20 Modern movie tropes that need to stop

Overview

The Despot of Antrim delivers a sprawling, profane rant about modern movie and TV clichés. Through clips, mock scenes, memes, and exchanges with the recurring off-screen sidekick “Mr. Reflection,” he argues that Hollywood often relies on familiar shortcuts rather than developing engaging characters, dramatic scenes, and distinctive visual styles.

Film and TV Clichés

The opening targets include:

• “Yap-yap” dialogue: Characters narrate actions that could speak for themselves. The host imitates the nonstop commentary in Resident Evil and contrasts it with films that make room for quiet moments.
• CGI overload: He argues that heavy use of visual effects can make even polished scenes feel weightless.
• Characters reading texts on their phones: He objects to scenes that use tiny on-screen messages to deliver exposition.
• Needle drops: Familiar songs, he argues, are often used to make a scene feel cool or emotional without doing the work of character or storytelling. He acknowledges exceptions, including Trainspotting and Batman (1989).
• “Song trailerization”: He mocks dramatic cover versions of familiar songs in trailers, particularly the use of “Creep” in the Social Network trailer, and argues that trailers should use original music.
• Marvel-style quips: He criticizes jokes that puncture serious scenes.
• Cinematic universes and cross-platform storylines: He objects to franchises that spread their stories across multiple films and other media.
• Overused color filters: He criticizes washed-out or overly dark images, citing Harry Potter, The Little Mermaid, and the “Battle of Winterfell” in Game of Thrones as examples of visuals he finds muddy or difficult to see.

Writing and Character Tropes

The essay’s second half focuses on writing and character conventions. The host argues that some films prioritize themes over plot and drama, contrasting the slow routine of Perfect Days with the more overtly entertaining opening of GoldenEye.

He also takes aim at trauma-centered horror, repetitive therapy scenes, and villains whom scripts present as “morally gray” despite their actions. Other targets include:

• “Rising phoenix” scenes: A defeated hero suddenly returns with a burst of power.
• Disney’s awkward-but-adorable lead: A character type he sees as recurring across Disney films.
• Merchandise-first characters
• Teenage female science geniuses
• The absence of romance in many recent franchises
• “Phil Moneyberg”: A parody of the familiar biopic character who doubts the protagonist’s unconventional idea, only to be proven wrong.

The rundown culminates in what the host calls the humiliation of legacy male heroes, with examples including Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, the Terminator, and Michael Myers.

Representation and Casting

Some of the video’s most politically charged sections criticize what the host sees as excessive identity-focused casting and storytelling, including LGBTQ representation, race-swapping, and female action heroes he labels “girl bosses.” He argues that these choices can feel imposed rather than earned by the story, and contrasts them with characters such as Rita Vrataski from Edge of Tomorrow.

These passages are delivered in the video’s combative style and include personal attacks and sweeping generalizations.

Comic Segments and Ending

The video repeatedly breaks into comic bits, including exaggerated action-scene narration, fake song choices, a parody of GoldenEye recast with modern clichés, and a mock analysis of Jason X that turns a straightforward slasher scene into an absurdly serious metaphor.

After announcing that the trope rundown is complete, the host abruptly adds one more target: the “girl boss.” A Mortal Kombat interruption follows, and the video ends with Michael Myers getting a mock chance to answer back with a fatality.

Personalities Featured

• The Despot of Antrim: The narrator.
• Mr. Reflection: A recurring off-screen character and voice.

The video also features clips with various film and TV characters and performers.