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* In Film/LaVieEnRose, the audience doesn't actually hear Edith Piaf sing in her breakthrough performance (though we do in all other performances in the movie)- just the piano, and we see Marion Cotillard mime the songs (actually, all the performances were dubbed by a sound-a-like). At one point we also here the audience laughing.
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* In Film/LaVieEnRose, ''Film/LaVieEnRose'', the audience doesn't actually hear Edith Piaf sing in her breakthrough performance (though we do in all other performances in the movie)- just the piano, and we see Marion Cotillard mime the songs (actually, all the performances were dubbed by a sound-a-like). At one point we also here the audience laughing.
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* ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'': Shortly after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki take place, Oppenheimer and several of the other scientists at Los Alamos are shown a presentation of photographs from the cities. The film doesn't show the images directly, focusing instead on the horrified reactions of the scientists as they realise [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone what their work was used for]].
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* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', a recorded message ends with the horrible death of the person giving the report at the hands of Reavers, but during this part the camera focuses on the faces of the cast and we only hear the sounds -- and then not even all of them, as Mal shuts off the playback before it goes too far. To be fair, this may be due to keeping the movie below NC-17 -- as Zoe explained in the pilot, Reavers will "rape you to death, eat your flesh, and sew your skin into their clothing. And if you're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order." The message plays again later in front of the operative, who sees the whole thing and then decides to let the crew go and tow them for repairs.
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* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', ''Film/Serenity2005'', a recorded message ends with the horrible death of the person giving the report at the hands of Reavers, but during this part part, the camera focuses on the faces of the cast cast, and we only hear the sounds -- and then not even all of them, as Mal shuts off the playback before it goes too far. To be fair, this may be due to keeping the movie below NC-17 -- as Zoe explained in the pilot, Reavers will "rape you to death, eat your flesh, and sew your skin into their clothing. And if you're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order." The message plays again later in front of the operative, who sees the whole thing and then decides to let the crew go and tow them for repairs.
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* ''Film/KillList'' is not a film that shies away from showing brutal violence onscreen (in [[DaylightHorror broad daylight]], no less), so when it chooses not to show what is heavily implied to be a SnuffFilm, but just Jay's disgusted and horrified reaction to it, the audience knows it must be really bad.
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* ''Film/KillList'' is not a film that shies away from showing brutal violence onscreen (in [[DaylightHorror broad daylight]], daylight, no less), so when it chooses not to show what is heavily implied to be a SnuffFilm, but just Jay's disgusted and horrified reaction to it, the audience knows it must be really bad.
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%%* Used to haunting effect near the end of the film ''Film/TheMessenger''.
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%%* Used to haunting effect near the end of the film ''Film/TheMessenger''.''Film/TheMessenger2009''.
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* Used and then inverted in the [[TheMovie feature version]] of ''Series/UpPompeii''. References are made to some erotic frescoes in a Roman building, but they cannot be seen. Then, in the final scene, Frankie Howerd gives in and says "Oh, go on then" and the frescoes are shown over the closing credits. They're not actually that erotic, which is not surprising considering that the film was R-rated when it was released in 1971.
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* Used and then inverted in the [[TheMovie feature version]] of ''Series/UpPompeii''.''Film/UpPompeii''. References are made to some erotic frescoes in a Roman building, but they cannot be seen. Then, in the final scene, Frankie Howerd Creator/FrankieHowerd gives in and says "Oh, go on then" and the frescoes are shown over the closing credits. They're not actually that erotic, which is not surprising considering that the film was R-rated when it was released in 1971.
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* In the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' movie ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', a recorded message ends with the horrible death of the person giving the report at the hands of Reavers, but during this part the camera focuses on the faces of the cast and we only hear the sounds -- and then not even all of them, as Mal shuts off the playback before it goes too far. To be fair, this may be due to keeping the movie below NC-17 -- as Zoe explained in the pilot, Reavers will "rape you to death, eat your flesh, and sew your skin into their clothing. And if you're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order." The message plays again later in front of the operative, who sees the whole thing and then decides to let the crew go and tow them for repairs.
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* In the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' movie ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', a recorded message ends with the horrible death of the person giving the report at the hands of Reavers, but during this part the camera focuses on the faces of the cast and we only hear the sounds -- and then not even all of them, as Mal shuts off the playback before it goes too far. To be fair, this may be due to keeping the movie below NC-17 -- as Zoe explained in the pilot, Reavers will "rape you to death, eat your flesh, and sew your skin into their clothing. And if you're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order." The message plays again later in front of the operative, who sees the whole thing and then decides to let the crew go and tow them for repairs.
