20 Things Horror Movies NEED To Stop Doing
9. The Gaslit Protagonist
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of horror films released over the years where the protagonist is being tormented by a devious force, such as a demon, which acts in sneaky enough fashion that the protagonist's friends and family don't even believe them.
Instead, the character's fears will be dismissed as mental illness or some other affliction.
This is an incredibly yawn-worthy trope that feels especially tired because it's usually an imperiled woman being disbelieved by her male significant other.
Though The Invisible Man actually worked this into its wider post-#MeToo narrative in a clever way, that's more of an exception that proves the rule.
Most of the time it comes off as a lazy attempt to amplify the protagonist's isolated predicament and prevent their loved ones from rallying behind them.
As such, it's genuinely refreshing when a horror film dispenses with such chicanery and has a supporting character quickly witness the horror alongside our protagonist - but we don't see it nearly enough.