Top 10 Biggest Horror Movie Trailer Clichés
Top 10 Horror Movie Trailer Clichés
Top 10 Horror Movie Clichés
These scares are starting to get stale. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 horror movie trailer clichés. For this list, we're looking at the most overused tropes and scenes that appear in horror movie previews. Since we’ll be talking about a few plot details, beware of spooky spoilers coming your way.
#10: Pretending to Be a Different Genre
Horror movie trailers love to lure us in with a false sense of security. These previews often initially present their movies as rom-coms, coming of age tales or family friendly pictures before introducing a sinister twist. But for audiences, this once compelling gimmick has grown stale. Most of the time the title gives it away. When we click a trailer called “Friday the 13th” or “Resident Evil,” we know they’re horror flicks. And even when trailers for “Red Eye” almost convince us the movie’s a rom com, we’re more likely to feel frustrated than charmed when they do reveal the actual nature of the film. Just be honest with us and we’ll buy a ticket.
#9: Invisible Forces Dragging Victims
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If dragging people was an Olympic sport, supernatural beings would take the gold every year. Whenever horror films want to tell audiences that ghosts or demons are tormenting people, a character is pulled away by an invisible force. Victims are usually dragged in a straight line while conveniently looking at the camera. While the innocents always try to grab onto something, they rarely succeed in doing anything but scratching the floor. The “Paranormal Activity” franchise loves this trope so much that it’s become something of a trailer staple. But seeing people getting dragged away isn’t as scary as it once was. These overdone scenes just prove the studio had enough money to put actors on wires.
#8: Including a Shower and/or Bathtub Scene
“Psycho’s” shower sequence is one of the most iconic horror scenes of all time. So, it makes sense that other films would want an unsettling bathroom scene in their trailers. But instead of trying to innovate, many horror movies just plunk a female character in the shower or bathtub and call it a day. While we’re sure these scenes are, ahem, “critical” to the plot, their lack of originality makes them feel like excuses to get actors to strip down. Films like “Nightmare on Elm Street” and “The Grudge” provide memorable and creative examples on how to utilize the vulnerability of bathroom setting, but they’re the exceptions. If you’re going to make your characters strip down, at least try to break new ground.
#7: Drenching the Trailer in Darkness
Darkness is an essential element of most horror trailers. But it should still be used in moderation. When a scene is too dark, it just becomes hard to see the scares. Found footage films are often the worst offenders of this cliché. Between the low lighting, shaky cam and green tint, it can become nearly impossible for us to see anything. If horror directors are worried that making their scenes brighter will ruin the film, they should look at the“Midsommar” trailer. Although most of the scenes take place in the sun, the preview is still terrifying. While we don’t need every horror trailer to step fully into the light, we’d appreciate it if they didn’t rely entirely on darkness either.
#6: Overusing a Sound Effect for Suspense
It feels like every second horror trailer has a creepy narrator. Although listening to those voiceovers IS getting old, it’s not the worst thing we’re hearing. In order to build suspense, studios will repeat the same sound effect over and over again. We’ll be subjected to anything from loud horns blaring to drums being banged repeatedly during the course of a two-minute trailer. While the sound effect may be jarring when it’s first introduced, it loses its effect the more times we hear it. If you have a really creepy sound, use it sparingly. The “less is more” approach will actually do a better job of building the tension for your movie; plus, our ears will thank you.
#5: Making a Creepy Version of a Popular Song
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There are plenty of dark and macabre songs out there. But instead of relying on tracks that are already dark, movie studios love finding popular songs, slowing them down and putting them into trailers. Although a lighter or poppy song becoming grim is supposed to be creepy, it often sounds ridiculous. Over the years, slower versions of “Smells like Teen Spirit” and “Every Breath You Take” have both failed to put fear into our hearts. But the recent use of Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” for the already ridiculous “Fantasy Island” reboot has pushed this trend a step too far. If we can hear the song at a club, it probably shouldn’t be in our horror trailer.
#4: Showing Us the Final Girl
In horror films, the “Final Girl” is the female protagonist that survives to fight the killer one-on- one during the film’s climax. Part of the excitement and tension of watching a scary movie comes from seeing which of the cast members will live to fill this role. Unfortunately trailers often spoil the surprise. If one woman keeps appearing solo throughout the trailer, it's a big hint that she's the final girl - especially true if she’s played by a more recognizable actress. And if that same woman is seen covered in blood while holding a weapon, she’s definitely the final girl. While revealing the final girl isn’t a death sentence, showing us the survivor does diminish the tension of the film’s bloody conclusion.
#3: Fast & Flashy Smash Cuts
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A smash cut is an editing technique that can catch our eye with its speed and flashy nature. Unfortunately, horror movie trailers tend to overuse this technique. Instead of cutting to a few select moments, there will be more than a dozen second long smash cuts in a row. We’d complain about seeing too much of the movie if the images weren't flashing by at the speed of light. The scenes are thrown at us so fast that we can't tell what’s happening to who at any given moment. Horror studios need to remember that less is more. While adding a few smash cuts is fun, using too many will leave us confused and a bit nauseous.
#2: Spoiling the Entire Plot
No one likes spoilers. So why do we get so many in horror trailers? It’s bad enough that studios often spoil which characters bite the dust. But many horror trailers have gone further and revealed major story beats and plot twists. This trend has gotten so bad that a few movies have literally given away their endings during their previews. “Quarantine”, “Paranormal Activity” and the original “Carrie” are just a few movies that completely spoiled their plots in the trailers. We understand that it’s tempting to use the biggest scares to sell audiences on the movie, but they’re usually tied to major story reveals. We’d much prefer an atmospheric trailer that’s light on big scares rather than be disappointed in theaters. Before we scare up our top pick, here are some dishonorable mentions. Constantly Fading to Black Eardrum Shattering Screaming Adding a Post-Title Scare Journeying to Creepy Locations Featuring Creepy Kids
#1: Oh Look, a Jump-Scare
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Can you remember a time when every horror movie trailer didn't have at least one cheap jump-scare? Us neither. And as a result, this scary trope has become extremely predictable. Anytime we see a character look under the bed, look into a mirror or step into a dark room, we're just counting down the seconds until something pops out to scare us. Sure, it’s the quickest way to get a viewer’s heart racing, but the effect is short-lived. If we're really unlucky, we’ll get multiple jump-scares in the same trailer. There are better ways to frighten audiences. We wish horror studios would stop relying on this heart attack inducing technique and give us well thought out and unique scares instead.
