Planning on having a fight night film festival this Halloween? I know I am. Only one thing that can ruin a night like that is the horror cliches that often come with the films. The genre is one of the worst culprits for adhering to the same old tricks and often pushing it too far, the levels pushing the gore and horror into the level of comedy. Below is a list of some of the worst things we see in horror films that can really ruin the scary atmosphere.
Electronics mysteriously refusing to work
Why is that a vehicle that has worked for years suddenly becomes useless scrap metal once the driver is in danger? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a car more willing to stall than one in a horror film. That being said, maybe it’s a great reminder for us all to make sure we’re getting our vehicles checked regularly, just in case the unthinkable were to happen.
Noises suddenly become no big deal
There’s not a horror film in history where one or more characters have ignored a noise in the background, claiming that it’s just the wind or some kind of animal, where that noise hasn’t eventually lead to someone’s death. Come on guys, lets start taking notice of the bumps in the night, it’s not as if horror films haven’t warned us enough.
Everybody goes from mistrust to trust, apart from one character
All horror films start with one person who is sure there’s something wrong, with everyone else around them in complete disbelief. That is, until a point in the film where it’s too late, and then everybody trusts the character knows exactly what she’s talking about. Sometimes I feel like screaming at the television, wanting the main character to lash out at the rest of the cast, drowning them all in a chorus of “I told you so!”
The end is never the end
There’s no point in listing the horror films that use this old one, lulling the audience into a false sense of security before allowing one final jump scare to rush through the audience. That final bit of adrenaline surge is all but used up these days however, the finale jump scare having now been used probably more than any other cliched move in the book.
Are there any specific horror moments that had you rolling on the floor rather than hiding behind the couch? Do you think we’ve missed out some cliches here that should be higher up in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below what horror moments you’re hoping to stay away from this Halloween.
