10 Annoying Movie Tropes That Can Ruin A Horror Movie

There’s a lot to be said about the fight-or-flight response in human psychology. It’s an instinct that inevitably kicks in when confronted with danger: do we gear up for battle? Run to live another day? Or freeze like a deer in headlights? All are natural reactions, depending on what our personalities tell us to do to survive, but in horror movies, it better not be the last option, or the audience will be ready to scream for a character's demise.

This usually occurs when there are two characters the plot needs to pick off. They’re jogging through an isolated area, the villain leaps out and takes down one of them, and instead of the second person seizing the moment to fight back - or, you know, run - they stand frozen, practically wetting themselves, for what feels like an eternity. This gives the assailant enough time to finish their business and then turn their attention to victim number two, who gasps, as if they couldn’t see it coming.

It’s enough to make you switch the TV off. It’s as goofy as a gang of bad guys in a kung-fu movie lining up to get kicked in the head one by one, instead of just overpowering the hero.

Alien gets a pass again, though. Lambert’s frozen reaction as the creature makes quick work of Parker feels like a legitimate character trait. Plus, the horrifying payoff - her death gasps echoing over the ship’s audio - is one of the most chilling moments in the film.