Summary
- Tropes in horror movies can be subverted to draw audiences in with unexpected twists and creative choices by filmmakers.
- Classic horror movies like Scream broke conventions by commenting on traditional tropes, setting new standards for the genre.
- Movies like Raw delve into complex themes like cannibalism and coming-of-age, pushing boundaries in modern horror storytelling.
Horror movies, like any other genre, are capable of subverting or adhering to tropes depending on how creative the script and direction are. Tropes are a useful tool in cinema, as they indicate to an audience what to expect from the story and have helped to develop a universal visual language that viewers use as part of their media literacy skills. However, as storytelling has progressed and filmmaking has become more advanced, it’s the undermining of tropes and audience expectations that draws people to movies. Subverting tropes through creative choices demonstrates the skills of a filmmaker and their team.
One of the ways that horror has been the most innovative in discussions of trope usage is in drawing direct attention to the story moment where a trope would go.
It’s important to remember that horror movies aren’t the only films that rely on clichés, as bad blockbusters and franchise movie tropes can be seen everywhere in modern cinema. One of the ways that horror has been the most innovative in discussions of trope usage is in drawing direct attention to the story moment where a trope would go. This meta-textual analysis of how scripts and narrative structure work can even go to the lengths of having the characters discuss the nuances of movie tropes onscreen. Though this can get confusing, it’s also exciting to see these boundaries pushed.
Related 10 Annoying Horror Movie Tropes That Can Ruin A Scary Film
While movie tropes are unavoidable, certain clichés in horror films can detract from the overall viewing experience once they become apparent.
7 Scream (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven
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Wes Craven flips the horror-slasher genre on its head with the 1996 release of Scream, the first in the long-running franchise. The residents of Woodsboro discover a series of murders are being committed by a dangerous ghost mask-wearing killer with an obsession for classic horror movies. To survive, a group of high school students, a reporter, and a town deputy will have to subvert horror expectations and stay one step ahead of the killer.
Director Wes Craven Release Date December 20, 1996 Studio(s) Woods Entertainment Cast Drew Barrymore , Kevin Patrick Walls , David Booth , Carla Hatley , Neve Campbell , Skeet Ulrich Runtime 111 minutes Franchise(s) Scream Expand
The director, Wes Craven, was behind many of the most successful horror films of the 1980s and was intimately familiar with the mechanics of how morality and murder went hand-in-hand in scary movies.
As a franchise, Scream has gone through ups and downs in terms of quality and content, but the original movie, released in 1996, was well ahead of its time. The director, Wes Craven, was behind many of the most successful horror films of the 1980s and was intimately familiar with the mechanics of how morality and murder went hand-in-hand in scary movies. He uses this to his advantage in Scream, in which he comments on the tricks every horror movie falls victim to. Additionally, Scream looks at the way the media influences young minds with depictions of violence.
Scream 7 will have Sidney back as the lead character, and it will be exciting to see what this means for the future of the franchise. Sidney is an important part of the original Scream movie as the protagonist, but also because of how her character changes the way the final girl archetype is used onscreen and her unexpected relationship with the killer. Many films have tried to copy Scream and capitalize on its success, but few have come close to the perfect balance of self-awareness and genuinely scary elements that Scream perfected.
6 Cloverfield (2008)
Directed by Matt Reeves
Cloverfield PG-13MysteryHorrorThrillerAdventureActionSci-Fi Where to Watch
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Directed by Matt Reeves, Cloverfield is a found-footage disaster movie that follows a group of people seeking safety during a state of emergency. When New York City is attacked by an unknown monstrous entity, chaos ensues. A group of friends document their attempts to flee the city and find sanctuary from an onslaught of monsters on a handheld camcorder – footage which is designated as an account of the “Cloverfield” incident.
Director Matt Reeves Release Date January 15, 2008 Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Cast Lizzy Caplan , Jessica Lucas , T.J. Miller , Michael Stahl-David , Mike Vogel , Odette Annable Runtime 85 minutes
Cloverfield successfully redefined the found footage genre for the modern era and successfully blended genres by using many different niches of horror to create a cohesive project. Seeing only bits and pieces of the characters and the monster allows the audience to use their imagination and fill in the blanks left by the movie, which increases the terror and anxiety. Even though the story is split up and told through a scattered narrative, it’s easy to follow the throughline and become emotionally invested in the characters and their relationships.
