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Red Lights

260 statements
50 feature instances
5 referencing feature instances

Red Lights	type	TVTItem
Red Lights	label	Red Lights
Red Lights	page	RedLights
Red Lights	comment	Red Lights is a 2012 Spanish-American horror-mystery film written and directed by Rodrigo Cortés (Buried) and starring Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Toby Jones, Elizabeth Olsen and Joely Richardson.The two main characters are Dr. Margaret Matheson (Weaver), a middle-aged "professional skeptic" whose academic work concentrates on debunking the alleged cases of paranormal phenomena, and her assistant, brilliant physicist Dr. Tom Buckley (Murphy). They work as a team, running classes about scientific explanations of the paranormal and occasionally answering the calls of persons who have problems with what they think belongs to the area of parapsychology. One day a particularly impressive Monster of the Week, the famous blind psychic Simon Silver (De Niro), comes onto the stage. Buckley is determined to investigate him and find out the secret behind his performances, but Matheson, whose attempt to debunk Silver's alleged powers a long time ago ended in failure, is not willing to face him again, warning Buckley to stay away, that he's dangerous. Of course, Tom starts the investigation - and, from the very beginning, strange things (like being hit with a glass shard mysteriously detached from the ceiling in the middle of the phone conversations with unidentified interlocutors) begin to happen around him and Margaret. As usual, the truth is out there.
Red Lights	fetched	2023-06-13T06:58:01Z
Red Lights	parsed	2023-06-13T06:58:01Z
Red Lights	processingComment	Dropped link to Poltergeist: Not a Feature - ITEM
Red Lights	processingComment	Dropped link to TheXFiles: Not a Feature - ITEM
Red Lights	isPartOf	DBTropes
Red Lights / int_1237828f	type	Anyone Can Die
Red Lights / int_1237828f	comment	Anyone Can Die: Matheson dies about halfway into the film.
Red Lights / int_1237828f	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_1237828f	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_1237828f
Red Lights / int_18d15922	type	Title Drop
Red Lights / int_18d15922	comment	Title Drop: Matheson uses red lights as one example of things you look for that are "off" when investigating an alleged paranormal phenomena (i.e. signs of fraud).
Red Lights / int_18d15922	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_18d15922	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_18d15922
Red Lights / int_234bd900	type	For Science!
Red Lights / int_234bd900	comment	For Science!: Apparently the motivation of Silver and Shackleton though since Silver turns out to be a fake, it's likely just to further his career.
Red Lights / int_234bd900	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_234bd900	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_234bd900
Red Lights / int_2b4987bf	type	HugeGirlTinyGuy
Red Lights / int_2b4987bf	comment	Huge Girl, Tiny Guy: Margaret is about a head taller than Tom, often emphasized by her wearing heels.
Red Lights / int_2b4987bf	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_2b4987bf	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_2b4987bf
Red Lights / int_2e13acd1	type	Occam's Razor
Red Lights / int_2e13acd1	comment	Occam's Razor: Mentioned by Matheson — she believes that alleged paranormal phenomena have mundane, natural explanations.
Red Lights / int_2e13acd1	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_2e13acd1	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_2e13acd1
Red Lights / int_2f329e3c	type	Tomato in the Mirror
Red Lights / int_2f329e3c	comment	Tomato in the Mirror: Depending on your interpretation of Buckley. Either he knew long before the plot and joined Matheson to try and discover others like himself, or during the course of his work in trying to expose Silver he discovered that the phenomena occurring to him were his powers manifesting, not Silver's. It's not clear if he's sure himself which is the case.
Red Lights / int_2f329e3c	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_2f329e3c	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_2f329e3c
Red Lights / int_3322dd48	type	Hollywood Law
Red Lights / int_3322dd48	comment	Hollywood Law: It's quite unlikely Leonardo would get arrested when his act is exposed as fake, let alone imprisoned. The scene is obviously based on the debunking of faith healer Peter Popoff by James Randi (see Shout-Out below), and not only was Popoff not prosecuted, his followers were outraged with Randi for exposing him (Popoff is still going strong to this day). In the same way, if the people hoodwinked were unwilling to press charges (very likely) he obviously wouldn't go to jail. These cases are notoriously hard to prosecute in Real Life, though Randi offers to testify for the prosecution if they do, and has done so before.
Red Lights / int_3322dd48	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_3322dd48	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_3322dd48
Red Lights / int_46dfd21d	type	Fake Faith Healer
Red Lights / int_46dfd21d	comment	Fake Faith Healer: A fake faith healer named Leonardo is debunked in a scene which closely follows the real-life debunking of faith healer Peter Popoff by stage magician and skeptic James Randi.
Red Lights / int_46dfd21d	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_46dfd21d	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_46dfd21d
Red Lights / int_4918b32a	type	Scully Syndrome
Red Lights / int_4918b32a	comment	Scully Syndrome: Buckley, though it is a very non-typical example, as it is more about himself and not external phenomena.
