100 Movie clichés · 1:44am Jul 28th, 2017
Cinema is one of the most artistic media that has ever existed and one of the most recognizable entertainment in the world. It lets you to travel to another worlds and do things you will never do. But, among the large quantity of existing productions, there are some tropes that repeat in different movies. They don't affect the quality of the movie (sort of), but they can become annoying. This is the Top 100 movie clichés.
1. Every global threat occurs only in United States (mainly New York), the great powers and Egypt.
2. The hero never turns around to see an explosion.
3. Cell phones are destroyed frequently, like they were disposable.
4. A mirror scene always guarantees a jump scare, even if nothing happens.
5. The first person who dies is the non-Caucasian one.
6. If you fall off during a chase, you’re dead.
7. The villain always has the stupid craze to add a countdown to his masterplan.
8. To use a computer correctly, you only need to tap the keyboard randomly without using the mouse once.
9. In the final round, the protagonist will be brutally beaten and, when his coach gives up, he won’t quit and will win by a K.O.
10. The high school cheerleaders are more important than the team they support.
11. If a guy and a girl hate each other, they’ll get marry.
12. A detective will always be fired from the case he’s working on, but he’ll continue to investigate.
13. Every bullet shot by the main character hits in the mark and, conversely, every bullet shot by the enemy won’t hurt the main character.
14. The villain always explains his evil plan from beginning to end.
15. During a car chase there won’t be traffic.
16. The protagonist’s gun has infinite ammo.
17. The enemies will always take turns to defeat the main character.
18. Everyone can use a firearm, even if it isn’t qualified to.
19. The best way to end a car chase is to pass the train track at the last minute.
20. Bombs are always deactivated at the last second.
21. The best friend has to sacrifice himself to save the protagonist and, if the protagonist sacrifices himself, he survives with minor wounds.
22. The killer always murders a couple when they’re having sex.
23. You can’t die until you give an emotional speech, no matter how bad your condition is.
24. The hero always says a catchphrase when he’s about to kill the villain.
25. When the beautiful girl is first shown, the camera has to capture her in slow motion.
26. There are always two cops in an interrogation: a good and kind one and a bad and aggressive one.
27. Every terrorist group is commanded by a foreigner villain, never by a white dude, and if the villain is a white dude there are only two options: he’s a government man or he’s British.
28. If the teenage girl gets angry with her parents, she locks herself in her bedroom.
29. Nobody gives a shit about the school bully.
30. Every child is ashamed of its parents (preferably the father).
31. If the main couple is about to kiss, something will interrupt them in the precise moment.
32. If the world is in a global threat, the government will always search for the scientist whose ideas sounded dumb and they will follow every rule commanded by him.
33. If someone sees a mysterious person at the other side of the street, he’ll disappear when a bus passes by.
34. To create a logical reasoning, a blackboard with pins, photos and loose threads will be used instead of something more practical (like a computer).
35. If a fight starts in a bar, every person there will begin to punch each other for no reason.
36. If someone survives a deadly shot, it’ll show the object that blocked the shot (preferably a cop sign or a cross).
37. The villain cares so little about his minions that, to demonstrate how evil he is, he’ll kill one for no reason.
38. Every A.I. voice is British.
39. During a car chase a market stall will always be batter down, preferably a fruit stand.
40. When a person turns on the TV, casually it’s showing an important event in the news in the right channel at the right hour.
41. If a character denies to do something, he’ll do it in the next scene.
42. Every temple has a treasure placed in a pedestal and every temple has booby traps that get activated when the treasure is stolen.
43. Every sharp object does the sound of metal clashing.
44. When the team walks with determination to its destiny, the camera has to capture them in slow motion.
45. When the priest says “And if anybody here thinks these three or four young ones shouldn't get hitched let them speak now or forever hold their peace”, that’s the perfect moment to interrupt the wedding.
46. The better the mafia treats you, the greater the chances that they will kill you.
47. When the main character arrives to his destiny in a taxi, he’ll give to the driver many dollars without asking how much it was.
