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*BatmanGambit: Sidney and Clifford's plan requires Myra [[spoiler: to die of a heart attack from stress and shock. Had she not died]], they would either have to kill her outright (leaving Sidney to hide/explain her disappearance), or else put aside their plot with an unconvincing explanation that it was all a game.
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Renamed
* SexySweaterGirl: Myra wears some flattering sweaters.
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* SweaterGirl: Myra wears some flattering sweaters.
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* MetafictionalTitle: The film is about two guys writing a murder mystery called Death Trap who indulge in some murder themselves.
* MinimalistCast: There are other speaking parts in the theaters scenes that begin and end the film, but most of the movie, set at Sidney and Myra's house, features only five characters: Sidney, Myra, Cliff, Helga the neighbor, and Sidney's lawyer Porter.
* MinimalistCast: There are other speaking parts in the theaters scenes that begin and end the film, but most of the movie, set at Sidney and Myra's house, features only five characters: Sidney, Myra, Cliff, Helga the neighbor, and Sidney's lawyer Porter.
to:
* MetafictionalTitle: The film is about two guys writing a murder mystery called Death Trap ''Deathtrap'' who indulge in some murder themselves.
* MinimalistCast: There are other speaking parts in thetheaters theater scenes that begin and end the film, but most of the movie, set at Sidney and Myra's house, features only five characters: Sidney, Myra, Cliff, Helga the neighbor, and Sidney's lawyer Porter.
* MinimalistCast: There are other speaking parts in the
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[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/death_trap_1982.jpg]]
''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 BlackComedy thriller film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was [[TheFilmOfThePlay adapted from]] a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby'' and ''Literature/TheStepfordWives''.
''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 BlackComedy thriller film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was [[TheFilmOfThePlay adapted from]] a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby'' and ''Literature/TheStepfordWives''.
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''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 American BlackComedy thriller film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and
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''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was adapted from a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby'' and ''Literature/TheStepfordWives''.
to:
''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 BlackComedy thriller film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was [[TheFilmOfThePlay adapted from from]] a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby'' and ''Literature/TheStepfordWives''.
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* ForeignRemake: The film is basically ''Film/LesDiaboliques'' [[RecycledInSpace with gay lovers]].
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* ScreamingWoman: Myra's reaction to almost anything unexpected is to shriek at the top of her lungs, even doing so when Sidney opens the French windows to reveal absolutely nothing. It is very annoying.
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* IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: After the murder, the next murders come from one of the perpetrators who writes a play about the events.
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* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Myra gets sexually aroused by Sidney after [[spoiler:the latter has killed Cliff]].
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* EvilIsSexy: Myra gets sexually aroused by Sidney after [[spoiler:the latter has killed Cliff]].
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* NotSoPhonyPsychic: Helga does have genuine seer powers but she often misinterprets what she is seeing.
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* HereWeGoAgain: In the theatre version, Helga uses her psychic powers to reconstruct what happens and figures it would make a good play. Unfortunately the man she's telling this to has the same idea and it ends with them getting ready to murder each other over it.
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* MinimalistCast: There are other speaking parts in the theaters scenes that begin and end the film, but most of the movie, set at Sidney and Myra's house, features only five characters: Sidney, Myra, Cliff, Helga the neighbor, and Sidney's lawyer.
to:
* MinimalistCast: There are other speaking parts in the theaters scenes that begin and end the film, but most of the movie, set at Sidney and Myra's house, features only five characters: Sidney, Myra, Cliff, Helga the neighbor, and Sidney's lawyer.lawyer Porter.
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* JadedWashout: Sidney's career trajectory as a writer. He went from being a somewhat successful and respected writer to something of a laughing stock with his recent plays. His murder scheme is at least partly fueled by financial need.
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* ArmoredClosetGay: Sidney, who's married to Myra while carrying on an affair with Cliff, and who makes disparaging remarks about Cliff's alleged homosexuality during his conversation with Henry.