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* In ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', Chilton has that great speech about Lecter, ending in, "When the nurse leaned over him, he did this to her," and hands Clarice a photo. All we see is Clarice's expression of shock, and then Chilton adds, "His pulse never got above 85. Even when he ate her tongue." We ''do'' see footage of the attack, however, in ''Hannibal''.
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* In ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', ''Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', Chilton has that great speech about Lecter, ending in, "When the nurse leaned over him, he did this to her," and hands Clarice a photo. All we see is Clarice's expression of shock, and then Chilton adds, "His pulse never got above 85. Even when he ate her tongue." We ''do'' see footage of the attack, however, in ''Hannibal''.''Literature/{{Hannibal}}''.
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* Whatever Samara[=/=]Sadako does[=/=]shows to her victims to leave them looking [[NightmareFace like that]] in ''Film/TheRing'' and ''Ringu''. One of the milder instances occurs in ''Film/TheRingTwo'', where a Samara-possessed Aidan apparently psychically shows a child psychiatrist ''something'' that makes her commit suicide by air embolism.
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* Whatever Samara[=/=]Sadako does[=/=]shows Samara/Sadako does/shows to her victims to leave them looking [[NightmareFace like that]] in ''Film/TheRing'' ''Literature/TheRing'' and ''Ringu''. One of the milder instances occurs in ''Film/TheRingTwo'', where ''Film/TheRingTwo'' when a Samara-possessed Aidan apparently psychically shows a child psychiatrist ''something'' that makes her commit suicide by air embolism.
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* In ''Film/WhatsLoveGotToDoWithIt'', the mother of Ike's two older sons, Laraine, locks herself in the bathroom after discovering his and Tina's affair and shoots herself. We never see the aftermath of it all, thankfully and we soon discover that it was not a headshot, but based on everyone's horrified reactions upon breaking down the door, it was still a nasty mess.
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* In ''Film/WhatsLoveGotToDoWithIt'', ''Film/WhatsLoveGotToDoWithIt1993'', the mother of Ike's two older sons, Laraine, locks herself in the bathroom after discovering his and Tina's affair and shoots herself. We never see the aftermath of it all, thankfully and we soon discover that it was not a headshot, but based on everyone's horrified reactions upon breaking down the door, it was still a nasty mess.
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* In ''Film/StrangerThanFiction'', the book being written by Emma Thompson's character throughout the movie is supposedly so beautiful that it justifies dying for. It's so beautiful, in fact, that even the person who would have to die agrees [[spoiler:, it helps that his death would save a young boy from being run over by a bus]].
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* In ''Film/StrangerThanFiction'', the book being written by Emma Thompson's character throughout the movie is supposedly so beautiful that it justifies dying for. It's so beautiful, in fact, that even the person who would have to die agrees [[spoiler:, agrees[[spoiler:; it helps that his death would save a young boy from being run over by a bus]].
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page was moved to the Darth Wiki
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* ''Film/EaglesGathered'' makes heavy use of this trope to portray some of the stranger aspects of the underworld, including the Bush, which destroys anyone who looks at it.
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* Used to haunting effect near the end of the film ''Film/TheMessenger''.
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* In ''Mr Frost'', the titular character's psychiatrist receives a videotape from the police detective who originally captured the mass-murderer. We never see the tape, only the psychiatrist's reaction to it.
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* In ''Mr Frost'', ''Film/MrFrost'', the titular character's psychiatrist receives a videotape from the police detective who originally captured the mass-murderer. We never see the tape, only the psychiatrist's reaction to it.
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* Hal Hartley's ''Henry Fool'' has a character who writes a literary work of life-changing brilliance, which we never get to hear/read. Also understandable considering how much of an effect it is supposed to have on people who read it. One person commits suicide, one woman's period is brought on early, and one person breaks out into a sad song. Henry Fool's work is also the trope, but for a [[BrownNote totally different reason]].
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* Hal Hartley's ''Henry Fool'' ''Film/HenryFool'' has a character who writes a literary work of life-changing brilliance, which we never get to hear/read. Also understandable considering how much of an effect it is supposed to have on people who read it. One person commits suicide, one woman's period is brought on early, and one person breaks out into a sad song. Henry Fool's work is also the trope, but for a [[BrownNote totally different reason]].