Red Lights / int_4918b32a	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_4918b32a	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_4918b32a
Red Lights / int_4e7c4536	type	Wham Line
Red Lights / int_4e7c4536	comment	Wham Line: Two, in rapid succession.
Red Lights / int_4e7c4536	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_4e7c4536	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_4e7c4536
Red Lights / int_4e7f703c	type	Wham Shot
Red Lights / int_4e7f703c	comment	Wham Shot: Tom opening the non-electric doors with his mind.
Red Lights / int_4e7f703c	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_4e7f703c	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_4e7f703c
Red Lights / int_53de87e5	type	Willing Channeler
Red Lights / int_53de87e5	comment	Willing Channeler: The (alleged) medium at the beginning of the film.
Red Lights / int_53de87e5	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_53de87e5	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_53de87e5
Red Lights / int_5c219298	type	Phony Psychic
Red Lights / int_5c219298	comment	Phony Psychic: Margaret and Tom work on exposing these, so much of the film's plot involves whether or not Silver is also one, or if he's the genuine article. He's a phony, but Buckley's real.
Red Lights / int_5c219298	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_5c219298	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_5c219298
Red Lights / int_63b02752	type	Hair-Trigger Temper
Red Lights / int_63b02752	comment	Hair-Trigger Temper: Tom. Even more so after his Sanity Slippage.
Red Lights / int_63b02752	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_63b02752	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_63b02752
Red Lights / int_680f950	type	Gilligan Cut
Red Lights / int_680f950	comment	Gilligan Cut: Ben tells Sally that Tom is with Silver at the theater and is "perfectly alright". Cut to Leonardo attempting to kill him in the bathroom.
Red Lights / int_680f950	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_680f950	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_680f950
Red Lights / int_6841f7f5	type	Evil Phone
Red Lights / int_6841f7f5	comment	Evil Phone: Phones and phone calls never appear in positive contexts since they trigger violent paranormal events.
Red Lights / int_6841f7f5	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_6841f7f5	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_6841f7f5
Red Lights / int_6a42ef	type	Cynicism Catalyst
Red Lights / int_6a42ef	comment	Cynicism Catalyst: Both Margaret and Tom have these as motivations to debunk paranormal claims. Margaret's son is in a coma, which apparently caused a loss of faith and firm disbelief in all things supernatural or paranormal. Tom's mother died due to trusting in a faith healer rather than medicine, with the same results. Although the latter is actually subverted when Tom mentions that he's going to call his mother later.
Red Lights / int_6a42ef	featureApplicability	-0.3
Red Lights / int_6a42ef	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_6a42ef
Red Lights / int_6d892421	type	Teacher/Student Romance
Red Lights / int_6d892421	comment	Teacher/Student Romance: Buckley and Sally, although he's technically the teacher's assistant.
Red Lights / int_6d892421	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_6d892421	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_6d892421
Red Lights / int_7b6e47a5	type	Armor-Piercing Question
Red Lights / int_7b6e47a5	comment	Armor-Piercing Question: Margaret storms out of the room after the interviewer probes her religious convictions.
Red Lights / int_7b6e47a5	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_7b6e47a5	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_7b6e47a5
Red Lights / int_7d152a2d	type	Agent Mulder
Red Lights / int_7d152a2d	comment	Agent Mulder: Dr. Shackleton is a believer in paranormal phenomena, portrayed as a rare negative example, though he means well and is willing to admit he could be wrong.
Red Lights / int_7d152a2d	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_7d152a2d	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_7d152a2d
Red Lights / int_835d1cd2	type	Satellite Love Interest
Red Lights / int_835d1cd2	comment	Satellite Love Interest: Sally, for the most part of the movie, isn't involved in importance with the film's plot. Subverted a bit at the end, when she comes in to help Ben and plays a key part in discovering Silver's secret.
Red Lights / int_835d1cd2	featureApplicability	-0.3
Red Lights / int_835d1cd2	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_835d1cd2
Red Lights / int_863fa679	type	What Happened to the Mouse?
Red Lights / int_863fa679	comment	What Happened to the Mouse?: The film has many plot threads left dangling. Did Buckley call himself all those times with his powers and not know it? Was he responsible for the strange things going on at Silver's office, and were the apparently possessed people there stooges, or did he unconsciously influence them? Additionally, while Silver's supposed "thought transference" was explained, they never said anything about the "thought photographs" which he produced that Shackleton said had "no scientific explanation." Of course that might have been faked too — we don't see how though.
Red Lights / int_863fa679	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_863fa679	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_863fa679
Red Lights / int_8658cd14	type	Agent Scully
Red Lights / int_8658cd14	comment	Agent Scully: Matheson and Buckley specialize in debunking supernatural phenomena. Buckley takes it up to eleven after Matheson's death.
