10 Movies That BRILLIANTLY Avoided Huge Cliches

Summary

This video script discusses 10 films that defy common movie clichés, offering unexpected twists and refreshing narratives. From 'Blade Runner 2049' subverting the 'chosen one' trope to 'No Country for Old Men' eschewing a final showdown, the script highlights films that challenge audience expectations. It also includes comedies like 'The Other Guys' mocking action movie clichés and 'Game Night' humorously addressing the unrealistic fragility of glass tables in fight scenes.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The script discusses how rare it is for a movie to surprise viewers after they've seen many films, due to the reliance on cliches and tropes.
• 🌟 'Blade Runner 2049' subverts expectations by revealing that the protagonist, K, is not the 'Chosen One' but can still make a significant impact through his actions.
• 🚓 In 'Collateral', the LAPD detective who seems poised to help the protagonist is unexpectedly killed, forcing the protagonist to take matters into his own hands.
• 💥 'The Other Guys' humorously critiques action movie cliches, such as characters walking away from explosions without harm, by showing realistic consequences.
• 🤔 'The Negotiator' plays with audience expectations by presenting a character who seems to be the villain but turns out to be just an impatient, aggressive cop.
• 💔 'The Last American Virgin' defies the typical romantic comedy trope by not ending with the protagonist getting the girl, leaving the audience with an unexpected downer ending.
• 👫 'Mrs. Doubtfire' breaks from the norm of divorce movies by showing the couple remaining divorced but on better terms, avoiding a cliched happy reunion.
• 🔪 'Blue Ruin' explores the reality of revenge, showing the protagonist's struggle and incompetence in carrying out his violent quest, contrasting with the typical 'competence porn' movies.
• 🏋️‍♂️ 'Game Night' humorously points out the unrealistic nature of action movie tropes, such as characters breaking glass tables during fights, by showing the tables remaining intact.
• 🦸‍♂️ In 'Watchmen', the villain's monologue is subverted by revealing that his plan has already been executed, leaving the heroes powerless to stop it.
• 🤠 'No Country for Old Men' concludes without a final showdown between the hero and the antagonist, with the antagonist escaping and the hero being killed off-screen unexpectedly.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script discussing?

The main theme of the video script is discussing 10 movies that brilliantly avoided common cliches and tropes, providing unexpected twists and subversions of expectations.

Why does the script mention 'Blade Runner 2049'?

'Blade Runner 2049' is mentioned as an example of a movie that subverts the expectation of the protagonist being a 'Chosen One' figure, by revealing that the character K is not the child of the previous protagonist and his love interest.

What unexpected event occurs in 'Collateral' that breaks the conventional hero's journey?

In 'Collateral', the unexpected event is the death of LAPD detective Fanning, who was built up to be the protagonist's ally, leaving the protagonist, Max, to save the day himself.

How does 'The Other Guys' differ from typical action movies in its portrayal of explosions?

'The Other Guys' differs by showing the realistic consequences of an explosion on the characters, with the protagonists feeling pain and injury instead of walking away unscathed as is common in many action films.

What role does David Morse play in 'The Negotiator', and how does it challenge audience expectations?

David Morse plays a hard-ass SWAT Commander in 'The Negotiator'. The role challenges audience expectations because, despite his usual portrayal of villains, he is not the secret antagonist but a misguided cop who believes in the guilt of the actual antagonist.

What makes the ending of 'The Last American Virgin' unexpected in the context of 80s sex comedies?

The unexpected ending of 'The Last American Virgin' is that the protagonist, Gary, does not end up with the girl he loves, Karen, despite being portrayed as a nice guy. Instead, Karen ends up with Rick, who had previously abandoned her.

How does 'Mrs. Doubtfire' defy the typical Hollywood ending for a movie centered around divorce?

'Mrs. Doubtfire' defies the typical Hollywood ending by showing the main characters, Miranda and Daniel, remaining divorced but on better terms, with no reconciliation, which was a conscious decision by the actors and director to send a more authentic message.

What is unique about the revenge in 'Blue Ruin' compared to traditional revenge movies?

In 'Blue Ruin', the revenge is portrayed as difficult and messy, with the protagonist suffering injuries and having to perform self-surgery, unlike traditional revenge movies where the protagonist is often portrayed as skilled and capable.

Why does 'Game Night' stand out in its depiction of action scenes involving glass tables?

'Game Night' stands out by humorously pointing out the unrealistic nature of glass tables breaking easily in action scenes, by showing characters thrown onto them without the tables breaking.

What makes the villain's monologue in 'Watchmen' different from the typical villain monologue?