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* StraightGay: Sidney and Cliff are secretly homosexual lovers, but neither exhibits any stereotypical mannerisms (and Sidney maintained a sham marriage to Myra until her death).
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* EvilIsSexy: Myra gets sexually aroused by Sidney after [[spoiler:the latter has killed Cliff]].
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* {{Foreshadowing}}: A couple of references to how Myra is independently wealthy, and has a heart condition that requires her to take pills. Myra also says "My heart won't take it!" after Sidney kills Cliff.
to:
* {{Foreshadowing}}: {{Foreshadowing}}:
** A couple of references to how Myra is independently wealthy, and has a heart condition that requires her to take pills. Myra also says "My heart won't take it!" after Sidney killsCliff.Cliff.
** Helga foresees a woman (herself) using the knife from the wall and a man in boots attacking Sidney.
** A couple of references to how Myra is independently wealthy, and has a heart condition that requires her to take pills. Myra also says "My heart won't take it!" after Sidney kills
** Helga foresees a woman (herself) using the knife from the wall and a man in boots attacking Sidney.
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* FunnyForeigner: Helga Ten Doorp, the Dutch neighbor, who is prone to malapropisms, has a thick accent, and is named "Ten Doorp." She's a psychic, and her distressingly accurate impressions are less funny to Sidney.
to:
* FunnyForeigner: Helga Ten Doorp, the Dutch neighbor, who is prone to malapropisms, has a thick accent, accent and [[YouNoTakeCandle poor grammar]], and is named "Ten Doorp." She's a psychic, and her distressingly accurate impressions are less funny to Sidney.
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* INeedAFreakingDrink: Sidney pounds down a drink after strangling Cliff.
to:
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Sidney pounds down a drink after strangling Cliff. Also, Myra needs her brandy after the incident.
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adding tropes
* AsYouKnow: Sidney's wife reminds him that his play "The Murder Game" was the longest-running thriller in the history of Broadway.
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* CoincidentalBroadcast: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning to each exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
* GambitPileUp: The Cat-and-Mouse-Play between Sidney and Cliff.
* GunStruggle: A combined gun-and-knife struggle ensues between Helga and Sidney in the climax.
* GunStruggle: A combined gun-and-knife struggle ensues between Helga and Sidney in the climax.
* HollywoodHeartAttack: Myra's heart attack comes with the standard clutch-your-chest pose.
* InstantDeathStab: The crossbow arrow seems to kill [[spoiler:Cliff instantly. Subverted when he regains consciousness later and attacks Sidney with the axe before finally succumbing to the arrow wound.]]
* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: Unbeknownst to Sidney, Cliff removed the bullets from his gun.
* ItWorksBetterWithBullets: Unbeknownst to Sidney, Cliff removed the bullets from his gun.
* MetafictionalTitle: The film is about two guys writing a murder mystery called Death Trap who indulge in some murder themselves.
* MutualKill: The MatchCut to the play at the end implies that Cliff killed Sidney with the axe and then succumbed to the wound inflicted by Sidney with the crossbow.
* PrisonRape: Discussed by Sidney when he paints his and Cliff's future after getting caught because of the revealing play Cliff was planning to publish.
* RuleOfSymbolism: When Sidney picks up Cliff at the train station, the star on his Mercedes Benz hood aims at Cliff like crosshairs.
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* SweaterGirl: Myra wears some flattering sweaters.
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* SuddenlyShouting: Cliff when Sidney refuses to hand him back his draft of the play.
* SweaterGirl: Myra wears some flatteringsweaters.sweaters.
* TitleDrop: Besides the in-universe play called ''Deathtrap'', Helga mentions the title when describing the house as inviting death.
* UndisclosedFunds: When the lawyer hands Sidney the sheet with the numbers about the expected inheritance from his late wife, we only get a surprised facial expression from the latter. This is done to fool the audience when Sidney claims to Cliff that the figure was quite low when in fact it turned out pretty high.
