Horror movies have rules.
You hear a strange noise downstairs? Investigate it.
The killer disappears after being shot 47 times? Run anyway.
Your creepy new house comes with a basement that looks like it was designed by Satan's interior decorator? Congratulations! You are now a homeowner.
Yes, horror movies are filled with tropes. And while some people complain about them, horror fans know the truth: a good trope is comfort food for the soul.
So grab your flashlight, ignore every sensible survival instinct you possess, and let's celebrate some of the greatest horror tropes ever created.
1. "Let's Split Up!"
Few sentences in horror history are more powerful than:
"We should split up."
Congratulations. You have just increased everyone's chances of death by approximately 900%.
There are six people in the house. The killer is somewhere nearby. The lights are out. Nobody knows where anyone else is.
Obviously, the logical solution is to divide yourselves into six delicious little appetizers.
Even better is when someone says:
"You check upstairs. I'll check the basement."
NO.
The basement is where plot development goes to die.
