One of the things I hate is (usually amateur stuff on YouTube) in which the person is getting overly scared even when it makes no sense.
Like they'll over act and start hyperventilating at a leaf and saying shit like "Oh my god what is that?!?!?! WHAT IS THAT?!?!" at like...a thud in the distance.
YouTube and Ghost Hunting shows seem to be the worst offender.
Another trope I hate is a horror game one but it's somewhat related; I hate it when the game tells you when to be scared by having a "sanity" effect or by the player character gasp or scream or whatever. Worst is if they have some kind of heartbeat sound effect that plays when you're supposed to be spooked.
But yeah, if a character starts saying shit like "WhAt ThE FuCk WaS ThAt?!" then I just get more annoyed than scared.
Sorry I don't follow the horror genre too closely. But it seems like, for many of their films, they hire really young actresses who have never had a major role (which honestly is fine by itself). And then revel in the stress of said really young women.
Maybe somebody who follows this more closely can correct me.
Pick me up I'm scared has a good 4 part series on the politics of horror. Originally horror and sexuality went hand in hand, espeically the 70s-80s slasher era. So young scared (likely white) women is "tradition".
you could argue that young women are disproportionately victimized in horror films because young women are disproportionately victimized in real life. horror is a reflection of the real darkness present in our society
that being said it often does cross the line into trashy exploitation. most filmmakers are men, and many of them are creeps who just get off on watching women get terrorized. I hate movies that seem to identify more with the villain than they do with the victims
but it's important to note that horror is also genre with many strong female leads. it's the rare genre where the protagonist is usually a woman, and typically that woman is the one who survives at the end (the "final girl" trope).
one of my favorite examples is A Nightmare on Elm Street. Nancy isn't just a victim, she's a survivor. she's strong-willed and determined to fight back even as everyone in her life fails her. as an audience we can identify with Nancy and actively want to root for her.
No it's a recurring theme in horror to the point there's horror movies deliberately dunking on the trope. Off the top of my head:
(Although Hereditary is more about avoiding it by having the protagonist be a middle aged woman). There's also the Weinstein shit, too. Hire young actresses, then tell them to get naked or they're fired. But of course we have a Madonna-whore complex, so usually those young actresses can only get smut roles as long as they're young and attractive, which further reduces their ability to get serious roles. A lot of experienced actresses have talked about the problem, especially during Me Too (before then as well, just not taken seriously).
IIRC this is the case with the original Hellraiser as well.
just want to mention that this trope allows someone (usu. het men) of any age or suitability to imagine gaining sexual access to the heroine via saving her from the threat