10 Horror Movie Cliches That Need To Die

One of the most laughable cliches in paranormal horror movies is the inevitable arrival of the supposed paranormal "expert."

Typically these characters, often played by respected character actors like Vincent D'Onofrio, show up to basically explain the entire plot through a colossal, breathless exposition dump, while finally giving the terrifying supernatural presence an actual name and backstory.

This expert will generally know more about this specific entity, of which there must surely be thousands, than anyone could ever reasonably expect, ensuring these scenes are generally just a hurried way to bring the audience up to speed.

It basically shows a thinly-veiled contempt for viewers, suggesting they couldn't possibly comprehend this information were it delivered in a more subtle way.

There are a few examples of experts who actually became compelling characters in their own right - namely the Insidious' franchise's medium Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) - though for the most part these psychologists, priests, mediums, and so on are more plot delivery vehicles than living, breathing humans.

Examples: Poltergeist, Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister, Rings.