10 Movie Cliches That Need To Die

10. Characters Who Say "I'll Tell You Later" Are Doomed To Die

Hot Fuzz
Universal

Some cliches aren't inherently bad, it's just that once you pick up on them you can't help but notice every time they're used. In that way it's almost better to live in ignorance, so sorry if this entry ruins your life before the list has even properly kicked off.

The general idea with this storytelling trope is that, if a character in a thriller or drama has uncovered some vital information that could help our hero in their quest, and they don't tell them on the spot, they're pretty much signing their own death sentence. If they say something along the lines of "we can't talk here, meet me behind the Murder Cult church at midnight under the light of a full moon", then they're absolutely dying before this meeting can take place.

It's especially prevalent in crime movies, to the point where Hot Fuzz parodied it by crushing the victim's head (who's literally called Tim Messenger) via a falling church steeple. Nasty way to go.

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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.