People Are Sharing The Annoying Movie Clichés They “Absolutely Hate”

Let’s face it. While movies are a great source of entertainment, they often make the same mistakes over and over again. Whether it’s from laziness or lack of vision or misplaced beliefs, directors and writers just seem to never learn that most viewers do not want the plot explained to them in the very beginning of the film.

Or they insist on giving weapons infinite bullets. Or a number of other things that are either annoying, implausible in even the most fantastic worlds.

On Reddit, people are sharing the things that movies do that they absolutely hate.

So the next time you settle down to Netflix, see if the movie you’re watching does indeed have a hero battling a horde of enemies as they attack him one at a time instead of in one, big group.


1. Setting up a franchise

“That EVERY sh*tty movie nowadays is set up as the first part of a possible trilogy, making it non-committal and vague as a result.” — Smeggfaffa

2. Empty coffee cups

“They hold supposedly full coffee cups like they are empty, always holding them at a tilt. I know they are just stage props but they can at least act like there is coffee in their cups.” — SifuMushi

3. Hammering the plot into your brain

“Over explain the plot. Like a recap so you are not confused. Usually accompanied by flashbacks you just saw ‘live’ minutes ago.” — Puppy-Zwolle

4. Cramming backstory in

“When they use dialogue to cram years of backstory into the first 3 minutes of the film. ‘But honey you can’t do that since your father was an ex astronaut who died on a mission and now your poor grief stricken mother has early on-set Alzheimer’s and you are struggling financially and our kids both need braces and our car is being repossessed and we now have to move to a small apartment because you lost your job at the tuna canning factory that your brother got you just before he died in 9/11.'” — OldKeziah

5. Pairing up leads

“Male lead and female lead with no chemistry end up together ‘just because.'” — BotheredCroissant

6. Cheesy SFX

“When someone in the movie is using a computer, it makes all of these cheesy ‘beep/boop/blip’ noises.” — FuzzMcBeefy84

7. Cliched cinematography

“Yellow filter when they enter Mexico.” — Necroniks

8. Interrupting

“When a character doesn’t immediately explain what happened, to stop the conflict. Just let me explain, I swear that’s not what happened. If you just let me finish, I’ll tell you! Please, just listen to SHUT UP! JUST SAY IT! I didn’t kill your [insert familial person here] I tried to save them, but I was too late.” — HappyHuntsman

9. “Can we have the room?”

“When two people want to talk privately, instead of them going into the hallway, they make the other 20 people leave the room.” — MentalHygienx

10. Splitting up

“I think everyone can agree with me that you should never split up.” — djdvelo22

11. Unrealistic ammo

“Unlimited ammunition in guns.” – AGoldenGoat

12. “Realistic” handheld cams

“Excessive shaky cam.” — M_ME_COOL_RIFFS

13. Dumb villains

“The choreographed fights where the villains always attack one at a time.” — please_PM_ur_bewbs

14. Audio whiplash

“Whispered conversations followed by LOUD NOISES.” — vurplesun

15. Forcing relationships

“In Rom coms, the two love interests are usually bad for each other. So, to make them seem less bad for each other, when they go through that period where they break up and try dating other people, the other people are the weirdest, most unlovable freaks anyone has ever laid eyes on. Men are instantly abusive, women behave like spoiled children.” — Tidus790

16. Convenient armor

“After someone gets shot in the chest, they always stand up, and triumphantly remove their jacket to reveal the bullet proof vest.” — imabadmothasucka

17. Convenient car keys

“Car keys ‘hidden’ behind sun visor.” — ImInArea52

18. Unrealistic cops

“When the FBI shows up to ‘take over’ the case and then the cops butt heads with them. This does not happen. Cops are more than happy to let someone else do their work for them.” — GunMetalGazm

19. Ominous noises

“The ‘ominous noise’ that everyone uses when something bad is about to happen. So tired.” — oldfashioned_robot

20. Not watching the road

“Have long ass conversations while driving a car and the driver takes their eyes off the road for pretty much the entire time.” — iyamwhatiyamwhatiyam

Patricia Grisafi

Patricia Grisafi, PhD, is a freelance writer and educator. Her work has appeared in Salon, Vice, Bitch, Bustle, Broadly, The Establishment, and elsewhere. She is passionate about pit bull rescue, cursed objects, and designer sunglasses.