10 Most Enjoyable Movie Tropes And Cliches (2024)

Cinema has made good use of a slew of tropes and clichés throughout its existence. While many can come to associate these recurring ideas and themes with repetition or lazy storytelling, the reality is they're an integral part of some genres, and remain hugely popular. It typically comes down to execution, and genres like horror have clichés and tropes that are a fixture of their stories and expected by the audience.

Good use of compelling themes, popular tropes, and useful clichés can give audiences exactly what they want, even if it does make for predictable stories. After all, it's very often the journey the characters take that gets viewers to fall in love with them, not whether they will prevail. The twists and turns of these journeys are what make them interesting, and everything from character motivations to phrases can enrich a story.

10 Revenge Is A Compelling Motivator

Whether it's high schoolers taking on their rivals or ancient warriors bringing justice to tyrants, revenge has driven some of cinema's most entertaining and engaging character motivations. John Wick stands as one of the most recent blockbuster revenge successes, following a former assassin tearing his way through the Russian mob to kill a man who killed his dog.

Revenge is a well-known and relatable motive for heroes -- and villains -- as it can often speak to a sense of justice, with characters setting out to bring pain to those who wronged them. Though it works especially well in action films, other genres have made great use of it, notably westerns, like True Grit, and dramas, like The Count of Monte Cristo.

9 "I'll Be Right Back" Is A Staple Of Horror

Few genres have as clearly defined a set of tropes as horror, with such films having very identifiable formulas, so much so that audiences can almost always accurately predict who will and won't survive the horror. One of the best ways to know when death is right around the corner, sometimes literally, is the phrase "I'll be right back."

When a character says "I'll be right back," it's almost always a guarantee that they're the next to die, with some of these deaths actually occurring off-screen to play into the terrifying mystery. Though it is a cliché, it's one of the few that inspires cheers from horror buffs, rather than groans.

8 Good Versus Evil Is A Tried And True Trope

In recent years, cinema has explored a more nuanced view of morality, one that leans into the shades of grey and complexities behind character motivations. However, the tried and true dynamic of classic good versus evil will always be the best way to reel in a large audience. Whether it's the cackling Emperor from Star Wars, the Great Eye of Sauron, or Baron Harkonnen from Dune, audiences love to see a truly evil villain get their comeuppance.

The triumph of good over evil may not leave much room for complexity, but it gives audiences clearly defined sides to root for or against. The Lord of the Rings is perhaps cinema's greatest good versus evil story, something emphasized by Tolkien himself, and that dynamic allowed for some of the film industry's most heroic, valiant figures, namely Aragorn.

7 Young Heroes Can Always Benefit From A Wise Old Man

Many films will follow a character on a classic hero's journey and will begin with them as a young, inexperienced protagonist still in need of training and wisdom. Often, these characters are assisted by wise elderly men, with one of the most famous examples being Obi-Wan Kenobi helping Luke, later to be succeeded by Yoda as the Jedi's teacher.

Wise protagonists who advise heroes along their journey often endear themselves to audiences as particularly likable figures, likely due to how they take on a gentle, grandfatherly role. Other great examples include Gandalf, Professor X, and Alfred Pennyworth, all characters defined more by their wisdom and intelligence than their ability to fight.

6 Some Heroes Are Conveniently Former Military

Many movies will introduce heroes either as solo characters or parts of a team and will reveal a military background that makes them essential to the plot. One of the best-known examples of this is that of Korben Dallas in The Fifth Element, a cabbie whose military past comes in handy protecting Leeloo.

Recently, Jason Statham's role in The Beekeeper made great use of the trope of heroes being secretly former military members. Audiences can typically see these twists coming a mile away, especially when heroes are written as the quiet, reserved type, hinting at a violent past they're trying to forget. The trope has become somewhat repetitious and predictable, but it still makes for some great 'coming out of retirement' stories.

5 The Passing Of The Torch Is A Cinematic Rite Of Passage

Many films have, for decades, attempted to tell the story of one generation of heroes passing the torch on to the next. This is one of cinema's most hit-or-miss tropes, as some efforts can underwhelm audiences with a subpar replacement, while others build up and establish a worthy successor. This was put to great use in The Mask of Zorro, where the original hero trained up a young thief to be worthy of the mask and symbolism of the name of Zorro.

The passing of the torch from one hero to another can take the form of a generational change, with seasoned heroes training up a younger protagonist to continue the franchise with or without them. Cinema's most successful version of this can be found in Top Gun: Maverick. While the film doesn't see a mantle or title get passed down, the general theme is Maverick preparing a new generation of pilots to be as good as him. The sequence that follows Rooster taking on his father's old navigation role for Mav is a great example of this.

4 The One-Man Army Trope Is The King Of Action Cinema

Action movies cover a lot of ground, from buddy cop stories to big ensemble team-up films. However, since the ringing success of Die Hard, the one-man army trope has been the king of the genre, as shown through the success of films like John Wick, Nobody, and Sisu.

The one-man army trope was prominent throughout the Western genre, especially in the 1950s and '60s, with characters like the Man With No Name and Shane representing the rugged individual archetype. In modern action, audiences love little more than a tough guy saving the day from a band of heavily armed bad guys.

3 A Well-Executed "Chosen One" Makes For Great Character Arcs

Some of the biggest movie franchises have touched on the idea of "chosen one" figures, whether ordained by prophecy or birthright, who must fulfill a quest or vanquish a great evil. These characters often take on the role of a noble warrior, one who must prove himself worthy of powers, literal or metaphorical, entrusted to him as the "chosen one."

Some of cinema's greatest heroes, such as Luke and Anakin Skywalker, Harry Potter, Aragorn, and Neo fit the mold of the chosen archetype. These characters follow similar journeys from humble beginnings, reluctant to fulfill their destinies, but who eventually gain the wisdom and experience to earn it.

2 MacGuffins Send Heroes On Grand Adventures

In the film, a "MacGuffin" refers to an object that drives the plot forward, typically one of great value that characters pursue as the main thrust of the story. The best-known use of the MacGuffin is found in the Indiana Jones franchise, where these items force Jones into adventure, typically seeing the hero race against time to recover an artifact from Nazis.

The idea of a MacGuffin was popularized by Alfred Hitchco*ck, who frequently used them as the catalyst for some of his best stories. Anything can take on the form of a MacGuffin, whether that's a mysterious briefcase with shiny contents or even a missing person.

1 Surrogate Father Figures Have Defined Heroism In The Modern Age

The last decade has been replete with films that, rather than focusing on a lone hero or team, instead fixated on a protector figure taking a child under their wing. This has been as true on TV as in film, with some blockbuster projects like The Mandalorian, The Last of Us, and Logan following this formula. These films will often see the hero initially reluctant to take on the responsibility of a child, but throughout their journey, they form an unbreakable attachment.

Seeing a hero leave behind his solitary lifestyle to take on the role of a guardian for a child -- often one being hunted -- goes back to classic Westerns. It's no coincidence that many of the best modern movies that adapt this trope are themselves neo-western, and build up some great moments of personal growth. This trope speaks to a feeling shared by many viewers when it comes to their parental instincts and the universal recognition that children need a protector. For a hero, there's no higher calling than the protection of an innocent, helpless child.