Further developments in the Cloverfield universe, including 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox, have continued the trend of breaking away from expectations in the way the franchise has progressed. The sequels have been characterized as spiritual successors of the original film and avoid the pitfall of trying to recreate the magic of the first movie, as this would be impossible. Monster movies are a celebrated aspect of the horror genre, and Cloverfield managed to create a new and exciting addition to the creature feature without ripping off the most iconic monsters from cinema.
5 The Cabin In The Woods (2011)
Directed by Drew Goddard
The Cabin in the Woods RHorrorComedy Where to Watch
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The Cabin in the Woods strictly follows the traditional slasher movie dynamic: a group of teens heads to a remote location for the weekend only to find themselves beset by monsters. However, what they don’t know is that the inevitable horrors they will face have all been arranged by a mysterious team watching from a facility deep underground.
Director Drew Goddard Release Date April 13, 2012 Studio(s) Lionsgate Cast Richard Jenkins , Fran Kranz , Chris Hemsworth , Bradley Whitford , Kristen Connolly Runtime 95 minutes
Blending comedy, horror, and science fiction,
The Cabin in the Woods
is much more than a horror film and is an indictment of humanity’s desire to see others suffer.
There are few more iconic settings for a horror movie than an isolated cabin in the woods, and the movie The Cabin in the Woods is well aware of this. Blending comedy, horror, and science fiction, The Cabin in the Woods is much more than a horror film and is an indictment of humanity’s desire to see others suffer. The movie’s conceit is that a cult of people controls the deaths and experiences of a group of college students during a weekend away. They’re killed in the fashion of a classic slasher film, but the students realize what’s going on.
Joss Whedon collaborated with the director, Drew Goddard, on the script for the film, and the pair’s experience in the horror-comedy niche comes through. Having worked on the TV shows Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel, the writers were familiar with how to undermine the issues with the horror genre, as Buffy is a hero rather than a damsel in distress, and Angel is a vampire who fights for the side of goodness. While The Cabin in the Woods doesn’t have the happiest ending, it cements the central theme that humanity is often its own worst enemy.
4 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a multimedia franchise that began with Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. After the film’s initial release, there were a total of eight additional films added to the franchise, as well as comic books from various publishers, including Avatar Press and Wildstorm Comics. In 2023, the video game The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released on PlayStation 4/5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox X/S.
Created by Tobe Hooper , Kim Henkel First Film Texas Chain Saw Massacre Latest Film Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) Cast Marilyn Burns , Gunnar Hansen , Paul A. Partain , Edwin Neal , Jim Siedow , Dennis Hopper , Caroline Williams , Bill Moseley , Bill Johnson , Viggo Mortensen , William Butler , Renée Zellweger , Matthew McConaughey , Jessica Biel , Jonathan Tucker , Jordana Brewster , Taylor Handley , Alexandra Daddario , Dan Yeager , Stephen Dorff , Lili Taylor , Olwen Fouéré , Sarah Yarkin , Elsie Fisher , Mark Burnham Expand
While the slasher genre had already existed before The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out, it developed a new facet of the niche and changed horror forever. One of the earliest examples of the final girl trope in its purest form is present in the movie, as are the other traditional character archetypes that would later come to be known as the definitive roles in horror. Additionally, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was different from anything else seen on screen because it was essentially plotless and had no problem making the violence and chase the only conflict in the story.
Few, if any, of the sequels in the franchise are worth watching, as most of them fundamentally misunderstand the premise and themes of the original. When watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre today, it might seem as if it plays into tropes. The horror movies that Hollywood puts out into the mainstream today are rife with the story elements that films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre invented. It’s important to remember that in 1974, witnessing the violence and intensity of this movie was unlike anything audiences had ever seen.
3 Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Directed by Karyn Kusama
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Directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody, Jennifer’s Body is a horror-comedy film starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried. When a newly possessed high school cheerleader (Fox) turns into a succubus specializing in seducing and killing her male classmates, her best friend (Seyfried) is the only thing that stands in the way of her sultry killing spree.
Director Karyn Kusama Release Date September 18, 2009 Studio(s) 20th Century Cast Megan Fox , Adam Brody , J. K. Simmons , Johnny Simmons , Amanda Seyfried Runtime 102 minutes
Jennifer, Fox’s character, is interested in using her sexuality and physical attractiveness as a source of her power and not letting the men in her life use it as a tool to control her.