The villain's monologue in 'Watchmen' is different because the villain, Ozymandias, reveals that he has already executed his plan and there is nothing the heroes can do to stop it, subverting the expectation of a last-minute hero intervention.

How does 'No Country for Old Men' conclude differently from the expected final showdown in a typical western?

'No Country for Old Men' concludes without a final showdown between the hero and the antagonist. Instead, the hero is killed off-screen, and the antagonist escapes, leaving the audience with an unexpected and unsettling ending.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 Breaking Movie Clichés: Subverting Expectations

This paragraph discusses the challenge of surprising audiences in a film industry saturated with clichés and tropes. It highlights 'Blade Runner 2049' as an example of a film that subverts expectations by not making the new protagonist, K, the 'Chosen One' as initially suspected. Instead, K learns he is not the child of the previous protagonist and his love interest, but a relatively minor character. This unexpected twist is contrasted with the typical Hollywood sequel that often relies on familiar connections between old and new characters.

05:00

🚓 Unexpected Twists: The Power of the Underdog

The second paragraph focuses on films that defy the conventional 'Cavalier gets the assist' trope. 'Collateral' is used as an example where the expected savior, Detective Fanning, is unexpectedly killed, leaving the protagonist, Max, to fend for himself. 'The Other Guys' is another film mentioned, which humorously critiques the unrealistic portrayal of explosions in movies, showing the characters in pain and needing medical attention after an explosion, contrary to the typical hero who walks away unscathed. 'The Negotiator' is also discussed, where the tough character played by David Morse is not the villain, but a cop with his own motivations.

10:02

💔 Unconventional Endings: Love, Loss, and Realism

This paragraph explores films that break from the traditional 'happily ever after' narrative. 'The Last American Virgin' is highlighted for its unexpected and somber ending where the protagonist does not win the girl, contrasting with the usual sex comedy formula. 'Mrs. Doubtfire' is also discussed, where the estranged couple does not reconcile, choosing instead to remain divorced but on better terms, a decision influenced by the real-life experiences of the lead actors. 'Blue Ruin' is another example, where the revenge plot is turned inside out, showing the protagonist's struggle and incompetence in exacting revenge, rather than the typical portrayal of a skilled and capable hero.

🤔 Subverting Action Tropes: The Unbreakable Glass Table

The fourth paragraph humorously addresses the unrealistic portrayal of fragile environments in action scenes, specifically the cliché of glass tables shattering easily. 'Game Night' is praised for its realistic depiction of characters thrown onto glass tables that refuse to break, humorously pointing out the absurdity of this common trope. The paragraph also touches on the villain monologue in 'Watchmen,' where the villain, Ozymandias, reveals his plan but has already executed it, leaving the heroes powerless to stop the inevitable, subverting the expectation of a last-minute hero intervention.

🏁 No Final Showdown: The Anti-Climax Conclusion

The final paragraph discusses films that avoid the cliché of a climactic final showdown between the hero and the villain. 'No Country for Old Men' is highlighted for its unexpected narrative structure, where the anticipated confrontation between the protagonist and the antagonist does not occur, and the story concludes with the villain escaping and the hero's surrogate retiring, leaving the audience with a sense of unease and realism that challenges traditional storytelling expectations.

Keywords

💡Subversion of Expectations

Subversion of expectations refers to a narrative technique where a story deliberately goes against what the audience anticipates, often leading to surprise or a twist. In the video's context, it's used to describe how certain films defy common tropes and cliches, such as in 'Blade Runner 2049' where the protagonist is not the 'Chosen One' as initially suspected.

💡Cliche

A cliche in storytelling is an overused theme, element, or device that has become predictable due to its frequent appearance in films or narratives. The video discusses how some movies break away from these cliches, such as the 'Chosen One' trope, to create a fresh and engaging experience for the audience.

💡Trope

A trope is a common or recurring theme, motif, or element in creative works. The video emphasizes the importance of avoiding overused tropes in movies, like the 'final showdown' in 'No Country for Old Men', to create unexpected and impactful storytelling.

💡Chosen One

The 'Chosen One' is a common narrative archetype where a character is destined or chosen to fulfill a specific role or mission, often saving the world. The video uses 'Blade Runner 2049' as an example where this expectation is subverted, making the protagonist's journey more personal and less about predetermined fate.

💡Villain Monologue

A villain monologue is a scene where the antagonist explains their evil plan to the hero, often providing crucial information. The video contrasts this with 'Watchmen', where the villain's monologue is revealed to be after the fact, and the hero is powerless to stop the plan, subverting the trope.

