Horror Movie Stereotypes

If you watch horror movies as frequently as I do, then I am sure that you are aware that all of them, literally, every single one, contain characters and scenarios that are hella cliché. And, I can honestly say that it drives me insane. I usually will end up screaming at my television over a character that has no common sense, or I will end up rolling my eyes over something I’ve seen a thousand times before. Seriously, it’s like no one has any original ideas anymore…. Here are a few examples:

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1: The DAD always makes the family stay in the house. Over 90% of the horror movies I’ve seen that take place in a haunted house contain this scenario. The wife and kids are like, “Yo, this is sketchy and we should probably leave” and the dad is all like, “Nah it’s fine I can handle it.” And then, BOOM, everybody dies. However, every once in a while you have a dad with common sense that actually lets them leave, which leads me into my next stereotype…

2: The entity follows them. Even if the family in the movie is smart enough to leave the house, the entities in the house somehow follow them and torment them wherever they go. 

3: Walking towards the place where the sound is coming from (especially basements and attics).  PLEASE…. have some common sense. If you hear footsteps coming from the attic, why would you go up there to see what’s causing them???

4: Tripping and staying there. Whenever the killer is chasing someone, they always trip and fall. ALWAYS. 

5: Walking around in the dark. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen this one. The killer turns off the lights and instead of the hero simply turning the lights back on, they wander around in the dark. It’s basically an invitation for the killer to murder them.

6: Demons that walk around in backbends. WHY IS THIS ONE SO COMMON I REALLY DON’T GET IT.

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7: Splitting up. This is one of the stupidest things that a character can do in a horror movie. If the group does indeed prove that they have no common sense by choosing to investigate the sketchy abandoned house, why on earth would someone choose to do it on their own? Safety in numbers.

8: Something that has the shape of a body is covered up by a cloth and someone chooses to remove it while intense music plays, and it turns out to be an ordinary household item. I know it seems specific, but I’ve actually seen this in several horror movies. 

9: Double checking to make sure the killer is dead. Seriously, if you're unsure if something is dead, don’t go up to it to see if it is. Just run away while you have the chance.

10: “It’s just the wind.” This quote usually goes hand in hand with my first stereotype, when the dad blames a clearly suspicious sound on something totally normal. 

11: Mirrors. Sketchy things always happen when there is a mirror involved. 

12: No cell phone signal. At the climax of the movie, none of the characters can get a signal to call for help. How convenient. 

Leave me a comment if you can think of anything else.

-Allie