Tropescilloscope: MacGuffin
An object that, while not relevant to the main narrative, is frequently pursued throughout it. (read more at tvtropes.org)
More Tropes
Spiteful Spit
Cat Fight
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Hell Is That Noise
Leitmotif
Bunny-Ears Lawyer
Running Gag
Heroes Want Redheads
Demoted to Extra
Paper-Thin Disguise
Evil Brit
Suspiciously Specific Denial
Karma Houdini
Eldritch Abomination
You Have Failed Me
Based on a True Story
The Lost Lenore
Adults Are Useless
From Nobody to Nightmare
Interrupted Suicide
Crazy Jealous Guy
Super Strength
Lighter and Softer
Rule of Cool
Evil vs. Evil
Adult Fear
All There in the Manual
Adaptational Attractiveness
Fantasy Films
You Killed My Father
Storming the Castle
Evil Is Hammy
Hypocritical Humor
Shout-Out
The Stoic
Show Within a Show
Advertised Extra
Darkest Hour
The Mole
Eiffel Tower Effect
Improbable Infant Survival
aka: Infant Immortality
Grievous Bottley Harm
Jitter Cam
Time Skip
Australian Movies
Silent Movie
Evil Plan
timeperiod
Horror Films
Sequel Hook
Blatant Lies
Faking the Dead
Artistic License Biology
Villainous Breakdown
The Dog Bites Back
Air-Vent Passageway
It's All About Me
Comically Missing the Point
Screw the Rules, I Have Money!
Idiot Ball
Playing Gertrude
Film Series
The Cameo
Unwitting Instigator of Doom
Unspoken Plan Guarantee
One-Man Army
Motor Mouth
Animal Motifs
I Need a Freaking Drink
Pragmatic Adaptation
The End... Or Is It?
Hope Spot
Sole Survivor
Well-Intentioned Extremist
Kubrick Stare
Groin Attack
Skewed Priorities
Evil Laugh
The Casanova
N-Word Privileges
Black and Gray Morality
Eureka Moment
Femme Fatale
Gender Flip
There Is No Kill Like Overkill
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping
It Will Never Catch On
Italian Films
Laser-Guided Karma
Better to Die than Be Killed
Bond Villain Stupidity
I Just Shot Marvin in the Face
Scenery Porn
Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer
Nice Hat
Instant Death Bullet
The Musical
Small Name, Big Ego
Major Injury Underreaction
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
Took a Level in Jerkass
Lock and Load Montage
In Medias Res
Plucky Comic Relief
Older Than They Look
Despair Event Horizon
The Film of the Book
Colour-Coded for Your Convenience
aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience
Not So Above It All
Badass Grandpa
Translation Convention
I Have Your Wife
Meet Cute
Stepford Smiler
Your Head A-Splode
Broken Pedestal
Immune to Bullets
How We Got Here
Unreliable Narrator
Decoy Protagonist
Humans Are Bastards
Friend to All Children
Eagleland
Cloudcuckoolander
Humiliation Conga
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
Anyone Can Die
The X of Y
Funny Background Event
Dropped a Bridge on Him
Punny Name
Dressing as the Enemy
Fun with Acronyms
Hollywood Darkness
Toilet Humour
aka: Toilet Humor
Gainax Ending
Broken Bird
Deliberately Monochrome
Not What It Looks Like
Retcon
Scary Black Man
The Dreaded
Poor Communication Kills
Bittersweet Ending
Guns Akimbo
Monumental Damage
Action Genre
Random Events Plot
Brutal Honesty
Does Not Like Shoes
Overprotective Dad
Madness Mantra
Dies Wide Open
Fire-Forged Friends
Leaning on the Fourth Wall
Pre-Mortem One-Liner
Facial Horror
20 Minutes into the Future
Only Sane Man
Historical-Domain Character
Names to Run Away from Really Fast
Killed Mid-Sentence
Retirony
Beta Couple
Dirty Cop
The Power of Love
Moment Killer
Call-Back
Informed Ability
The Brute
Eyepatch of Power
Not So Stoic
Mind Screw
Word of God
Handicapped Badass
Rewatch Bonus
Book-Ends
Fatal Family Photo
Character Development
Death of a Child
Documentary
Broken Aesop
Man on Fire
Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Jump Scare
Only One Name
Knight Templar
Failed a Spot Check
"Well Done, Son!" Guy
My God, What Have I Done?