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* In ''The Next Voice You Hear'' (1950), God pre-empts radio programs all over the world for six consecutive days to address the human race. The audience never gets to hear what God said. For the entirety of the film, people ''discuss'' what God said. Finally, at the film's end, people the world over gather 'round their radios to hear God's seventh message; the scene is given a huge build-up, with the strong implication that we, the audience, will finally ''ourselves'' get to hear the message. At last the announcer intones reverently, "Ladies and gentlemen, [[TitleDrop the next voice you hear]] will be the voice of God." There's a lengthy pause ... and then the announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the seventh day. We must presume that God is resting."
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* In ''The Next Voice You Hear'' ''Film/TheNextVoiceYouHear'' (1950), God pre-empts radio programs all over the world for six consecutive days to address the human race. The audience never gets to hear what God said. For the entirety of the film, people ''discuss'' what God said. Finally, at the film's end, people the world over gather 'round their radios to hear God's seventh message; the scene is given a huge build-up, with the strong implication that we, the audience, will finally ''ourselves'' get to hear the message. At last the announcer intones reverently, "Ladies and gentlemen, [[TitleDrop the next voice you hear]] will be the voice of God." There's a lengthy pause ... and then the announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the seventh day. We must presume that God is resting."
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* ''Film/{{Lambchops}}'': Gracie Allen wants to tell a story, but Creator/GeorgeBurns won't let her as her stories tend to be really dirty. He insists on having her whisper it into his ear instead. She does so, giggling all the while. After she's done, George makes a face and says goodbye to the audience, and the movie ends.
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* ''Film/{{Lambchops}}'': Gracie Allen Creator/GracieAllen wants to tell a story, but Creator/GeorgeBurns won't let her as her stories tend to be really dirty. He insists on having her whisper it into his ear instead. She does so, giggling all the while. After she's done, George makes a face and says goodbye to the audience, and the movie ends.
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* Hal Hartley's ''Film/HenryFool'' has a character who writes a literary work of life-changing brilliance, which we never get to hear/read. Also understandable considering how much of an effect it is supposed to have on people who read it. One person commits suicide, one woman's period is brought on early, and one person breaks out into a sad song. Henry Fool's work is also the trope, but for a [[BrownNote totally different reason]].
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* Hal Hartley's ''Film/HenryFool'' ''Henry Fool'' has a character who writes a literary work of life-changing brilliance, which we never get to hear/read. Also understandable considering how much of an effect it is supposed to have on people who read it. One person commits suicide, one woman's period is brought on early, and one person breaks out into a sad song. Henry Fool's work is also the trope, but for a [[BrownNote totally different reason]].
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* In ''Film/TheNextVoiceYouHear'' (1950), God pre-empts radio programs all over the world for six consecutive days to address the human race. The audience never gets to hear what God said. For the entirety of the film, people ''discuss'' what God said. Finally, at the film's end, people the world over gather 'round their radios to hear God's seventh message; the scene is given a huge build-up, with the strong implication that we, the audience, will finally ''ourselves'' get to hear the message. At last the announcer intones reverently, "Ladies and gentlemen, [[TitleDrop the next voice you hear]] will be the voice of God." There's a lengthy pause ... and then the announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the seventh day. We must presume that God is resting."
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* In ''Film/TheNextVoiceYouHear'' ''The Next Voice You Hear'' (1950), God pre-empts radio programs all over the world for six consecutive days to address the human race. The audience never gets to hear what God said. For the entirety of the film, people ''discuss'' what God said. Finally, at the film's end, people the world over gather 'round their radios to hear God's seventh message; the scene is given a huge build-up, with the strong implication that we, the audience, will finally ''ourselves'' get to hear the message. At last the announcer intones reverently, "Ladies and gentlemen, [[TitleDrop the next voice you hear]] will be the voice of God." There's a lengthy pause ... and then the announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the seventh day. We must presume that God is resting."
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* In ''Film/TheImpossibleYears'', the psychologist's older daughter is involved in a protest on campus where she held up a sign saying "Free Speech!" There was something else on the other side; the audience never sees it, but it is something very shocking.
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* In ''Film/TheImpossibleYears'', ''The Impossible Years'', the psychologist's older daughter is involved in a protest on campus where she held up a sign saying "Free Speech!" There was something else on the other side; the audience never sees it, but it is something very shocking.
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* Larry Cohen's werewolf movie spoof ''Film/FullMoonHigh'' makes a joke of its own lack of budget for decent special effects by at one point breaking the camera, and having characters tell us about the amazing scene that's happening over a completely black screen.
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* Larry Cohen's werewolf movie spoof ''Film/FullMoonHigh'' ''Full Moon High'' makes a joke of its own lack of budget for decent special effects by at one point breaking the camera, and having characters tell us about the amazing scene that's happening over a completely black screen.
