Shudder just released the first episode of the documentary series Horror’s Greatest, “Tropes and Clichés” and you are going to want to hit play pronto. Director Kurt Sayenga (The 101 Scariest Movie Moments of All Time) brings us another fascinating series on a subject of never-ending discussion amongst horror fans. Interviews with horror greats lend commentary to the most tired tropes and overdone clichés to the must-haves. They share their unique insights into the roots of tropes from classics and how they drove the most exciting and gore-iffic horror films of all time.
Horror’s Greatest is a deep dive into everything we love about horror — from fresh looks at classics to unearthing scores of hidden gems, this series has something for every fright film enthusiast. A gallery of ghoulish pros, including actors, directors, writers, composers, and special effects artists, draw on their unique knowledge to answer the big questions: What are the must-see films in horror’s many sub-genres? What’s the appeal of horror tropes, and how do today’s filmmakers subvert our expectations? What shape does horror take in countries outside of the United States? The answers encompass the breath of the nightmares we watch for our entertainment.
Roll call
Firstly, this episode kicks off with the most delightfully creepy stop-motion intro. What follows is a fascinating deep-dive into the tropes that make or break genre films. There are countless interviews with filmmakers, actors, scholars, historians, and the like sharing unique perspectives. Also, the runtime is just under an hour and no time is wasted. Film clip after film clip punctuate the most memorable and sometimes frustrating tropes and clichés. Furthermore, thanks to expertly edited narrative and a plethora of film highlights, each episode promises to be thoroughly engaging. I was glued to my screen, hoping I caught every moment.
From the start, I was transfixed by commentary from greats like Tom Holland, Tananarive Due, Dewayne Perkins, Joe Hill, Ted Geoghegan, Dave Schilling, and more. I knew I was in for a good time when Kate Siegel began with, “Horny teenagers must die.” There’s discussion about final girls, cabins in the woods, car trouble, creepy houses, slow walking serial killers, and gratuitous everything. Fortunately, there are so many topics to discuss. Some tropes can propel a film like Tucker and Dale vs Evil and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Others are frustrating like slow-walking Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees keeping up with running and frightened, teenagers. Personally, I am always going to love the final girls. However, doomed black characters used for quick kills or as saviors for protagonists, need to go. More importantly, I appreciate that these topics were included with serious discussion.
Films to die for
Notably, so many great films are featured. It’s basically a crash course of all your favorite horror movies. Prom Night, Halloween, Hell Night, Burnt Offerings, Sleepaway Camp, Black Christmas, Hellraiser, Scream, The Blackening, and so many more. I was elated to see the episode end with the last moments from my favorite horror film, a topic of great discussion with myself. There are two final guys! Characters making stupid decisions is the most frustrating thing to me and yet, I crave it for more exciting kills. We wouldn’t have a horror movie if everyone was smart and did the right thing. Although, maybe we don’t include films made by convicted sex offenders. Those unsavory movies can die along with tired tropes like Latinos used only for gangs, drug dealing, or cleaning jobs.
I don’t think horror fans need convincing to watch this series, but would be remiss to skip it. I played a little game of “name that movie” by ignoring the cleverly placed titles and directors in the bottom corner. Horror’s Greatest is packed with so many tropes and film clips. And I didn’t mention half of the contributing guests. Thanks to expert editing, “Tropes and Clichés” was so engrossing. I watched it twice to make sure I didn’t miss anything and added a few movies to my watchlist that I haven’t seen in a while. I could go on and on or you could just hit play. This episode is currently streaming on Shudder and will also be available to stream on AMC+ with new episodes every Tuesday. Next up, “Giant Monsters.”