Central Theme
Pay Evil unto Evil
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good
Asshole Victim
Kids Are Cruel
Adaptation Distillation
The Big Guy
This Is Gonna Suck
Animal Title Index
Affectionate Parody
Henpecked Husband
Babies Ever After
Rule of Funny
French Films
Protagonist Title
Not Using the "Z" Word
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown
Cat Scare
Double Entendre
Superhero
Children Are Innocent
Foreshadowing
Pimped-Out Dress
Horror Comedy
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil
Villain Ball
Destination Defenestration
Sequel Escalation
Death Seeker
All for Nothing
La Résistance
Serious Business
Sir Swears-a-Lot
Politically Incorrect Villain
Cassandra Truth
Pretty Little Headshots
A Date with Rosie Palms
Blackmail
Film Noir
The Great Depression
Pun
aka: Incredibly Lame Pun
Police are Useless
Dull Surprise
The Cavalry
Disproportionate Retribution
Bullying a Dragon
The Faceless
Mooks
Ominous Latin Chanting
Knife Nut
Anachronic Order
Historical In-Joke
Dark and Troubled Past
Cool Car
Ungrateful Bastard
Yandere
Russian Films
Homage
Canadian Movies
Disguised in Drag
Say My Name
Amoral Attorney
Intergenerational Friendship
He Knows Too Much
Suddenly SHOUTING!
Actually Pretty Funny
Gory Discretion Shot
The Ditz
Title Drop
Romantic False Lead
Thriller
Adorkable
NO INDOOR VOICE
As the Good Book Says...
Hoist by His Own Petard
Amusing Injuries
You Have Got to Be Kidding Me!
B-Movie
My Greatest Failure
Freudian Excuse
Truth in Television
Adapted Out
Annoying Younger Sibling
Artistic License Law
Four-Temperament Ensemble
Red Herring
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
Heroic BSoD
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife
Adaptational Badass
Shoot the Shaggy Dog
Author Appeal
Token Minority
Celebrity Paradox
Precision F-Strike
Only in It for the Money
Chewing the Scenery
Have a Gay Old Time
Sadistic Choice
Shut Up, Hannibal!
Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?
Genre Throwback
Manipulative Bastard
Sexy Discretion Shot
Big-Bad Ensemble
Index of Film Westerns
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
Deal with the Devil
Silence Is Golden
Heterosexual Life-Partners
What You Are in the Dark
Shipper on Deck
Plot Hole
Ass Shove
Disney Death
I Did What I Had to Do
Hair-Trigger Temper
Costume Porn
Never Trust a Trailer
Meaningful Name
Stuff Blowing Up
Sci-Fi Horror
Works Set in World War II
Cain and Abel
Took a Level in Badass
Face Death with Dignity
Woman Scorned
Camera Abuse
Fat Bastard
Narrator
Shell-Shocked Veteran
Star-Crossed Lovers
All Men Are Perverts
Straight Gay
Bolivian Army Ending
Sanity Slippage
Creator Cameo
Evil Counterpart
Psychopathic Manchild
More Dakka
Alpha Bitch
Ship Tease
Improbable Aiming Skills
Non-Indicative Name
Revenge
Guile Hero
Vomit Discretion Shot
Eye Scream
Fingore
Maybe Ever After
An Arm and a Leg
Damsel in Distress
Fanservice Extra
Hidden Depths
Even Evil Has Loved Ones
Gorn
Mistaken for Gay
Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome
Aside Glance
Let's Get Dangerous!
Anachronism Stew
Affably Evil
Mercy Kill
Belligerent Sexual Tension
HeelFace Turn
Offscreen Teleportation
Artistic License History
The Load
Wham Shot
Calling the Old Man Out
Deadpan Snarker
Distracted by the Sexy
Overly Long Gag
Badass in a Nice Suit
Vampire Fiction
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas
Didn't Think This Through
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking
Music Stories
Disney Villain Death
Green-Eyed Monster
Hate Sink
Bi the Way
Soft Glass
Rule of Symbolism
Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday
Actor Allusion
And I Must Scream
Slap-Slap-Kiss
Wicked Cultured
The Stinger
The Place
The Chessmaster
Mama Bear
Closed Circle
Naked People Are Funny
Death by Irony
Light Is Not Good
Department of Redundancy Department
Papa Wolf
Room Full of Crazy
Put on a Bus
Loads and Loads of Characters
Malevolent Masked Men
Peek-a-Boo Corpse
Large Ham
Cool Shades
Exactly What It Says on the Tin
Serial Killer
Anguished Declaration of Love
Auto Erotica
Mood Whiplash
FaceHeel Turn
Bring My Brown Pants
Refuge in Audacity
Parental Neglect
For Want of a Nail
Novelization
It's Personal
Famous Last Words
Bait-and-Switch
Big Fancy House
folderlabel
All Girls Want Bad Boys
She's Got Legs
Artistic License Geography
Posthumous Character
Once More, with Clarity!