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* Plays a major part in the ending of ''Film/GrizzlyMan''. Audio exists of the fatal bear attack that killed Tim Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie, but the film doesn't play any part of it. Instead, we watch director Creator/WernerHerzog listen to the audio through headphones. The famously unflappable Herzog's stricken expression conveys all we'd need to know about how horrible it is. After the audio ends, he immediately advises the owner of the tape to destroy it without listening to it.
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* Plays a major part in the ending of ''Film/GrizzlyMan''. Audio exists of the fatal bear attack that killed Tim Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie, but the film doesn't play any part of it. Instead, we watch director Creator/WernerHerzog listen to the audio through headphones. The famously unflappable Herzog's [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness stricken expression expression]] conveys all we'd need to know about how horrible it is. After the audio ends, he immediately advises the owner of the tape to destroy it without listening to it.
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* ''Film/FrankensteinIsland'': The storm that wrecked the heroes' balloon and stranded them on the island certainly sounds spectacular. Shame we never saw it. Ditto whatever is under Jocko's EyepatchOfPower. Being shown it was enough to make Curtis recoil in horror, but the audience only gets to the see the back of Jocko's head.
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Characters insisting you [[TakeOurWordForIt take their word for it]] in live-action movies.
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* ''Film/{{Inception}}'' is a good example of how to do this trope well. Near the beginning of the movie, Cobb talks about how it's possible in the dream world to "build cathedrals, entire cities, things that never existed, things that couldn’t exist in the real world." However, the actual dream scenes later on are ultra-realistic and mundane, with the occasional {{Bizarrchitecture}} moment (e.g. the Parisian street scene). This lets the audience know that far more things are possible in the dream world than what is being shown on screen, giving the impression that literally anything could happen next.
* Neil witnesses Victor Kulak rescuing young campers from falling over a waterfall in ''Film/WetHotAmericanSummer'' and simply shouts, "Whoa! Whoa! You're a master! What the! What the fu- you're doing it! You're actually doing it! You saved them! You saved them!" This could also be considered an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome.
* In the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' movie ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', a recorded message ends with the horrible death of the person giving the report at the hands of Reavers, but during this part the camera focuses on the faces of the cast and we only hear the sounds -- and then not even all of them, as Mal shuts off the playback before it goes too far. To be fair, this may be due to keeping the movie below NC-17 -- as Zoe explained in the pilot, Reavers will "rape you to death, eat your flesh, and sew your skin into their clothing. And if you're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order." The message plays again later in front of the operative, who sees the whole thing and then decides to let the crew go and tow them for repairs.
* In ''Film/AllAboutEve'', Eve's on-stage performances are described by the narrator as magnificent, but not a single one of them is actually shown. Then again, most of her screen time is a performance and a damn good one.
* In ''Film/StrangerThanFiction'', the book being written by Emma Thompson's character throughout the movie is supposedly so beautiful that it justifies dying for. It's so beautiful, in fact, that even the person who would have to die agrees [[spoiler:, it helps that his death would save a young boy from being run over by a bus]].
* In ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'', when Adam Maitland asks [[IAmNotShazam Betelgeuse]] if he can be scary, he turns and shows them. The camera shows things sprouting out of his face, but [[TheUnreveal not what his face looks like]]. An actual scary face was created, using several pieces of large animatronics that were filmed separately then overlaid photographically, to make a single, highly detailed, highly articulate monstrosity. Creator/TimBurton eventually decided to scrap it in favor of...nothing (he probably thought NothingIsScarier). Pictures of the pieces can be found on the Internet.
* ''Film/ForrestGump''
** When Forrest delivers a short speech on Vietnam, his microphone gets unplugged, so we can't hear it. Abbie Hoffman, the only person close enough to hear what Forrest actually said, is reduced to tears, saying, "You said it, man! You said it all!" Apparently the words we see Tom Hanks mouth are, "Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don't go home at all. That's a bad thing. That's all I have to say about that."
** Also done with the wound on his buttocks, which Forrest shows to [=LBJ=] in full view of the cameras. His mother is shocked, but the President just says, "Goddamn, son."
* ''Film/KillList'' is not a film that shies away from showing brutal violence onscreen (in [[DaylightHorror broad daylight]], no less), so when it chooses not to show what is heavily implied to be a SnuffFilm, but just Jay's disgusted and horrified reaction to it, the audience knows it must be really bad.
* In ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', Chilton has that great speech about Lecter, ending in, "When the nurse leaned over him, he did this to her," and hands Clarice a photo. All we see is Clarice's expression of shock, and then Chilton adds, "His pulse never got above 85. Even when he ate her tongue." We ''do'' see footage of the attack, however, in ''Hannibal''.
