Trick or Trope: A guide to horror movie tropes

Horror is the entertainment genre that has more tropes. Everywhere you turn there’s another horror flick featuring a masked murderer, or an evil possessed doll, or a slacker about to get his block chopped off. Tropes make the horror genre tick, and this week at Polygon, we’re exploring how the biggest ones became pillars of the genre, burned out into cliches, or evolved into something brand new.

Have you noticed how human sacrifice often ends up just causing havoc and saving the day? You might also notice how many horror films feature men who are vaguely like Shaggy in Scooby-Doo.

And what’s up with all the evil mirrors out there? We did what to them!

Join us for this crazy ride called Trick or Trope. Be careful, though: One step could be the last.