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