Ten horror movie tropes

If you want to write horror, it’s important to know your tropes. This allows you to either utilize them or subvert them, playing with the audience’s expectations and making something that follows genre conventions but isn’t wholly predictable. Here’s a list of ten tropes that come up often in horror movies!

The harbinger

The warning is usually issued in act one. As the person approaches the abandoned house, or the Pet Semetary, or wherever the spooky shenanigans are going to ensue, someone–often a wise old person, but not always–issues a warning. It, of course, goes unheeded. This can also come in the form of a no trespassing sign (that the characters promptly ignore.)

Death by sex

Sex out of wedlock is often punished in horror movies. Regardless of if it’s teenagers hooking up or adults cheating on their spouses, fornication is punished by an early–and brutal–death.

Let’s split up

It’s the horror movie trope we all love to hate. A group of people in a spooky situation decide to split up to investigate… and we all know how that usually ends! This trope always leaves me wondering if the characters have never seen a horror movie before.

Phone’s down

All forms of communication are cut off. No phones, no buddies nearby, no way to reach anyone. If you’ve ever been stranded on the side of the road with no cell service (it happened to me once in front of a graveyard, no, I’m not joking) you know that this is very scary.

A dark and stormy night

Inclement weather, regardless of if it’s a thunderstorm, a snow storm, fog, or something even scarier often sets the scene for horror movies.

Am I being watched?

If I’ve learned one thing from horror movie tropes, it’s this: if you have to ask the question, then yes. Yes you are.

Jump scare

Another horror movie trope that we love to hate. When done poorly, a jump scare just feels cheap. When done well, it’s extremely effective at building tension and keeping the audience engaged. Be careful when utilizing this trope!

Creepy clowns

Any Stephen King fan–or anyone who lived through the 2016 killer clown panic– can tell you that this trope can be hugely effective when used well.

The creepy child

The Shining. Children of the Corn. Let Me In. All of these movies utilize the creepy child trope. Usually female, emotionless, and deeply evil, the creepy child trope is an enduring classic.

The final girl

This one is such a classic horror movie trope that I had to write an entire article about it. Essentially, as a group of people gets picked off one by one, one final girl emerges victorious.