48. If the hero and the villain have a firearm duel, they’ll run out of ammo at the same time and immediately will begin a close combat.
49. The hero will never get shot in a vital organ, if by chance it’ll be in an extremity.
50. A cop team will always be conformed by a young, energic one and an old, grumpy one.
51. If a cop says he only has two days before retirement, he’s dead.
52. Every young delinquent is dressed as a rapper.
53. No matter your complexion, you’ll be knock down unconscious with a hit on your neck.
54. The parking lot will never be a problem, there’ll be space when somebody needs to stop.
55. Nobody puts the car alarm.
56. Every blonde is dumb.
57. When the main couple kills the killer they never make sure he’s truly dead. Instead they hug and cry.
58. Cats will always make a noise during a tense moment.
59. Everyone hates the new team coach, but in the end everyone loves him.
60. A homerun can only be get when the team has two strikes.
61. A basketball game can only be won with a miracle shot, where the ball will bounce twice in the hoop to finally score.
62. During the victory celebration, the protagonist will confess his love to the beautiful girl and she’ll kiss him.
63. Epic montage at the end to watch the team’s progress.
64. Every French is a coward or a pretentious.
65. If a girl says she doesn’t want to go to the prom it’s because she’s dying to go to the prom.
66. A paper bag will always have a liqueur bottle.
67. Nobody makes a mistake when using a computer.
68. If you’re trying to decode a password, you’ll get it at the third try.
69. A bomb, no matter how big or small it is, can destroy an entire building even if it’s not placed strategically.
70. If a person dies with eyes open, his best friend will close them.
71. If you show a picture of the ones you love to someone during war, you’re dead.
72. The most appropriate way to unlock a grenade is with the teeth.
73. If the girl hides from the villain, she’ll punch the protagonist by mistake.
74. If there’s a chandelier, someone will do something to make it fall.
75. The protagonist will win an important race by barely anything.
76. If the protagonist receives a great punch in the face, the camera has to capture it in slow motion.
77. There are always workers carrying glass sheets on the street.
78. Car chases will be over with the car hanging from a cliff with two wheels on ground, and from said chases, police cars get the worst part.
79. The protagonist can endure a shooting, brawl or any risky situation, but he’ll complain as a child when the beautiful girl cures him with disinfectant.
80. If somebody has a flashback, this can last forever and in real life only a couple of minutes will pass.
81. Every bomb has a timer which displays how many second are left.
82. With the exception of the final girl and the killer, everyone is an idiot.
83. The father will reconcile with his daughter by going to her “insert artistic discipline here” recital.
84. If somebody is mortally wounded, it’ll die after multiple resurrection attempts with a *beep* from the heart monitor.
85. The cars will never respond when the killer is nearby.
86. The police or the army always arrive when the killer is dead.
87. All computer virus are installed like a common software.
88. If a drunk sees something weird like a monster or an alien, he swears to never drink again.
89. A little child will notice the monster is coming to town before the army.
90. The family dog will be saved from any catastrophe or monster.
91. Every police officer has problems with his wife.
92. When a tornado appears, a cow will pass flying.
93. In all utopias there’s a boy or girl who thinks or sees the world differently.
94. A superhero is more useful and competent than any armed force.
95. Every villain has to be related with the hero, his family or friends.
96. The portal in the sky.
97. Hairy women don’t exist.
98. If the main character is a boy, he will have a hard-working, intelligent and common-sense woman friend and an idiot friend who, either by fat or muscle, will be bigger than the girl and the protagonist. And if is a girl she will have a best friend (almost always black) who encourages her to do such a thing and a friend/punching bag who is in love with her.
99. When the movie is over, the camera will move away to show the panorama while the scene fades out.
100. If there’s a scene that indicates a possible sequel, it’ll be shown only after the credits roll.
What do you think? Is there any cliché I have missed? Let me know in the comments.