💡Action Cliches

Action cliches refer to the predictable and often exaggerated actions or scenarios in action films, such as characters surviving implausible situations. The video mentions 'The Other Guys' as a film that humorously addresses the unrealistic nature of explosions not harming the heroes in typical action films.

💡Buddy Cop Action Flicks

Buddy cop action flicks are a subgenre of action films that feature a duo of police officers, often with contrasting personalities, working together to solve a case. The video uses 'The Other Guys' as an example of a film that parodies and plays with the expectations of this subgenre.

💡Unreliable Protagonist

An unreliable protagonist is a character whose credibility is questionable, often due to deception or lack of knowledge. In the video, 'The Negotiator' is mentioned where the audience is led to believe a character is the villain, only to find out he is not, challenging the reliability of the protagonist's perspective.

💡Divorce Narrative

A divorce narrative in film typically revolves around the separation of a couple and the emotional journey that follows. The video discusses 'Mrs. Doubtfire' as an example of a film that breaks from the norm by not reuniting the divorced couple, providing a more realistic and less predictable conclusion.

💡Revenge Movie

A revenge movie is a genre where the plot centers on a character seeking retribution for a past wrong. The video describes 'Blue Ruin' as a film that inverts this genre by showing the protagonist's struggle and the consequences of his actions, rather than a glorified depiction of revenge.

💡Final Showdown

A final showdown is a climactic confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist in a film, often resolving the central conflict. The video uses 'No Country for Old Men' as an example of a film that defies this expectation, leaving the audience with an unexpected and thought-provoking conclusion.

Highlights

Blade Runner 2049 subverts the 'Chosen One' trope by revealing that the protagonist K is not the child of the previous protagonist and his lover.

Collateral defies expectations by having the LAPD detective, who is built up as a savior, killed off unexpectedly.

The Other Guys humorously critiques action movie clichés, especially the unrealistic portrayal of explosions' impact on heroes.

The Negotiator plays with audience expectations by presenting a seemingly villainous character who turns out to be just an impatient cop.

The Last American Virgin breaks the 'nice guy gets the girl' stereotype by having the protagonist end up heartbroken and alone.

Mrs. Doubtfire concludes with the main characters divorced but on better terms, avoiding a clichéd reunion for a more authentic ending.

Blue Ruin explores the reality of revenge, showing the protagonist's struggle and incompetence in carrying out his violent quest.

Game Night humorously points out the unrealistic nature of glass tables breaking easily in action scenes.

Watchmen's villain, Ozymandias, surprises the audience by revealing his plan has already been set in motion, with no way to stop it.

No Country for Old Men avoids a typical final showdown, leaving the audience with an unexpected and thought-provoking conclusion.

Many movies rely on clichés and tropes for a safe and fun experience, but some dare to break the mold.

A movie's ability to surprise can be challenging due to the limited number of narrative techniques.

Subverting audience expectations can lead to a refreshing and engaging cinematic experience.

Action movies often depict characters surviving implausible scenarios, which can be humorously subverted.

Some films use an actor's established persona against the audience's expectations for a surprising twist.

Comedies can effectively use and subvert romantic and sexual clichés for unexpected and impactful conclusions.

Divorce-themed movies often conclude with a reunion, but some choose to depict the reality of separation more authentically.

The portrayal of competence in films can be inverted to show the struggles of an average person in extraordinary circumstances.

