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

Amanda Seyfried
Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images

Amanda Seyfried's Unbothered Reaction To Losing At Golden Globes Is Seriously Iconic

Now that the Golden Globes have passed, it's time for that most cherished awards-season tradition: deconstructing stars' reactions to losing!

And this year, the award for Best Reaction to Losing inarguably goes to Amanda Seyfriend, who's gone viral for her hilarious response.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kyle Rittenhouse
@rittenhouse2a/X

Kyle Rittenhouse Dragged After Making Outrageous Claim About Fluoride In Water

In another bid to get back into the good graces of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's fans, gun rights poster boy Kyle Rittenhouse claimed fluoride in drinking water is "making people gay."

Rittenhouse fell out of favor with the MAGAsphere in 2024 for criticizing their Dear Leader on his 2nd Amendment stance. After deleting the critical X post which spawned rumors among Trump's MAGA minions that he was secretly transgender, Rittenhouse stayed off social media until December 2025 when he announced he was married.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Jake Tapper and Kristi Noem
CNN

Kristi Noem Slammed For Her Smug Reaction To ICE Agent Calling Renee Good A 'F—king B*tch'

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was criticized for her disturbing reaction to a question from CNN host Jake Tapper about a video of an ICE agent calling Renee Nicole Good a "f**king b*tch" after fatally shooting her in the face.

The ICE agent who shot Good has been identified as Jonathan E. Ross, according to court records that closely align with the circumstances of a June 2025 incident in Bloomington, Minnesota, referenced by Noem and Vice President JD Vance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Trump Blasted After Declaring Himself ‘Acting President Of Venezuela’ In Mock Wikipedia Entry

President Donald Trump is facing criticism after he shared a mock Wikipedia entry that features a picture of himself with the new title of "Acting President of Venezuela." This comes little more than a week after his administration invaded the South American country and ousted its dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Trump previously claimed the U.S. will take a day-to-day role governing Venezuela after removing Maduro, an act of regime change widely viewed as an act of war that came without congressional approval and violated international law.

Keep ReadingShow less
A fox yawning in a field
photo of yawning fox on grass

People Describe The Most Boring Thing They've Ever Experienced

No two people share exactly the same interests.

With this in mind, every now and again we might find ourselves needing to attend something that a friend or family member is extremely excited about, but we find excruciatingly boring.

Keep ReadingShow less