Red Lights / int_8658cd14	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_8658cd14	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_8658cd14
Red Lights / int_a122bf2f	type	Blind Seer
Red Lights / int_a122bf2f	comment	Blind Seer: Silver, the famous psychic, is able to awe his audiences by describing things he shouldn't know because he is blind. It turns out he can still see.
Red Lights / int_a122bf2f	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_a122bf2f	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_a122bf2f
Red Lights / int_a4ecfcbf	type	Dead Partner
Red Lights / int_a4ecfcbf	comment	Dead Partner: Margaret and Tom were partners in debunking supernatural phenomena, until Margaret dies about halfway into the film.
Red Lights / int_a4ecfcbf	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_a4ecfcbf	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_a4ecfcbf
Red Lights / int_a8a4b41e	type	Not So Stoic
Red Lights / int_a8a4b41e	comment	Not So Stoic: Margaret, while telling Tom about her interview with Silver, breaks down when she brings up the fact that he used her son against her.
Red Lights / int_a8a4b41e	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_a8a4b41e	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_a8a4b41e
Red Lights / int_aa07ca54	type	Obfuscating Disability
Red Lights / int_aa07ca54	comment	Obfuscating Disability: Silver, who is revealed not to be blind when Sally and Ben review the footage and note that Silver's watch is lined up with his assistant's in a code that would've been extremely difficult for a truly blind person to hide..
Red Lights / int_aa07ca54	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_aa07ca54	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_aa07ca54
Red Lights / int_b1f4c5bb	type	Enhance Button
Red Lights / int_b1f4c5bb	comment	Enhance Button: Averted, but with lampshading by Ben.
Red Lights / int_b1f4c5bb	featureApplicability	-1.0
Red Lights / int_b1f4c5bb	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_b1f4c5bb
Red Lights / int_b579ecc6	type	Gave Up Too Soon
Red Lights / int_b579ecc6	comment	Gave Up Too Soon: If Buckley did not leave the search for evidence to Ben, he would probably know Silver's secret much earlier.
Red Lights / int_b579ecc6	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_b579ecc6	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_b579ecc6
Red Lights / int_be009bbc	type	Alliterative Name
Red Lights / int_be009bbc	comment	Alliterative Name: Margaret Matheson and Simon Silver.
Red Lights / int_be009bbc	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_be009bbc	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_be009bbc
Red Lights / int_c48a0fe6	type	Actually, That's My Assistant
Red Lights / int_c48a0fe6	comment	Actually, That's My Assistant: In one of the first scenes, Tom, Margaret's assistant, is mistaken for Margaret.
Red Lights / int_c48a0fe6	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_c48a0fe6	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_c48a0fe6
Red Lights / int_c49935fa	type	20 Minutes into the Past
Red Lights / int_c49935fa	comment	20 Minutes into the Past: According to the SPRC evaluation title card, the film takes place in October/November 2011.
Red Lights / int_c49935fa	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_c49935fa	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_c49935fa
Red Lights / int_c75df49a	type	Shout-Out
Red Lights / int_c75df49a	comment	Shout-Out: Many of them, especially to The X-Files — Margaret shares the surname of Senator Matheson from the series, the TV presenter's name is Dana, and in Buckley's room there is a poster identical to that in Mulder's office but with 'I want to believe' replaced by 'I want to understand'. Also to many famous (or infamous) real-life events/arguments in the paranormal debate: the debunking of Leonardo is done the same way as faith healer Peter Popoff was exposed by the skeptical magician James Randi, the arguments of Buckley/Matheson are common, along with the paranormal tests, Simon Silver resembles the real Uri Geller, the identical horoscopes is a technique used to expose confirmation bias, the initials SPRC (Scientific Paranormal Research Center) are close to that of the actual 130-year-old SPR (Society for Psychical Research), Leonardo has the same last name as famous fraud medium Eusapia Palladino, Shackleton shares one with Basil Shackleton, a star of the Soal-Goldney experiments of the 1940s that were later found to rely on faked data, etc.
Red Lights / int_c75df49a	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_c75df49a	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_c75df49a
Red Lights / int_c83751cb	type	Description Cut
Red Lights / int_c83751cb	comment	Description Cut: Ben reassures Sally that "Tom's perfectly alright." Cut to Tom receiving a beatdown in a bathroom.
Red Lights / int_c83751cb	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_c83751cb	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_c83751cb
Red Lights / int_cf1b706e	type	Flat-Earth Atheist
Red Lights / int_cf1b706e	comment	Flat-Earth Atheist: Buckley becomes this near the end of the film.
Red Lights / int_cf1b706e	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_cf1b706e	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_cf1b706e
Red Lights / int_da46a2c0	type	Hollywood Atheist
Red Lights / int_da46a2c0	comment	Hollywood Atheist: Apparently the case of Dr. Matheson, complete with having a Cynicism Catalyst in the form of a comatose son.
