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