Apocalypse How
Developing Doomed Characters
A Minor Kidroduction
Defrosting Ice Queen
Sacrificial Lion
Love at First Sight
Butt-Monkey
Setting Update
Black Comedy Rape
Drill Sergeant Nasty
Television Movie Index
Vomit Indiscretion Shot
No Name Given
Bloody Hilarious
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
An Axe to Grind
Empathic Environment
Early Installment Weirdness
Left the Background Music On
Armor-Piercing Question
Sports Stories
Funny Foreigner
Slasher Movie
Adaptational Heroism
Race Lift
Nice Guy
Fate Worse than Death
Spanner in the Works
Off-into-the-Distance Ending
Make It Look Like an Accident
Crapsack World
Neck Snap
Epic Fail
Blood from the Mouth
Big Bad
Defiant to the End
Enemy Mine
Epic Movie
Bad "Bad Acting"
Animated Credits Opening
Villain with Good Publicity
Creative Closing Credits
Only Known by Their Nickname
Foil
Mugging the Monster
Riddle for the Ages
Male Frontal Nudity
Hypocrite
Badass Boast
Extreme Doormat
The Hero
Tranquil Fury
Pre-Asskicking One-Liner
Re-Cut
The Remake
"Shaggy Dog" Story
Married to the Job
Worthy Opponent
Roger Ebert: Great Movies List
Stealth Hi/Bye
Fish out of Water
Video Credits
Mexican Standoff
Final Girl
Historical Villain Upgrade
Our Vampires Are Different
Evil Is Petty
Men Are the Expendable Gender
After the End
Imagine Spot
Award-Bait Song
Catch-Phrase
Body Horror
Taking You with Me
Twist Ending
Artistic License Physics
Agony of the Feet
The Un-Reveal
Every Car Is a Pinto
Car Fu
Slasher Smile
The '80s
Disappeared Dad
Expy
Captain Obvious
The Mafia
Villain Song
"The Reason You Suck" Speech
Becoming the Mask
Casting Gag
Half the Man He Used to Be
Big Brother Instinct
The Ghost
Easily Forgiven
Properly Paranoid
What the Hell, Hero?
Five-Man Band
Dark Is Not Evil
All Just a Dream
It Can Think
Chase Scene
Abusive Parents
Bar Brawl
Hooker with a Heart of Gold
Wham Line
Badass Bookworm
A.I. Is a Crapshoot
Spell My Name with an "S"
Coming-of-Age Story
Chekhov's Skill
In Name Only
Our Zombies Are Different
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
Insistent Terminology
Contrived Coincidence
Artistic License Gun Safety
Would Hurt a Child
Mr. Fanservice
Needs Wiki Magic Love
Not Quite Dead
Daddy's Girl
Black Best Friend
Composite Character
Too Dumb to Live
Product Placement
Reckless Gun Usage
Outrun the Fireball
Dissonant Serenity
Double-Meaning Title
Alas, Poor Villain
Arranged Marriage
Psychological Thriller
Logo Joke
Determinator
aka: The Determinator
Faux Affably Evil
Christmas Movies Index
British Films
A God Am I
The Oner
Get Out!
Scare Chord
Genre Savvy
Gratuitous English
Determinator
Badass Longcoat
Combat Pragmatist
The Un-Favourite
aka: The Un Favorite
Take That!
Pretty in Mink
Never My Fault
Break the Haughty
Scenery Gorn
Grey and Gray Morality
German Films
Dutch Angle
Vacation Films
Unusually Uninteresting Sight
Mystery and Detective Films
The Reveal
Dwindling Party
Hollywood Law
Together in Death
Drugs Are Bad
Bury Your Gays
Offscreen Moment of Awesome
Mighty Whitey
Sinister Minister
Alliterative Name
Early-Bird Cameo
O.O.C. Is Serious Business
The Bully
Military and Warfare Films
Off with His Head!