The cult classic collaboration between Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody was a critical and commercial flop when it premiered in 2009. However, a large part of this was due to the incorrect assumption on the part of audiences that the movie was going to be more similar in theme and tone to a B-movie exploitation film that capitalized on Megan Fox’s sexuality. This wasn’t an unfounded assumption, as the marketing team made the story seem this way. However, viewers were surprised to learn that Jennifer’s Body is a subversion of the very things it seemed to affirm and celebrate.
Jennifer, Fox’s character, is interested in using her sexuality and physical attractiveness as a source of her power and not letting the men in her life use it as a tool to control her. Her most compelling relationship is with her best friend, Needy, played by Amanda Seyfried, and their interactions are some of the most nuanced and complex in the story. One of the biggest subversions occurs because a group of men try to sacrifice Jennifer to fulfill all their wishes, but she comes back as a demon, intent on killing men to make herself stronger.
2 Us (2019)
Directed by Jordan Peele
Us (2019)
In 1986, Adelaide Thomas encounters a terrifying doppelgänger, traumatizing her into silence. Years later, on a beach vacation with her family, eerie coincidences resurface. Strangers appear at their doorstep, revealing themselves as twisted doubles. The Wilsons must battle their counterparts, the Tethered, who seek to overthrow their above-ground counterparts.
Director Jordan Peele Release Date March 22, 2019 Writers Jordan Peele Cast Lupita Nyong’o , Winston Duke , Elisabeth Moss , Tim Heidecker Runtime 116 Mins
Although Jordan Peele’s earlier film, Get Out, spurred a bigger reaction from critics and at the box office, Us, his follow-up, is even more creative in its execution and thematic narrative. The film stars Lupita Nyong’o as the protagonist, and while there are few performances in which the actress hasn’t blown away audiences, this might be one of her best portrayals. Nyong’o and the other actors all have the difficult job of playing two characters, the people on the surface and the Tethered. The dichotomy between the two versions of the characters represents the people’s willingness to ignore human suffering.
There are a few ways in which the relationship between the Tethered and the humans living on the surface can be interpreted, and all of them make incisive comments on exploitation and the poverty of the subjugated class. The twist that Peele includes later in the movie is a reminder of why all of his films have been highlighted as essential viewing for the modern horror audience.Us is a movie that requires its audience to sit up and pay attention, but it doesn’t lose any thrilling elements or strong storytelling in this endeavor.
Related 10 Classic Horror Movie Rules That Are Still Being Followed Today
Using tropes can be a pitfall for genre movies like Horrors, but modern takes on the classics show why certain horror rules are still utilized.
1 Raw (2016)
Directed by Julia Ducournau
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Raw is a French-Belgian horror drama film directed by Julia Ducournau. The film follows Justine, a vegetarian veterinary student, who undergoes a drastic transformation after a hazing ritual introduces her to raw meat. As she grapples with newfound cravings, her identity and morality are challenged. Raw stars Garance Marillier and Ella Rumpf in leading roles, offering a unique exploration of coming-of-age themes interwoven with darkly compelling horror elements.
Director Julia Ducournau Release Date March 15, 2017 Studio(s) Petit Film , Rouge International , Frakas Productions Cast Garance Marillier , Ella Rumpf , Rabah Nait Oufella , Laurent Lucas , Joana Preiss Runtime 99 Minutes
Raw is an example of a modern horror movie that proves body horror is back, as it is one of the more graphic depictions of cannibalism ever seen in a film. The movie follows Justine, a young veterinary student, who finds that she can’t control her craving for human flesh after she eats raw meat for the first time. It’s a disgusting and unsettling story, and the visuals become increasingly violent as the movie progresses. However, it’s also interested in telling a coming-of-age story about the nuances of being a young woman and having a complex relationship between sisters.
Other horror movies have touched upon these topics in the past few years, like
Bones and All
, but
Raw
subverts the genre even further.
Telling the story through an artistic lens and from the perspective of the cannibal was an unexpected choice, but it works perfectly for Raw. Other horror movies have touched upon these topics in the past few years, like Bones and All, but Raw subverts the genre even further. Instead of being overly concerned with catching a killer or running from the police, Raw looks deeply into the family dynamic that Justine grew up with and her emotional drive to eat flesh, which consumes her. Few female protagonists in horror have had the agency and development of Justine.