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
Make us preferred on Google

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

Screenshots of Jessica Tarlov and Emily Compagno; Abdul El-Sayed
Fox News; Sarah Rice/Getty Images

Jessica Tarlov Has Perfect Clapback After Fox News Co-Host Criticizes Abdul El-Sayed For Not Being A 'Practicing Physician'

Fox News host Jessica Tarlov had the perfect response to her colleague Emily Compagno after Compagno complained that Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is not a "practicing physician."

El-Sayed, an epidemiologist who campaigned on expanding healthcare access, strengthening the economy, and ending unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel, became the first progressive to win a statewide primary in a state carried by President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. He is set to face former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers during next month's midterms.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tom Holland; Florence Pugh
Jeff Spicer/ Getty Images for Sony Pictures; NBC

Florence Pugh Revealed That Tom Holland Is The Reason She Appears In 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'—And We Love To See It

Florence Pugh has built a career on scene-stealing performances, but her latest Marvel appearance came with one particularly flattering endorsement: Spider-Man himself.

While promoting her latest historical drama, East of Eden, Pugh stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she was asked about her surprise appearance as Yelena Belova in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kelsgordon's TikTok video
@kelsgordon/TikTok

Woman Reveals The Fallout After She Caught Her Sister's Fiancé Cheating Just 2 Hours Before Their Wedding

Some people would rather live in a state of oblivion than know the truth.

TikToker @kelsgordon realized her sister was one of those people when she discovered, just two hours before her sister's wedding, that her sister's fiancé had a whole other romantic relationship in the works—and she intended to go ahead with the wedding anyway.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @maddieogle10's TikTok
@maddieogle10/TikTok

Woman Shares The Biggest 'Red Flags' That A Friendship Is Ending—And TikTokers Are Sounding Off

Most of us have experienced a friendship coming to an end, and while it sometimes comes as a surprise, we can usually look back and see some signs that the end was near.

TikToker @maddieogle10, for example, believes that it's obvious that a friendship is coming to an end when something starts to feel off or like the friend is losing interest.

Keep ReadingShow less
Conservative political activist Peter Thiel arrives on the red carpet for the Axel Springer Award in Berlin.
Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP via Getty Images

Tech Billionaire Goes Viral For Bonkers Claim That Being Evil Can Actually Be 'Kind Of Good' In Cringey Viral Clip

While everyday Americans are watching the cost of seemingly everything eat away at their bank accounts, the billionaire class continues operating in an entirely different financial multiverse.

Now, tech billionaire Peter Thiel has apparently found another luxury afforded by extreme wealth: redefining whether “evil” might actually be a good thing. The eyebrow-raising philosophy came during a September 2026 appearance on MD Meets, where Thiel sat down with fellow billionaire Mathias Döpfner.

Keep ReadingShow less