* YourTelevisionHatesYou: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning to each exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
----
* SweaterGirl: Myra wears some flattering
* TitleDrop: Besides the in-universe play called ''Deathtrap'', Helga mentions the title when describing the house as inviting death.
* UndisclosedFunds: When the lawyer hands Sidney the sheet with the numbers about the expected inheritance from his late wife, we only get a surprised facial expression from the latter. This is done to fool the audience when Sidney claims to Cliff that the figure was quite low when in fact it turned out pretty high.
* YourTelevisionHatesYou: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning to each exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
----
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Sidney Bruhl (Caine) is a well-known and formerly very successful Broadway playwright whose career is on the skids after a series of flops. The film stars with Bruhl demoralized after his latest play bombs, with the reassurances of his supportive wife Myra (Cannon) failing to help his mood. Bruhl is further irritated by receiving a script from Clifford Anderson (Reeve), his former student in a writing seminar. The play, called ''[[TitleDrop Deathtrap]]'', is excellent, much to Bruhl's disgust. Anderson's script is accompanied by a letter in which Anderson asks to visit in order to get Bruhl's editing advice. Bruhl, desperate to turn his career around, hits on an evil scheme--kill Anderson, and pass the script off as his own.
to:
Sidney Bruhl (Caine) is a well-known and formerly very successful Broadway playwright whose career is on the skids after a series of flops. The film stars starts with Bruhl demoralized after his latest play bombs, with the reassurances of his supportive wife Myra (Cannon) failing to help his mood. Bruhl is further irritated by receiving a script from Clifford Anderson (Reeve), his former student in a writing seminar. The play, called ''[[TitleDrop Deathtrap]]'', is excellent, much to Bruhl's disgust. Anderson's script is accompanied by a letter in which Anderson asks to visit in order to get Bruhl's editing advice. Bruhl, desperate to turn his career around, hits on an evil scheme--kill Anderson, and pass the script off as his own.
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* ChekhovsGun: When play-acting the fake murder for Myra, Sidney restrains Cliff in what is supposedly a set of trick handcuffs once owned by Houdini, which allow the wearer to snap out of them easily. Cliff can't figure out the trick. Towards the end of the film, Cliff locks up Sidney in a different set, which turn out to be the ''real'' Houdini handcuffs: Sidney knows how to work them and releases himself.
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* ChekhovsGun: ChekhovsGun:
** When play-acting the fake murder for Myra, Sidney restrains Cliff in what is supposedly a set of trick handcuffs once owned by Houdini, which allow the wearer to snap out of them easily. Cliff can't figure out the trick. Towards the end of the film, Cliff locks up Sidney in a different set, which turn out to be the ''real'' Houdini handcuffs: Sidney knows how to work them and releaseshimself.himself.
** Also used in the traditional sense -- a crossbow on the WallOfWeapons is fired in the final act.
** When play-acting the fake murder for Myra, Sidney restrains Cliff in what is supposedly a set of trick handcuffs once owned by Houdini, which allow the wearer to snap out of them easily. Cliff can't figure out the trick. Towards the end of the film, Cliff locks up Sidney in a different set, which turn out to be the ''real'' Houdini handcuffs: Sidney knows how to work them and releases
** Also used in the traditional sense -- a crossbow on the WallOfWeapons is fired in the final act.
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''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was adapted from a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby''.
to:
''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was adapted from a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby''.
''Film/RosemarysBaby'' and ''Literature/TheStepfordWives''.
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''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was based on a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby''.
to:
''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was based on adapted from a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby''.
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deathtrapbr460.jpg]]
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* ChekhovsGun: When play-acting the fake murder for Myra, Sidney restrains Cliff in a set of trick handcuffs supposedly once owned by Houdini, which allow the wearer to snap out of them easily. Cliff can't figure out the trick. Towards the end of the film, Cliff locks up Sidney in those same cuffs, but Sidney knows how to work them and releases himself.
