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