Transcripts

once you've seen hundreds or even

thousands of films it can become tough

for a movie to surprise you there are

only so many things a movie can do to

skirt the ordinary and in the interest

of delivering a safely fun time which a

lot of movies prioritize these days most

films will cling to tried and tested

tropes and cliches and so it's great fun

when a rare movie dares to break the

firmly established mold a Nimble

sidestep and massively played out genre

CLE

I'm youan you're watching War culture

and here are 10 movies that brilliantly

avoided huge cliches number 10 K isn't

the chosen one Blade Runner 2049 from

fairly early on in Blade Runner 2049 it

seems like it's going to do the

incredibly boring and obvious legacy

sequel thing of making the new

protagonist replicant K played by Ryan

Gosling the child of Prior protagonist

decet played by Harrison Ford and of

course lover Rachel who was portrayed by

Sha Young And if Kay were indeed the

first child of a human and a replicant

it would basically make him an extremely

important Chosen One likee figure in the

resistance movement for replicant

freedom but in the third Act of Blade

Runner 2049 Kay learns that decard and

Rachel's child is female and more to the

point they're a relatively minor

character who only appears briefly

earlier in the story Dr Anna staline

played by Carla jury this was a

fantastic subversion of expectations

leading audiences to expect another

generic everything is connected Heroes

Journey Only to reveal that K isn't the

special one but can still make a

difference and have agency through his

own actions not merely because of who

his parents are it's super refreshing in

a Hollywood landscape dominated by

belated sequels that are somehow all

hopelessly obsessed with creating sappy

convolute familiar links between new

characters and old number nine the

Cavalry gets gunned down collateral

Michael man's brilliant Thriller

collateral seems to make it pretty clear

early on that in battled caby Max played

brilliantly by Jamie Fox is going to get

a big assist from LAPD detective Ray

Fanning played by Mark Ruffalo when it

comes to escaping from and taking down

ruthless assassin Vincent played also

brilliantly by Tom Cruz Fanning is is

shown to be a smart and resourceful cop

who figures out that Vincent's victims

are all Witnesses in a Federal grand

jury case so going by film making

convention why wouldn't he save the day

but Midway through the film when Fanning

seemingly saves Max from a chaotic

nightclub shootout Fanning is suddenly

gunned down in Cold Blood by Vincent who

swiftly forces Max back into his cab

with Max's only viable Ally now dead it

falls to him to save the day himself

which he eventually does even so given

how the film built Fanning up this was a

glorious obliteration of expectations

that only further cemented Vincent's

utter lack of regard for well anything

but the job number eight explosions hurt

a lot the other guys oh I love the other

guys and right this send up of buddy cop

action flicks which spends most of its

run time making fun of the most tired

playdown elements of that genre and

perhaps the biggest laugh of all at

least when Michael Keaton isn't on

screen because he is brilliant in this

movie comes when cop protagonist Gamble

and hits Will Farrell and Mark wilberg

respectively walk up to an accountancy

firm only for the building to suddenly

explode in their faces now typically in

these sorts of movies an explosion won't

do too much to face the heroes but in a

gut-bustingly realistic twist Gamble and

hoit are sent flying to the floor and

starts screaming and riding around in

pain gamble mentions that he's hearing a

shot and he's got blisters on his hand

from the explosion before straight up

calling out movies themselves like how

they walk away in movies without

flinching when it explodes behind them

there's no way we're so used to seeing

heroic characters just walk away from

explosions and I love that but to see

one of them rising in pain on the ground

and begging for an MRI was a Twist both

ingenious and hilarious seriously go

watch the other guys that movie is a

riot number seven Beck is a good guy The

Negotiator it's always a hoop when

movies toy with our preconceptions of an

actor and the types of roles they tend

to play and The Negotiator did that

quite wonderfully with David Moors Moos

has had an incredibly fruitful career

playing hard ass characters and card

carrying villains think 16 blocks for

example that's just the aura he carries

as an actor and it's evidently served

him well and so when he shows up as

ill-tempered SWAT Commander back in the

movie and starts clashing with hero

Chris Sabian played by Kevin spacy we're

basically conditioned to assume that

he's going to end up being the secret

villain who has framed Danny Roman

played by Samuel Jackson Beck really

seems strangely Keen to kill Roman for a

large chunk of the movie and so why

wouldn't he be the twist villain except

he isn't he's simply an impatient

ill-mannered bloodthirsty cop who

believes that Rowan is guilty which

really shouldn't have been that big as

surprise but hey ho and better yet Beck

even gets the moment of Glory at film's

end when he prevents the real antagonist

Frost played by Ron riffkin from killing

himself oh not many people saw that one

coming I bet number six the guy doesn't

get the girl the last American Virgin oh

the last American Virgin the seemingly

dead ordinary 80s boner comedy that was

absolutely positively going to end with

timid High School AG Gary played by

Lawrence mon

getting the girl of his dreams the

lovely Karen played by Diane Franklin

this is hammered home by the film's

efforts to depict Gary as a nice guy in

St comparison to Gary's sexist pal Rick

played by Steve Anon who ends up getting

Caren pregnant and then immediately

dipping out of her life Gary conversely

helps Karen pay for an abortion at Great

cost to himself and as the pair seem to

grow close she invites him to her 18th

birthday party but when he turns up in

the film's final scene he enters the

kitchen to find Karen making out with

Rick the pair having apparently made up