* CoincidentalBroadcast: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
* CoincidentalBroadcast: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
to:
* ChekhovsGun: When play-acting the fake murder for Myra, Sidney restrains Cliff in what is supposedly a set of trick handcuffs supposedly once owned by Houdini, which allow the wearer to snap out of them easily. Cliff can't figure out the trick. Towards the end of the film, Cliff locks up Sidney in those same cuffs, but a different set, which turn out to be the ''real'' Houdini handcuffs: Sidney knows how to work them and releases himself.
* CoincidentalBroadcast: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning to each exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
* CoincidentalBroadcast: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning to each exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
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* FollowTheLeader: ''Film/LesDiaboliques''
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* FollowTheLeader: ''Film/LesDiaboliques''
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deathtrapbr460.jpg]]
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* FrightDeathtrap: TropeNamer? TheReveal is that Cliff didn't write any play, Sidney didn't kill him, and they're in cahoots. The whole charade was a scheme cooked up by Sidney and Cliff to frighten Myra, who has a weak heart, to death. When a bloody but not-dead Cliff reappears with a club in hand and starts chasing Myra around, she has a heart attack and dies.
to:
* FrightDeathtrap: TropeNamer? TheReveal The "Scared Stiff" variant--TheReveal is that Cliff didn't write any play, Sidney didn't kill him, and they're in cahoots. The whole charade was a scheme cooked up by Sidney and Cliff to frighten Myra, who has a weak heart, to death. When a bloody but not-dead Cliff reappears with a club in hand and starts chasing Myra around, she has a heart attack and dies.
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* TheSociopath: DiscussedTrope, as Sidney calls Cliff this after finding out that Cliff is writing a play called ''Deathtrap'' about their murder of Myra, and doesn't care if Sidney doesn't like it. Cliff is untroubled by this.
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* TheSociopath: DiscussedTrope, as Sidney calls Cliff this after finding out that Cliff is writing a play called ''Deathtrap'' about their murder of Myra, and doesn't care if Sidney doesn't like it. Cliff is untroubled by this.this.
* SweaterGirl: Myra wears some flattering sweaters.
* SweaterGirl: Myra wears some flattering sweaters.
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''Deathtrap'' is a 1982 film directed by Creator/SidneyLumet, starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/ChristopherReeve, and Dyan Cannon. It was based on a 1978 play by Creator/IraLevin, the author of ''Film/RosemarysBaby''.
Sidney Bruhl (Caine) is a well-known and formerly very successful Broadway playwright whose career is on the skids after a series of flops. The film stars with Bruhl demoralized after his latest play bombs, with the reassurances of his supportive wife Myra (Cannon) failing to help his mood. Bruhl is further irritated by receiving a script from Clifford Anderson (Reeve), his former student in a writing seminar. The play, called ''[[TitleDrop Deathtrap]]'', is excellent, much to Bruhl's disgust. Anderson's script is accompanied by a letter in which Anderson asks to visit in order to get Bruhl's editing advice. Bruhl, desperate to turn his career around, hits on an evil scheme--kill Anderson, and pass the script off as his own.
But all is not as it seems.
----
!!Tropes:
* BookEnds: Theatrical productions at the start of the movie (Sidney's bomb of a play) and at the end (Helga's hit play ''Deathtrap'').
* CarpetRolledCorpse: Sidney wraps up Cliff in the carpet Cliff fell down on. He has to yell at Myra to help him carry Cliff out.
* ChekhovsGun: When play-acting the fake murder for Myra, Sidney restrains Cliff in a set of trick handcuffs supposedly once owned by Houdini, which allow the wearer to snap out of them easily. Cliff can't figure out the trick. Towards the end of the film, Cliff locks up Sidney in those same cuffs, but Sidney knows how to work them and releases himself.
