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Preparation
Five horror film clichés
Since almost the beginning of cinema, we have had scary films. Of all the genres that exist, horror is perhaps one of the most conventional. Many horror films rely on specific plot devices, also called tropes, to make their audience frightened. When a trope is used too much, it can become a cliché. But when used well, it can really make us jump out of our skin. Here are some of the most used, and perhaps abused, clichés in horror films.
1
No matter what kind of house it is, the basement is a scary place in horror films. That's usually where something is hiding or where the evil psychopath has hidden their tools. Basements are always dark and often damp. You can only reach them by a narrow staircase. And basements are always creepy, even when there isn't anything down there.
2
In older horror films, when protagonists were in desperation, it was difficult or impossible for them to call for help or call the police. Mobile phones have made that situation a bit less believable now. What's the solution to maintain suspense? No phone coverage! If you're a hero in a horror film, it's almost certain that at a key moment, just when you absolutely need to call for help, you will not have any coverage at all. Or your phone battery will die just as you are making the call. Or both.
3
Horror films love uninhabited places. This could be an abandoned hospital, a scary empty house or a ghost town. There's something about lonely, empty places. What was it like when people lived there? Why did they leave? Maybe it's also that they are so quiet, which can be very scary too. Of course, abandoned places are also handy for horror film directors in that it's more believable that you will have no phone coverage there either (see above).
4
The hero has been driving for hours. It's night-time and it's beginning to rain. Suddenly he sees a person on the side of the road. Maybe the company will keep him awake? In horror films, giving anybody a ride is asking for trouble. The hero always does it, and it always ends badly.
5
This horror film cliché was especially popular with horror films of the late 20th century. It starts with a group of teenagers all enjoying themselves, and it ends with everyone dead except one girl. At the beginning the girl is usually innocent, shy and not particularly strong. By the end, she has become the toughest and most resourceful person in the world. The last girl almost always wins in the end.
I absolutely like to watch different horror movies. However, I prefer to watch this kind of genre only being surrounded by my friends because when I watch any horror movies alone, I instantly start to feel scared and pretend that everything that is happening in the movie is real. Thanks for this brilliant article, I've learned some new useful words.
Hello teachers! I have a question. Must I wirte that symbol above the "e" letter if I want to use the word "cliché" in the IELTS writing sections? Can I don't consider the symbol?
Hello arashjahanbakht,
You can write the word with or without this (the name for it, by the way, is an acute accent). The word is a French word which has entered the English language and the spelling with the acute accent is the original French spelling. The English spelling is slowly replacing it as the word stopping being seen as a foreign word.
If you want to use an alternative word with a very similar meaning then the word hackneyed is an option.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Actually I wasn't interested in trying the site but when I see the title I have been attracted. Good article..
Also if anyone can help what will be the word for "Convention"?
Hi ma7moud3zim,
We're glad that you liked the article!
A convention is something that follows people's expectations. In this context, it refers to the common characteristics of horror films.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
I love watching horror films very much.One of the most common cliches I have noticed in horror films is twist ending.The killer or the bad guy never really dies.It always appears at the end of the film in some way that makes us shocked.
I loved to watch horror movies when I was a child. When I became a teenager I couldn't really watch horror movies because they were too scary for me. At that time I fell in love with comedies and romantic movies like Twilight. And now I love to watch bloggers who play games in the horror genre. Maybe it's because you are not alone when you watch someone else coming through the scary house or into an abandoned experimental laboratory. Also there's a comment section where you can share your emotions after watching the video. I'm not that brave to play horror games alone. Thank you for reading!
I enjoy horror movies, but I don't really watch any, because they are too much for me. But I like the idea of it. Horror movies are often accompanied by scary background music, or suddenly having an object or person jumps out or have a dark surrounding. Often related to supernatural.
After seeing too much inside the darkest corners of the Internet, I am totally immune to horror films. You can say that I'm neutral with them.
No! I detest and try to stay away as much as I could unless I'm coerced into complying to oblige social obligations.
What little I know abut horror flick cliches are not much but let me just jot some random events I've heard of. A man living alone is nearly always a killer, beautiful kindly lady is always someone with traumatic psychotic past, an old gnarl tree hides thousands mysteries, a windy night brings evil spirits and a sleepy town conspires to murder strangers.