and emotionally destroyed Gary simply

leaves the party and drives home in

tears as the end credits roll and that's

all she wrote what a weird bummer of a

movie given that sex comedies are

basically Duty bound to leave their

hormonal audience and the kidy high this

one was a bit of a shocker number five

Daniel and Miranda they divorced this

downfire think of basically any

mainstream pre 2000s movie centered

around divorce and the overwhelming

majority of them will end with the

estranged couple getting back together

for a crowd-pleasing happy ending and

that's certainly seemed to be on the

cards for a movie as broad skewing as

Mrs downfire that Miranda played by

Sally Field and Daniel played of course

by Robin Williams would reconcile for

the sake of their suffering kids except

that's not what happens at all the film

ends with Miranda and Daniel remaining

divorced but on much better terms which

is surprisingly given what Daniel

actually did if you think about it too

much your brain will leak out of your

ears and even more surprisingly though

Miranda's new partner stew played by

Pierce brosen isn't made out to be a

villain of any kind he's a Charming

super likable guy all the way to the end

just a poor victim of driveby frings

it's since been revealed that Mrs dfire

indeed a ended with Miranda and Daniel

getting back together but Sally Field

and Robin Williams both of whom had been

divorced in real life felt that this was

a disingenuous note to end the movie on

and would send the wrong message to

Children of Divorce and so director

Chris Columbus rightly made the call to

end in a more authentic left field no

and honestly Mrs downfire is way

stronger for it number four revenge

isn't easy Blue Ruin Jeremy sonier T

Thriller Blue Ruin is basically a

featurelength exercise in taking the

Revenge movie formula and turning it

brilliantly inside out the film follows

Dwight played by mon Blair a man who

embarks on a quest to kill the man who

apparently murdered his parents two

decades earlier but there's absolutely

nothing badass about Dwight's violent

Crusade Blue Ruin considers what it

would be like if a regular person with

limited weapons experience wanted to

extract a pound of Flesh a fact best

embodied by a mid-film scene where

Dwight ends up shot in the leg with a

crossbow forcing him to perform

self-surgery except rather than the hero

tidily patching himself up as expected

Dwight's attempt to remove the crossbow

from his leg only makes things worse

causing blood to gush from the wound

promting him to groggily go to the

hospital and let the professionals do

the job instead if there's a lot of love

for competence porn movies basically

films which focus on a character who is

extremely skilled at something going

about it Blue Ruin is basically the

opposite a Savage story all about how

utterly El equip the average person is

to wreak Vengeance of any kind number

three glass tables don't break game

night it's a cliche of action films that

basically everything in the vicinity is

extremely fragile and breakable during a

fight scene because more often than not

it looks really damn cool we've all seen

dozens of movies where a carent is

thrown onto a glass table during a fight

and it just explodes

like but in reality they usually a good

deal more sturdy than that and the

terrifically entertaining 2019 action

comedy game night has great fun

illustrating this fact as on two

separate occasions characters are thrown

onto a glass table only for it to just

not break at all the second instance

even results in Kevin played by lamon

Mor hilariously quipping glass tables

are acting weird tonight well it's

totally understandable that action

movies love breaking glass tables

because frankly it just looks amazing

game night went unexpectedly out of its

way to point out just how unrealistic

this incredibly common Trope actually is

number two Aussie Mand is's villain

monologue Watchmen oh there's nothing

more frustrating than listening to a

villain prattle through a bond villain

monologue explaining what they're going

to do and how there's nothing the hero

can do to stop them of course they

almost always can and will enter

Watchman which climaxes with Adrien V

AKA oie mandas revealing that he's

orchestrated all the very bad things

that have happened throughout the movie

and his final Gambit involves detonating

a series of nuclear reactors across the

world killing 50 million people

personally I prefer the squid but I

digress more to the point he intends to

frame Dr Manhattan for it in turn

uniting the US and USSR against a common

alien entity once Vite finishes his

speech a shocked raw Shack and nidal

attempt to stop him putting his plan

into action only for him to reveal that

far from a cliche com villain he

triggered the explosions 35 minutes

earlier and there's nothing they can do

to stop them this is technically a com

book cliche so you can't really give the

movie credit but despite my misgivings

with the adaptation this was

diabolically refreshing to see on the

big screen and number one there's no

final showdown No Country for Old Men as

taught and brilliantly executed as No

Country for Old Men is on an initial

viewing it nevertheless seemed to be

headed towards an incredibly typical

final showdown between our hero luell

and Mos played by Josh broland and the

ruthless killing machine Anton shur

played brilliantly by bardam but in a

wonderfully bewildering end of second

act twist Moss is unexpectedly killed

off screen not by shagar but by a group

of Mexicans who have been following him

and it gets even better as the audience

is then led to believe that Sheriff Ed

Tom Bell played by Tommy Lee Jones will

take over from moss and be the one to

take shagura down except he just doesn't

the film instead ends with bell retiring

and effectively admitting to himself

that he hasn't got what it takes to deal

with the likes of shagar who manages to

escape into the night with all that too

the Corin Brothers slippery approach

left some casual minded audiences pretty

underwhelmed but damn if it wasn't a

trip to see a pair of filmmakers totally

upend our expectations of how a western

like this is supposed to wrap up