If you want to write a horror screenplay for the Killer Shorts Contest that will stand out, there are many different horror tropes that you should try to avoid. We all know the clichés of the horror film, but when we actually sit down to write, it can be hard to steer away from them. Falling into these tropes can be comfortable. Because it’s what we know. They’re so commonly used that they’re sort of like second nature. A lot of these tropes began with the horror classics that we all know and love but they have since become overused and cliché.
The following are some basic horror tropes that you should try to avoid. That being said, if you happen to be writing a horror comedy, then some of these tropes can be used as a joke, but only if done right.
The Dead Cell Phone
This certainly didn’t use to be a problem in older horror films, but since cell phones have made life easier, there needs to be an excuse as to why the character can’t just take the “easy way out” of calling the police for help. And a lot of horror films go with the excuse of a dead phone or no service. Let’s face it, most of us usually make sure our phones are charged and a lot of us have portable chargers nowadays, so it’s just not that believable anymore. These excuses have been used time and time again, so if you want to eliminate the option of calling someone for your character, try to find another way around it. Get creative and make it your own.
Characters Splitting Up
Unless they have a really good reason to split up, I think most of us can agree that if we were in a real-life horror situation with a group of people, we would do everything in our power to stay together. Splitting up never ends well and you lose the power in numbers. If characters get split up unintentionally, that’s a different story. But if the characters make a conscious decision to split up the group, then it’s just not believable and your characters look dumb. Which brings us to the next trope.
Really Dumb Characters
Again, if you use this trope in a horror comedy, it can be funny if done well. But in anything serious, it can take us out of the screenplay or the film. If your character is just making dumb decision after dumb decision, we’re not going to like them, feel for them, sympathize with them, or maybe even root for them. There needs to be a specific reason as to why your character is making a bad decision. Otherwise, the character is just going to feel one-dimensional and their actions will start to become annoying and the audience will lose interest.
Found Footage
When found footage films first came out, they were new, fresh, and interesting. It was something we hadn’t seen before. But now it has become overused and redundant. A lot of films with found footage all feel the same. And we all know the outcome from the beginning. All the characters are either gonna die or go missing, and the found footage will tell their story etc. etc. It can get boring and the shaky camera can sometimes be nauseating. If you’re going to use found footage, use it in a way that’s new and exciting. Write a different take on it. Make it yours.
The Invincible Bad Guy
This works with characters like Michael Myers and Jason, but that’s because they’re classics. We love to see those characters in action and it’s just fun to see them on screen. But for new films or characters, this trope can get tiring. The bad guy kills and kills. A group of people try to fight him off. The last ones standing succeed. Yay, the bad guy is dead! Just kidding, he’s standing up again. This trope makes the story predictable and it won’t be fun anymore after the bad guy gets up after the tenth time.
Calling on Evil Spirits
Whether it’s through a Ouija Board or some kind of ritual, calling on evil spirits has been done too many times. We all know how that movie ends and there’s not much you can do with this kind of story, unless you get really creative and steer away from the obvious. There’s only so many times that a group of people can be terrorized by evil spirts before it becomes boring and predictable.
Moving Into a Haunted House
Once again, we know how this story is going to play out. The opening shots will be of a family or single character moving into their new house. It’ll look old and boxes will be all over the place, etc. etc. Later that night they find out the house is haunted and they can’t escape, whatever it may be. The point is, it’s been done and moving into a house that we know is going to end up being haunted just isn’t interesting anymore.
Spooky Kids
Although this can be pretty effective in scaring the audience and generally creeping you out, spooky kids have been used in horror films for ages. The kid is either possessed themselves, or the kid is the only one that sees “his friend” in the house, or the kid draws something that he sees, etc. A lot of horror films have used this trope well, but it can get tiring and ineffective if you’re using it just for the sake of putting a scary kid in your script.
Of course, all of these tropes come with exceptions. No one can tell you NOT to use these whatsoever. If you really want to use them, you need to be sure to make them your own. Put your own spin on them, make them unique to you. Give the audience the same thing but make it different. Don’t just blindly do what other horror films have done well because that’s where you will fall short. But the one thing that will guarantee a unique script, is to try to avoid these tropes and come up with something new.
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