* CoincidentalBroadcast: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
* DramaticThunder: Sets the scene for the final dramatic confrontation between Sidney, Cliff, and Helga. Lampshaded by Cliff, who notes, "Dramatic effects by God himself!"
* DrowningMySorrows: "I'm getting pissed!", says Sidney to Myra, and by "pissed" he means [[UsefulNotes/SeparatedByACommonLanguage drunk]], as he is getting plastered following the disastrous opening of his play.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A couple of references to how Myra is independently wealthy, and has a heart condition that requires her to take pills. Myra also says "My heart won't take it!" after Sidney kills Cliff.
* FrightDeathtrap: TropeNamer? TheReveal is that Cliff didn't write any play, Sidney didn't kill him, and they're in cahoots. The whole charade was a scheme cooked up by Sidney and Cliff to frighten Myra, who has a weak heart, to death. When a bloody but not-dead Cliff reappears with a club in hand and starts chasing Myra around, she has a heart attack and dies.
* FunnyForeigner: Helga Ten Doorp, the Dutch neighbor, who is prone to malapropisms, has a thick accent, and is named "Ten Doorp." She's a psychic, and her distressingly accurate impressions are less funny to Sidney.
* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: A variant on this, as Sidney establishes by careful questioning that Cliff hasn't shown anyone else his manuscript.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Sidney pounds down a drink after strangling Cliff.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Lots of this in the latter portions of the film after Cliff reveals that he is writing a play called ''Deathtrap'', based on what happens in the first part of the film.
--> '''Cliff''': Everything we did to convince Myra she was seeing a real murder would have the same effect on the audience.
* LineOfSightName: Sidney is lying through his teeth on the phone with Cliff, claiming that he's writing a new play of his own. He turns to see Myra scowling at him, and announces that his new play is called ''The Frowning Wife''.
* MatchCut: The final struggle between Sidney and Cliff smoothly cuts from the scene of Cliff stabbing Sidney in the back, to that same scene as it's being staged in the play ''Deathtrap'', written by Helga.
* MinimalistCast: There are other speaking parts in the theaters scenes that begin and end the film, but most of the movie, set at Sidney and Myra's house, features only five characters: Sidney, Myra, Cliff, Helga the neighbor, and Sidney's lawyer.
* NewscasterCameo: Three different TV theater critics, including ABC's Joel Siegel, appear on television to pan Sidney's latest play.
* TheReveal: It comes about midway through. Clifford didn't write any play, and he isn't dead. Cliff and Sidney turn out to be lovers who deliberately frightened Myra to death. See FrightDeathtrap above.
* RomanAClef: InUniverse. Sidney is horrified to find out that Cliff really is writing a play called ''Deathtrap'', which is nothing more than a retelling of their plot to murder Myra, with the names changed around. Cliff calmly tells Sidney that no one can prove anything, and the scandal that will ensue will only make them more famous and successful. Sidney is not mollified by this, and decides to kill Cliff.
* TheSociopath: DiscussedTrope, as Sidney calls Cliff this after finding out that Cliff is writing a play called ''Deathtrap'' about their murder of Myra, and doesn't care if Sidney doesn't like it. Cliff is untroubled by this.
Sidney Bruhl (Caine) is a well-known and formerly very successful Broadway playwright whose career is on the skids after a series of flops. The film stars with Bruhl demoralized after his latest play bombs, with the reassurances of his supportive wife Myra (Cannon) failing to help his mood. Bruhl is further irritated by receiving a script from Clifford Anderson (Reeve), his former student in a writing seminar. The play, called ''[[TitleDrop Deathtrap]]'', is excellent, much to Bruhl's disgust. Anderson's script is accompanied by a letter in which Anderson asks to visit in order to get Bruhl's editing advice. Bruhl, desperate to turn his career around, hits on an evil scheme--kill Anderson, and pass the script off as his own.
But all is not as it seems.
----
!!Tropes:
* BookEnds: Theatrical productions at the start of the movie (Sidney's bomb of a play) and at the end (Helga's hit play ''Deathtrap'').
