History Main / AlonewiththePsycho

* ''VideoGame/ClockTower: The First Fear]]'' lives and breathes this trope only with, not one, but ''two'' active psychos and a third one waiting in the wings in the sequel. Sure, it may not be played straight at first, what with Jennifer (the player) also having three friends with her, one of which , Lotte, is [[ActionGirl fighting competent]], but [[PeekabooCorpse when the numbers could slowly dwindle down to just Jennifer,]], and the only ones left eventually are either the scissor-wielding-manically-laughing-deformed Bobby [[spoiler: and his equally insane-satanic-vicious-Yandere-potential mother, Mary]], this trope is played more straight.

* Used in ''GoodEats''. Alton goes to visit Coco Carl in a maximum security prison, to ask him about the ingredients in a store-bought protein bar (which included palm kernel oil, high fructose corn syrup, and large amounts of sodium), that was being marketed as a health food.

* In an episode of ''TheCloser'', Chief Johnson goes to the docks to notify the ex-husband of a serial killer's victim that his ex-wife has died and ask him a few questions. Right in the middle of the notification, she gets a call from her team; [[spoiler:they just found the long-dead body of their top suspect]]. She quickly realizes that she's alone in the shop of the new most likely suspect, and tries to get out and call for backup without raising his suspicions. [[spoiler:It doesn't work; he attacks her, and she's forced to shoot him.]]

* In season 2 of ''{{Carnivale}}'', Sophie becomes the house maid of [[spoiler:[[TheAntichrist a very particular psycho]]]]

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in the first episode of ''{{Sherlock}}''. Sherlock leaves the flat, ostensibly to [[INeedToGoIronMyDog "get some air"]], leaving John to sit about in confusion and continue trying to track down a victim's phone through its GPS. After only a few minutes, John realises that [[spoiler: the phone was at Baker Street because the [[SerialKiller cabbie]] who was there a few minutes ago had it - and now it's moving again, ''because Sherlock went out after him'']], putting Sherlock {{Alone With the Psycho}}. Played with in that Sherlock knows full well he's Alone With the Psycho, and ''actively put himself in that position''.

* SinCity has a scene where Marv visits an old farm to search for clues and doesn't realize it is the home of the SerialKiller. He survives but the killer does defeat and imprison him for a time.

* In ''Film/PatchAdams'' [[spoiler: Patch's girlfriend and fellow doctor Carin responds to a call from a chronically depressed patient. After some creepy dialogue between Carin and Larry, we cut to a scene where the dean tells Patch he killed her and then himself.]] Quite a [[ShockingSwerve shocking development]] in an otherwise upbeat movie. {{Truth in Television}} in that Patch Adams' [[spoiler:{{real life}} girlfriend died that way]].
** [[spoiler: Actually not his girlfriend, but his (male) best friend. Nonetheless still an element of {{Truth in Television}}]]

* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in the first episode ''{{Sherlock}}''. Sherlock leaves the flat, ostensibly to [[INeedToGoIronMyDog "get some air"]], leaving John to sit about in confusion and continue trying to track down a victim's phone through its GPS. After only a few minutes, John realises that [[spoiler: the phone was at Baker Street because the [[SerialKiller cabbie]] who was there a few minutes ago had it - and now it's moving again, ''because Sherlock went out after him'']], putting Sherlock {{Alone With the Psycho}}. Played with in that Sherlock knows full well he's Alone With the Psycho, and ''actively put himself in that position''.

* Used in an episode of ''NewTricks'', with the slight modification that the mild-mannered murderer was not even a suspect in the case at the time.

* Happens in ''{{Manga/FAKE}}'' when NYPD cops Ryo and Dee vacation in England. They do their best so it doesn't become a BusmansHoliday but Ryo eventually finds himself alone with a serial killer.

* A variant is used near the climax of ''{{Otherland}}''. Australian cop Calliope Skouros goes to an apartment on the trail of a SerialKiller after backtracking a suspicious Internet search. Knocking on the door, she encounters not Dread himself, but his [[UnwittingPawn unwitting conspirator]], Dulcie Anwin, who has coincidentally just discovered Dread's secret and is in the throes of a HeroicBSOD over it. Skouros doesn't realize Dread is there until he stabs her in the back and subsequently shoots Anwin. [[spoiler:Both survive, but it's a very close call.]]

* Marvin Nash is tortured and almost killed by sadistic sociopath Mr. Blonde in ''ReservoirDogs'' because of this trope.
* ''{{Fargo}}'' seems to be heading for this kind of climax when pregnant Marge Gunderson, the Brainerd, Minnesota sheriff, [[spoiler: ends up at the remote cabin occupied by PsychoForHire Gaear Grimsrud. She captures him easily]].
* In ''PatchAdams'' [[spoiler: Patch's girlfriend and fellow doctor Carin responds to a call from a chronically depressed patient. After some creepy dialogue between Carin and Larry, we cut to a scene where the dean tells Patch he killed her and then himself.]] Quite a [[ShockingSwerve shocking development]] in an otherwise upbeat movie. {{Truth in Television}} in that Patch Adams' [[spoiler:{{real life}} girlfriend died that way]].

* The ending of ''{{No Country for Old Men}}'' has the protagonist's wife encountering PsychoForHire Anton Chigurh in her house even after [[spoiler:her husband's death. Subverted in that she doesn't survive the encounter.]]

* Subverted in ''Film/ConAir'', where the creepy serial killer Garland Greene (Steve Buscemi) is having a one-on-one session with a little girl. After a cutaway, we see him [[EmpathyDollShot walk off with the girl's doll]], implying that she's dead. However, a subsequent scene shows her well off. Apparently, the serial killer [[EvenEvilHasStandards has standards]].

* Subverted in ''Film/ConAir'', where the creepy serial killer Garland Greene (Steve Buscemi) is having a one-on-one session with a little girl. After a cutaway, we see him walk off with the [[EmpathyDollShot girl's doll]], implying that she's dead. However, a subsequent scene shows her well off. Apparently, the serial killer has standards.

* There is a scene in ''[[Film/TheAvengers The Avengers]]'' where Tony entered his house by himself without his suit, knowing perfectly well that Loki was there waiting for him.
* Bilbo in ''Film/TheHobbit'' gets trapped in Gollum's cave, who is contemplating whether or not to eat Bilbo. Bilbo uses a game of riddles to stall/convince Gollum to show him the way out.

** As well as Graham's confrontation with Lecter at the beginning of ''RedDragon''.

Simultaneously, the two parties figure out the truth -- the detectives through the DNA test, the officer [[ExploringTheEvilLair through finding]] the TortureCellar. The suspect ''is'' the SerialKiller. The detectives try to contact them, but [[CanYouHearMeNow their mobile isn't working properly]].

* In ''Film/Cruising'', the cops' brilliant plan is to get their own man alone with the serial killer. Causes a moment of FridgeLogic later on. [[spoiler: Burns allows himself to be tied up by a man he suspects is the killer. His cop buddies bust in to save him, and he tells them they have no evidence because they busted in too soon. But if they'd waited, he would have been sodomized and killed.]]