Adaptation Name Change
Big Bad Duumvirate
Deliberate Values Dissonance
Toplessness from the Back
Age Lift
World of Ham
Fiery Redhead
Hero of Another Story
Morality Pet
Beard of Evil
Throwing Your Sword Always Works
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!
The Dragon
Beauty Is Never Tarnished
Up to Eleven
Totally Radical
She Cleans Up Nicely
Even Evil Has Standards
No Celebrities Were Harmed
Accidental Murder
Punch-Clock Villain
Mr. Exposition
Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique
Dogged Nice Guy
Anti-Villain
Ragtag Bunch of Misfits
All There in the Script
Real Life
Meaningful Echo
Downer Ending
I'm a Humanitarian
Extremely Short Timespan
For the Evulz
Drives Like Crazy
Rasputinian Death
Action Girl
Would Hit a Girl
From Bad to Worse
Arc Words
Karmic Death
Reality Ensues
Ambiguously Gay
Conspicuous CG
Black Comedy
As Long as It Sounds Foreign
Manchild
Noodle Incident
Death by Adaptation
Line-of-Sight Name
Trailers Always Spoil
Depraved Bisexual
Credits Gag
Slashed Throat
Science Fiction Films
Greater-Scope Villain
Chekhov's Gun
Bond One-Liner
Evil Sounds Deep
Undying Loyalty
War Is Hell
Retired Badass
Redshirt Army
Police Brutality
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?
Artistic License Military
Stock Footage
Action Prologue
"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue
Cool Old Guy
Pet the Dog
Attempted Rape
Everyone Has Standards
Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism
Last-Name Basis
MayDecember Romance
Chiaroscuro
Obviously Evil
Honor Before Reason
Not Even Bothering with the Accent
Match Cut
Wounded Gazelle Gambit
Genre Shift
Getting Crap Past the Radar
'80s Hair
Meaningful Background Event
Adaptation Dye-Job
Breaking the Fourth Wall
Cool Guns
The Voiceless
Missing Mom
The Bad Guy Wins
The '90s
Dual Wielding
Freeze-Frame Bonus
Abhorrent Admirer
Due to the Dead
Adaptational Villainy
Brick Joke
Sassy Black Woman
Suspiciously Similar Substitute
Frame-Up
Ghost Fiction
Really Gets Around
Race Against the Clock
Intrepid Reporter
Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene
Dramatic Gun Cock
Does This Remind You of Anything?
Love Triangle
Gold Digger
The Smart Guy
Only a Flesh Wound
Beware the Nice Ones
Corrupt Corporate Executive
And the Adventure Continues
Bald of Evil
Betty and Veronica
Establishing Character Moment
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!
Berserk Button
The Sociopath
Taking the Bullet
Irony
A Father to His Men
Fainting
Training Montage
Soundtrack Dissonance
Unusual Euphemism
And Starring
Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other
Shown Their Work
Visual Pun
Film Noir Index
Flipping the Bird
Danny Peary Cult Movies List
The '70s
Bloodless Carnage
Japanese Films
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!
Here We Go Again!
The Hero Dies
Historical Hero Upgrade
Roaring Rampage of Revenge
Villain Opening Scene
Bound and Gagged
Rousing Speech
Wrong Genre Savvy
Important Haircut
Fan Disservice
Ripped from the Headlines
Leave the Camera Running
Fantastic Racism
Cowboy Cop
Jerkass
Be Careful What You Wish For
Parental Abandonment
Death Glare
Foregone Conclusion
The Quiet One
Awesome, but Impractical
Happily Married
Deconstruction
Creepy Child
Dramedy
Take a Third Option
Vitriolic Best Buds
Evil-Detecting Dog
Your Cheating Heart
Not So Different
Red Oni, Blue Oni
Loophole Abuse
Screw the Money, I Have Rules!
Fake Shemp
Tempting Fate
Rape as Drama
Drowning My Sorrows
Cold-Blooded Torture
Psycho for Hire
The Vamp
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice
What Happened to the Mouse?
