10 Exact Moments We Knew Movie Characters Were Doomed To Die

5. Tim Messenger Has A Message To Send - Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz
Universal

Hot Fuzz (and most of Edgar Wright's movies) expertly play with established film tropes, either explicitly or implicitly. While you probably caught most of them over the course of the director's second film, a subtler example concerns Tim Messenger, the typo-prone journalist (can relate) who uncovers vital information that would help Nicholas Angel get to the bottom of Sandford's mysterious deaths.

Instead of telling the copper in the open though, the journo arranges to meet Angel under the spire of a nearby church at a certain time. It's at this point Tim is doomed to die.

Edgar Wright actually pokes fun at this character on the DVD commentary track. Here, he explains the tope outright, saying that because old Tim decided not to tell Angel right there on the spot, there was no way he was ever going to get another chance.

That's just how movies roll.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.