Annoying Horror Movie Clichés

The Kids Can See Spirits

The adults believe that their child just has an imaginary friend, and realize too late that it was not the case.

The Police Always Arrive too Late

Where are they when the victim needs them??

Let's Split Up!

It's always better to split up and cover more ground, but by doing so dwindles the numbers to make it easier for the killer.

The Killer Never Dies

The movie is coming to an end, the killer is dead and everything is going back to normal....But Wait!! The screen pans to the wreckage where the killer is ALIIVVEEE!!!

The Phone Never Works

When the killer is on their tail the phone is always disconnected, dead, out of range, etc.

The Car Never Starts

There never is a quick getaway in tense situations.

Tension Rises But Turns Out Being Nothing

The tempo increases and the protagonists thinks the killer is closing in, but ends up being the neighbor's cat or something else that is silly.

The Mirror Scare

At first there appears to be no one in the mirror, but once the character looks away and back again the monster reveals itself.

Hiding Upstairs

Instead of looking for the front door, the protagonist will run upstairs and hide in either the closet or under the bed.

The Excessive Amount of Jump-scares, or Fake Jump-scares

When there are just too many in one movie and the result is underwhelming horror.

When something like a Jack in the Box jumps out at the protagonist.

The Stereotyped Characters

Such as the Jock being the courageous one who wants to kill the monster alone, or the Blonde who is portrayed as dumb and sleeps around with the rest of the group.

The Speed Walking Killer

No matter how fast the victim runs and how slow the killer follows, the victim can never get away.

The Victim's Inability to Stand Back Up

When the victim falls over and can't get back up at once on the ground.

They Don't Finish the Job

The victim strikes a big blow to the killer that renders the killer unconscious, but the victim doesn't finish the job. This leaves the killer to rise again and prolongs the movie.

There is Always One Sound

Even if the victim has picked the perfect hiding spot, there is a phone that goes off, or a creaky floor board that will give the killer the location of the victim.

The Inconsistent Killer

The main killer is the perfect assassin, very strong and can kill people with great technique, unless he is trying to attack the main protagonist and then he becomes unbelievable clumsy and weak.

Refusing the Elder's Warning

The old strange man/woman that suddenly appears and tell the main character to be careful, usually with some scary old story about a place/person, of course, the hero thinks he/she is crazy and don't believe him/her.

Refusal to Get the Easy Kill

Rarely do we see the killer use an actual gun to hunt down the victims. Instead we see them use bladed weapons that prolong the movie.

Minority Characters Die Sooner Rather Than Later

The old cliche was that the minority character was the first to die in a horror movie. Now typically they are not the first to go but the chances of making it through the entire movie is still unlikely.

Investigating in the Dark

Typically someone in the group will go out in the dark with a flashlight, and see what was all the commotion. Of course there is not a single useful weapon accompanying him or her which leads to the first death in the movie.

Creepy Ominous Music

You know when you hear the creepy tune something is about to go down, which usually ruins the tension.

Warnings in your Dream/Daydream of Future Events

When the protagonist has a dream about their own demise or the death of someone close to them. They believe it as a warning and will try and convince everyone else the same.

Being a Real MacGyver

By the end of the movie the protagonist will have stopped being useless and has somehow built an elaborate trap to catch the killer.

I'll be Back

The dreaded last words of anyone who speaks them in a horror movie.