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy
Fatal Flaw
Ironic Echo
The Chick
Brainless Beauty
The Atoner
Shower Scene
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds
Corpsing
Rule of Three
Big Applesauce
Stalker with a Crush
Good Is Not Nice
Those Two Guys
Same Language Dub
Camp Gay
Kill 'em All
Insult Backfire
Red Shirt
Ambiguous Disorder
Red Eyes, Take Warning
Tagline
Death by Sex
Recycled IN SPACE!
Bilingual Bonus
Blood Knight
Spared by the Adaptation
Stylistic Suck
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
Demonic Possession
As You Know
Mad Scientist
Tap on the Head
Anti-Hero
No-Sell
Kick the Dog
Public Domain Feature Films
No OSHA Compliance
Mundane Made Awesome
MacGuffin
Never Trust a Trailer
aka: Trailers Always Lie
Authority Equals Asskicking
The '60s
In the Back
Dumb Blonde
Recap /
RiffTrax
aka: Riff Trax Movies
Insane Troll Logic
Real Life Writes the Plot
Reality Is Unrealistic
Expository Hairstyle Change
Bland-Name Product
Blonde, Brunette, Redhead
Badass Normal
Oh, Crap!
The Alleged Car
Aluminum Christmas Trees
Deus ex Machina
Crazy-Prepared
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
Bare Your Midriff
Cluster F-Bomb
Made of Explodium
Wretched Hive
Fourth Date Marriage
As Himself
Kill It with Fire
Naïve Newcomer
Nothing Is Scarier
BFG
Fanservice
Heroic Sacrifice
Those Wacky Nazis
Heel Realization
Driven to Suicide
Bowdlerise
Earn Your Happy Ending
Curse Cut Short
Ms. Fanservice
Redemption Equals Death
Bottomless Magazines
One-Word Title
Lampshade Hanging
Dark Action Girl
Daylight Horror
Ambiguous Ending
Market-Based Title
Obstructive Bureaucrat
Kick the Son of a Bitch
The Starscream
Arch-Enemy
Romantic Comedy
Big Damn Heroes
Author Avatar
Zombie Stories
Dramatic Irony
Pragmatic Villainy
Male Gaze
The Stoner
Red Right Hand
One Steve Limit
Big "NO!"
Obfuscating Stupidity
Flashback
The Ace
Parental Substitute
Boom, Headshot!
Martial Arts Movie
Improbable Weapon User
Rated M for Manly
Pyrrhic Victory
Reasonable Authority Figure
My Beloved Smother
Back from the Dead
Diabolus ex Machina
Made of Iron
BrotherSister Incest
The '50s
"Awesome McCool" Name
Ascended Extra
The Lancer
Punctuated! For! Emphasis!
The Smurfette Principle
Continuity Nod
Cool Old Lady
Call-Forward
Hero Antagonist
Jerkass Has a Point
Neck Lift
Crucified Hero Shot
Adaptation Expansion
Manly Tears
Jerk Jock
Shirtless Scene
Darker and Edgier
Framing Device
No Antagonist
Gilligan Cut
Bavarian Fire Drill
Cruel and Unusual Death
Did Not Get the Girl
Curb-Stomp Battle
Very Loosely Based on a True Story
Dirty Coward
Big Eater
Woman in White
Hong Kong Films
Improvised Weapon
Canon Foreigner
Batman Gambit
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
Mythology Gag
Smug Snake
Covers Always Lie
Dark Reprise
Almost Kiss
Self-Deprecation
Dying Moment of Awesome
Black Dude Dies First
Smoking Is Cool
Sealed Evil in a Can
Catapult Nightmare
Whole Plot Reference
Never Found the Body
The Alcoholic
Action Survivor
Stealth Pun
Unresolved Sexual Tension
Domestic Abuse
Gone Horribly Right
Card-Carrying Villain
Captain Ersatz
Villain Protagonist
Parental Incest
Implacable Man
Antagonist Title
Dirty Old Man
An Aesop
Girl-on-Girl Is Hot
Rich Bitch
Those Two Bad Guys
Exact Words
True Companions
Laughing Mad
Spiritual Successor
No Ending
Ax-Crazy
Victoria's Secret Compartment
Bad Boss
Accidental Misnaming
Country Matters
Bloodier and Gorier
He Who Fights Monsters
Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy
Break the Cutie
Chekhov's Gunman
Biopic
Reality Has No Subtitles