Red Lights / int_da46a2c0	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_da46a2c0	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_da46a2c0
Red Lights / int_df410b77	type	Decoy Protagonist
Red Lights / int_df410b77	comment	Decoy Protagonist: Margaret sure looks like the heroine of the film...until she kicks the bucket halfway through and the rest of the movie focuses on Buckley hell-bent on bringing down Silver to reinstate Margaret's reputation.
Red Lights / int_df410b77	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_df410b77	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_df410b77
Red Lights / int_e2de05e8	type	Throw the Book at Them
Red Lights / int_e2de05e8	comment	Throw the Book at Them: Buckley, in a rage, throws a student's books at Shackleton.
Red Lights / int_e2de05e8	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_e2de05e8	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_e2de05e8
Red Lights / int_e567510d	type	Determinator
Red Lights / int_e567510d	comment	Determinator: Buckley goes to great lengths to expose Silver, despite the paranormal events causing constant danger to him.
Red Lights / int_e567510d	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_e567510d	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_e567510d
Red Lights / int_e7022a49	type	Talking to the Dead
Red Lights / int_e7022a49	comment	Talking to the Dead: Played with and averted. Margaret writes to her comatose son David because she knows he can't hear her and in the end, Tom does the same to Margaret.
Red Lights / int_e7022a49	featureApplicability	-1.0
Red Lights / int_e7022a49	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_e7022a49
Red Lights / int_e784bb8c	type	Accidental Truth
Red Lights / int_e784bb8c	comment	Accidental Truth: Buckley's sarcastic "I'm a psychic".
Red Lights / int_e784bb8c	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_e784bb8c	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_e784bb8c
Red Lights / int_e7bffa82	type	Sarcastic Devotee
Red Lights / int_e7bffa82	comment	Sarcastic Devotee: Buckley to Matheson.
Red Lights / int_e7bffa82	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_e7bffa82	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_e7bffa82
Red Lights / int_e90a93b2	type	Creepy Monotone
Red Lights / int_e90a93b2	comment	Creepy Monotone: A false medium at the beginning of the film basically drones to heighten his creepy image.
Red Lights / int_e90a93b2	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_e90a93b2	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_e90a93b2
Red Lights / int_e9454d0f	type	Blood-Splattered Warrior
Red Lights / int_e9454d0f	comment	Blood-Splattered Warrior: Buckley, during the final confrontation with Silver, courtesy of the beating by Leonardo.
Red Lights / int_e9454d0f	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_e9454d0f	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_e9454d0f
Red Lights / int_ec7c50af	type	Psychic Children
Red Lights / int_ec7c50af	comment	Psychic Children: Subverted in the first case Margaret and Tom investigate. Children indeed turn out to be the cause of the disturbing phenomena, but they do not use any supernatural powers. They fake a poltergeist haunting by pushing a closet against a wall.
Red Lights / int_ec7c50af	featureApplicability	-0.3
Red Lights / int_ec7c50af	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_ec7c50af
Red Lights / int_f1e837cc	type	Mind over Matter
Red Lights / int_f1e837cc	comment	Mind over Matter: These exact words appear in Shackleton's speech to the reporters before Silver's test.
Red Lights / int_f1e837cc	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_f1e837cc	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_f1e837cc
Red Lights / int_fb724048	type	Real After All
Red Lights / int_fb724048	comment	Real After All: When he exposes Silver as a fake, it turns out that Buckley has telekinetic power.
Red Lights / int_fb724048	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_fb724048	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_fb724048
Red Lights / int_fd86da63	type	Crisis of Faith
Red Lights / int_fd86da63	comment	Crisis of Faith: It happened to Margaret when her son fell into a coma at the age of 4.
Red Lights / int_fd86da63	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_fd86da63	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_fd86da63
Red Lights / int_ff251a68	type	Doting Parent
Red Lights / int_ff251a68	comment	Doting Parent: The parents of an "automatic painting" boy fall victim to the deception involving the paranormal because of their total admiration for their son.
Red Lights / int_ff251a68	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_ff251a68	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_ff251a68
Red Lights / int_name	type	ItemName
Red Lights / int_name	comment
Red Lights / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
Red Lights / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
Red Lights	hasFeature	Red Lights / int_name
Red Lights / int_name	itemName	Red Lights

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

Red Lights	hasFeature	Agent Mulder / int_95450fd4
Red Lights	hasFeature	Cynicism Catalyst / int_95450fd4
Red Lights	hasFeature	Fake Faith Healer / int_95450fd4
Red Lights	hasFeature	Films of 2010â€“2014 / int_95450fd4
Red Lights	hasFeature	Phony Psychic / int_95450fd4

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