A Movie Or TV Show For Them

Action movie posters
the walking dead dvd movie
Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash

More often than not, when we indulge in a television show, we accept the fact that not everything we're watching is 100% realistic.

Even outside the world of science fiction and fantasy, we acknowledge that certain conflicts resolve a bit easier than they likely would in real life ("you had me at hello"? seriously?), or that modern medicine hasn't evolved quite that much (Meredith Grey drowning and coming back to life anyone?)

However, there are certain tropes and clichés which are becoming increasingly commonplace in film and television which result in viewers finding themselves truly unable to suspend their disbelief.

Sometimes not even coming until the film's climax, leading viewers to think "surely they're not going to go there?"

Only to find themselves infuriatingly disappointed that yes, they did.


Redditor Fake-And-Gay-Bot was curious to hear which tropes will instantly ruin a film or television show for modern audiences, leading them to ask:
"What single trope can cause you to fully lose interest in a movie/show?"

That is quite an unusual set of skills

"I can’t stand seeing specialists being cast as masters of multiple highly specialized skill sets or areas of study."

"I understand that it’s a popular action movie trope, but you also see this in the medical and academic fields."- BeatMeElmo

Income/Housing Disparity

"The main character bakes muffins part-time 3 days a week but lives in a 2500 sq ft loft penthouse in the chic part of town."- SeaTie

Henchmen Have Families Too...

"If I kill him I'm no better than him"

"Motherf*cker you just smoked 19 of his henchmen and put 5 more in a wheelchair for life, end his a**."

"And of course the bad guy gets let go, but decides at the last second to try to kill the good guy, justifying a bullet between the eyes, usually by either the good guy's sidek ick, or the bad guy's henchmen that he just got done betraying."- Pyrochazm

matt damon punch GIF by Jason BourneGiphy

Get It Over With!!!

"The main character is about to get killed."

"The antagonist is sitting there pointing a gun at them about to shoot them, but they first have to give a 30-second speech."

"This gives the love interest/forgotten sidekick/child with developing fighting skills to come kill the enemy instead."

"Follow it up with a quote from them saying 'you think I’d miss this party?'."- Jimbo19091

Mortal Wound? No Problem!

"Being mildly impacted by lethal injuries."

"Likewise, when in subfreezing temperatures, not succumbing to hypothermia when soaking wet.'

"Not always enough to shut it off, but it always stands out and strains the illusion."- spill_oreilly

No Conflict? Let's Make Some...

"Smart people making dumb decisions for drama."

"I have stopped watching several shows because of this."- TheWalkingBlondeJoke

hey arnold nicksplat GIFGiphy

"We Can't Do It Without Them!"

"The cop who is about to retire, the soldier with one last mission before they're out, and the person who was about to get married WHEN THEY GOT KILLED."- virgilreality

"The ex-cop/FBI agent that comes out of retirement because the entire government can't catch a criminal."- The_Spyre

Not Quite Dead...

"Resurrection and fake-out deaths."- Cold_Hour

Giphy

Just Kiss Already!!!

"'Will they won't they'."

"I liked watching 'New Girl', but when they completely restarted the main characters' relationship I was like, 'Oh, so it's going to be like that'."

"Dear producers, please let your characters grow."- MrMToomey

"But she has glasses! And a ponytail..."

"The 'clumsy, nerdy, awkward girl' who are normally played by the hottest actresses out there..."- Icy_Note_8154

It Only Took Two And A Half Hours To Figure Out!!

'“Wait!'

"I can explain this very obvious and easy to explain scenario'.”

“'Nope'."

"You’re dead to me."

"Now stare speechless as I’m meander my way out of your life slowly'.”-Aerhart941

"Something that can be fixed right away with just a conversation."- Beginning-Match592

"If an entire conundrum can be solved by just someone waiting 1 minute for the other person to explain but chooses not to."

"Irritates me to no end and I'd much rather stop watching the movie."- charthrowawayliet

Tyler Perry Problem Solved GIF by NickelodeonGiphy

Big Words Can't Get You Everything...

"When a character is repeatedly hyped as being insanely intelligent, but then they just have a decent vocabulary and aren't particularly insightful or clever."- Gloomy-Flamingo-1733

The best part of sitting back and watching a movie or a TV show is to surrender to a world completely different from our own.

And enjoying them in the comfort of our own homes gives us the freedom to scream at our TV sets when something happens to annoy us.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Carmen Baldwin; Alec Baldwin
@alecbaldwininsta/Instagram

Alec Baldwin Left Speechless After Daughter Points Out How Old His Wife Hilaria Was When He Turned 40

We all know actor Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria are in a "May/December romance," but having the actual age difference put in context is pretty surprising—even for Baldwin himself, it turns out.

Baldwin recently posted a hilarious video in which he and Hilaria's 12-year-old daughter Carmen did the math in a way that had Baldwin joking, "God help me."

Keep ReadingShow less
Michael J. Fox
Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Michael J. Fox Speaks Out After CNN Accidentally Sparks Death Scare With Video 'Remembering' His Life

Michael J. Fox made a surprise appearance at the PaleyFest in Los Angeles on Tuesday to celebrate the television show he's recently been a part of, Shrinking, effectively ending his acting retirement.

But while there, a surprise was in store, not just for the people in the audience, but for Michael J. Fox, as well.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paris Jackson (left) speaks during an Entertainment Tonight interview about her father, Michael Jackson (right), and his legacy.
@Entertainment Tonight/TikTok; Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Michael Jackson Fans Called Out Over Their Deranged Reaction To Paris Jackson Talking About Her Late Dad

Paris Jackson is no stranger to public scrutiny—but this time, the backlash isn’t about her. It’s about fans of her late father, Michael Jackson, and the increasingly unhinged way they’re responding to her simply speaking about him.

It all started when Entertainment Tonight shared a red carpet interview from the Vanity Fair Vanities party, where Jackson was asked about the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic. The film stars her cousin, Jaafar Jackson, as the King of Pop, with Colman Domingo portraying family patriarch Joe Jackson.

Keep ReadingShow less
Riley Gaines; Tim Walz; Donald Trump
Ivan Apfel/Getty Images; Stephen Maturen/Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Riley Gaines Ripped For Bonkers Attempt To Discredit Tim Walz After He Condemns Trump's Genocidal Threat To Iran

Former NCAA swimmer and current transphobic conservative darling Riley Gaines was criticized for a desperate attempt to discredit Minnesota Governor Tim Walz after he condemned President Donald Trump's genocidal threat to kill the "whole civilization" of Iran.

Trump has insisted that God supports his war on Iran and declared—before a provisional ceasefire was announced—that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" ahead of a deadline to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges that legal scholars and world leaders have said would constitute war crimes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of S.E. Cupp; Donald Trump
@secupp/X; Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Anti-Trump Conservative Epically Sounds Off On MAGA Voters Who Suddenly Have 'Buyer's Remorse'

Conservative CNN pundit S.E. Cupp criticized MAGA voters who now have "buyer's remorse" over President Donald Trump's war with Iran in a video on Instagram that condemned them for their support of a "homicidal maniac."

Trump has insisted that God supports his war on Iran and declared—before a provisional ceasefire was announced—that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" ahead of a deadline to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges that legal scholars and world leaders have said would constitute war crimes.

Keep ReadingShow less