* CarpetRolledCorpse: Sidney wraps up Cliff in the carpet Cliff fell down on. He has to yell at Myra to help him carry Cliff out.
* ChekhovsGun: When play-acting the fake murder for Myra, Sidney restrains Cliff in a set of trick handcuffs supposedly once owned by Houdini, which allow the wearer to snap out of them easily. Cliff can't figure out the trick. Towards the end of the film, Cliff locks up Sidney in those same cuffs, but Sidney knows how to work them and releases himself.
* CoincidentalBroadcast: A friendly bartender reassures a depressed Sidney that maybe the reaction to the play will be better than he thinks. The bartender then turns on the TV, and flips to three different channels, turning exactly in time to see three different critics pan Sidney's play.
* DramaticThunder: Sets the scene for the final dramatic confrontation between Sidney, Cliff, and Helga. Lampshaded by Cliff, who notes, "Dramatic effects by God himself!"
* DrowningMySorrows: "I'm getting pissed!", says Sidney to Myra, and by "pissed" he means [[UsefulNotes/SeparatedByACommonLanguage drunk]], as he is getting plastered following the disastrous opening of his play.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: A couple of references to how Myra is independently wealthy, and has a heart condition that requires her to take pills. Myra also says "My heart won't take it!" after Sidney kills Cliff.
* FrightDeathtrap: TropeNamer? TheReveal is that Cliff didn't write any play, Sidney didn't kill him, and they're in cahoots. The whole charade was a scheme cooked up by Sidney and Cliff to frighten Myra, who has a weak heart, to death. When a bloody but not-dead Cliff reappears with a club in hand and starts chasing Myra around, she has a heart attack and dies.
* FunnyForeigner: Helga Ten Doorp, the Dutch neighbor, who is prone to malapropisms, has a thick accent, and is named "Ten Doorp." She's a psychic, and her distressingly accurate impressions are less funny to Sidney.
* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: A variant on this, as Sidney establishes by careful questioning that Cliff hasn't shown anyone else his manuscript.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Sidney pounds down a drink after strangling Cliff.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Lots of this in the latter portions of the film after Cliff reveals that he is writing a play called ''Deathtrap'', based on what happens in the first part of the film.
--> '''Cliff''': Everything we did to convince Myra she was seeing a real murder would have the same effect on the audience.
* LineOfSightName: Sidney is lying through his teeth on the phone with Cliff, claiming that he's writing a new play of his own. He turns to see Myra scowling at him, and announces that his new play is called ''The Frowning Wife''.
* MatchCut: The final struggle between Sidney and Cliff smoothly cuts from the scene of Cliff stabbing Sidney in the back, to that same scene as it's being staged in the play ''Deathtrap'', written by Helga.
* MinimalistCast: There are other speaking parts in the theaters scenes that begin and end the film, but most of the movie, set at Sidney and Myra's house, features only five characters: Sidney, Myra, Cliff, Helga the neighbor, and Sidney's lawyer.
* NewscasterCameo: Three different TV theater critics, including ABC's Joel Siegel, appear on television to pan Sidney's latest play.
* TheReveal: It comes about midway through. Clifford didn't write any play, and he isn't dead. Cliff and Sidney turn out to be lovers who deliberately frightened Myra to death. See FrightDeathtrap above.
* RomanAClef: InUniverse. Sidney is horrified to find out that Cliff really is writing a play called ''Deathtrap'', which is nothing more than a retelling of their plot to murder Myra, with the names changed around. Cliff calmly tells Sidney that no one can prove anything, and the scandal that will ensue will only make them more famous and successful. Sidney is not mollified by this, and decides to kill Cliff.
* TheSociopath: DiscussedTrope, as Sidney calls Cliff this after finding out that Cliff is writing a play called ''Deathtrap'' about their murder of Myra, and doesn't care if Sidney doesn't like it. Cliff is untroubled by this.
