“It’s just such a tired cliché at this point and kicks me out of any immersion I have every time.”
Reddit user CleoVibeR recently asked, “What instantly ruins a movie for you, no matter how good it is otherwise?” People flocked to the thread to share the overused tropes and clichés that always make them roll their eyes during a movie. Here’s what they revealed:
1. “What I call ‘Easter egg porn’ — shoehorning random callbacks to unrelated media just for the folks who get off on the feeling of ‘I recognize that thing!’ It literally takes me out of the movie because now I’m thinking about that other one. I don’t mind if it’s actually relevant to the plot or the worldbuilding. I just hate it if it’s there for no other reason.”
2. “My biggest pet peeve is when two characters give in to the tension that has been brewing and have sex while their lives are actively in danger. Like, you’re hiding in this secluded room because people are trying to kill you. You’re seriously gonna have sex NOW? And then somehow, the killers never find them mid-coitus and just take them out. They always have time to finish.”
3. “Whenever the ‘funny guy’ makes a dumb joke in a moment of tension, I feel like walking out.”
4. “Marketing placements that aren’t done smartly, where it’s obvious that someone said, ‘Oh, this company just paid us. Slap a McDonald’s bag in the scene.'”
5. “A character who angrily swears every other word. The acting comes off as ridiculous and shallow.”
6. “Forcing romance when it just doesn’t fit in a story, or when they fall so in love, so fast, with very little to the foundation or even acquaintance of the person they supposedly love.”
7. “Historical movies where everyone is clean.”
8. “Those movies where everyone talks in a whisper or so low you can barely hear them, and then the action scenes or explosions shatter your eardrums.”
9. “Characters not communicating basic shit will always piss me off. I would understand if that character has major trust issues and is consistent with a lack of communication, but not when one person saying one sentence could prevent most of the plot.”
10. “Dragging in real-life references for pop culture validation. The filmmaker built the world and chose to shatter the illusion!? It’s a no-no for me.”
11. “If it’s literally dark. I don’t want to see my reflection!”
12. “I hate the trope of manufactured drama at about the one-hour mark of all romantic comedies.”
13. “Period pieces where nobody even bothers to sound anything but completely contemporary. They may as well be two people talking in a modern bar. I start to wonder why they even bothered with all the costumes and old scenery.”
14. “A team of people is working on a problem with hi-tech equipment and technical expertise. The protagonist shows up and shows them how it’s really done, without all their fancy tech. The underlying takeaway often being: ‘Your gut instinct is better than all this fancy schmancy educated stuff.’ It just makes me roll my eyes. Often, it’s bundled with the technical experts failing to think of the human aspect of the problem. But don’t worry; the protagonist does. They will definitely point it out, making themselves look amazing.”
15. “Killing a character only to bring them back as a ‘twist.’ It’s so cheap and SO MANY FUCKING MOVIES/SHOWS DO IT. It steals the gravitas of any future characters dying, too. What do I care? They’ll probably just bring them back as well.”
16. “Introductions that overly rely on telling the viewer expositional information. It’s fine if dialogue naturally gives us information, but I can’t stand when there are a bunch of completely unnatural lines, and so obviously, they only happen so you can tell us about the characters’ relationships/history. Once you realize it’s happening, you can’t ignore or unsee the laziness.”
17. “A phone call breaking up at the critical moment. It’s just such a tired cliche at this point and kicks me out of any immersion I have every time.”
18. “As a veteran, I can no longer watch military-based movies without absolutely picking apart the uniforms, lingo, tactical movements, etc. It doesn’t necessarily ruin them, but I’m complaining the whole time!”
19. “The line, ‘There’s a storm coming,’ or any variation. Such an eye roll. When someone texts their spouse/best friend/someone they’re close to, and they have no text history. It drives me NUTS. Also, when it’s super obvious that a suitcase is empty when it’s supposed to be full, or there’s clearly nothing in a to-go coffee cup. It’s so obvious.”
20. “Continuity issues. Glass was full, and now it’s empty. Oh, now it’s full again. Or her shirt is unbuttoned, then buttoned again. I can’t unsee it, and I can’t see the movie after that. I’m just waiting for someone to make it make sense or acknowledge it.”
21. “People stuck on an abandoned island, yet every day they wear perfect makeup. So tired of it.”
22. And: “When a character says the title of the movie as dialogue, except in satire or when it’s a one-word title.”
What ruins a movie for you every time? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form.