* In ''Film/WaynesWorld'', Garth's rant at Wayne, triggered by the latter walking off the set of the TV program he was hosting with the former, is 95% obscured by the noise of a passenger jet coming in for a landing not far behind them, except for the bit at the end: "... until the handle breaks off and they have to find a doctor to pull it out!" It is clear that Wayne hears it just fine, though, to judge by his expression of astonishment throughout and his response: "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?!"
* In ''Mr Frost'', the titular character's psychiatrist receives a videotape from the police detective who originally captured the mass-murderer. We never see the tape, only the psychiatrist's reaction to it.
* The audience never sees the glowing object in Marsellus Wallace's briefcase in ''Film/PulpFiction.'' One character asks, "Is that what I think it is?" Judging by the reactions of all who see it, it's pretty fantastic.
* We never see the eponymous character in ''Film/RosemarysBaby'', probably because it is the Spawn of the Devil himself. One character states, "He has his father's eyes."
* In ''Film/TheIpcressFile'', both Ross and Dalby remark that Dalby doesn't have Ross' sense of humour, which is nowhere in evidence.
* Subverted in ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'' when Ben Stiller's character gets his genitals caught in the zipper of his fly. The results are only visible to several characters, and each gives a flamboyantly shocked reaction. Just when it looks pretty clear that the film is going to leave it up to the audience's imagination, it flashes an [[{{Squick}} extreme close-up shot of the whole thing]]. [[TooMuchInformation They should have let us take their word for it!]]
* Used for excellent dramatic effect in ''Film/TheThirdMan''. Holly is finally convinced that his friend Harry Lime is completely evil and needs to be killed when he sees some of the children who took Lime's phony black-market penicillin. We don't see the children, but from Holly's reaction it isn't pretty, and probably far beyond what could be depicted onscreen at the time anyway.
* Used and then inverted in the [[TheMovie feature version]] of ''Series/UpPompeii''. References are made to some erotic frescoes in a Roman building, but they cannot be seen. Then, in the final scene, Frankie Howerd gives in and says "Oh, go on then" and the frescoes are shown over the closing credits. They're not actually that erotic, which is not surprising considering that the film was R-rated when it was released in 1971.
* In Creator/DorothyLSayers' ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'' novel ''Murder Must Advertise'', an advertisement has to be changed at the last second because, while the illustration and the headline are ''individually'' inoffensive, put them together and they somehow become indelicate. In the book we get the headline ("Are you taking too much out of yourself?") and a description of the illustration ("A (male epithet) and a (female epithet) who look as though they'd been making a night of it"), but when the BBC made a movie of the book, they pointedly did ''not'' let the camera ever see the illustration in question.
* Hal Hartley's ''Film/HenryFool'' has a character who writes a literary work of life-changing brilliance, which we never get to hear/read. Also understandable considering how much of an effect it is supposed to have on people who read it. One person commits suicide, one woman's period is brought on early, and one person breaks out into a sad song. Henry Fool's work is also the trope, but for a [[BrownNote totally different reason]].
* Guy Ritchie's ''Film/RockNRolla''. The painting that is a main plot point of the film is ''never shown''. From the reactions of several of the characters, one would assume that it is very beautiful, even to serious gangsters.
* In ''Film/ClerksII'', Elias tells Randall about his girlfriend's "pussy troll". According to Creator/KevinSmith, the studio wanted him to film a pussy troll, but he told them nothing he could come up with would be nearly as funny as what the audience is imagining.
* In ''Film/TheNextVoiceYouHear'' (1950), God pre-empts radio programs all over the world for six consecutive days to address the human race. The audience never gets to hear what God said. For the entirety of the film, people ''discuss'' what God said. Finally, at the film's end, people the world over gather 'round their radios to hear God's seventh message; the scene is given a huge build-up, with the strong implication that we, the audience, will finally ''ourselves'' get to hear the message. At last the announcer intones reverently, "Ladies and gentlemen, [[TitleDrop the next voice you hear]] will be the voice of God." There's a lengthy pause ... and then the announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the seventh day. We must presume that God is resting."
* In ''Film/{{Dogma}}'', Bartleby and Loki enter a board meeting for the presidential staff of Mooby's, and go around the table, listing off all their sins. One of the members is so 'disgusting', Bartleby whispers it into the president's ear, then leans back, allowing Loki to say, "You're his father, you sick fuck!"
* In ''Film/TheImpossibleYears'', the psychologist's older daughter is involved in a protest on campus where she held up a sign saying "Free Speech!" There was something else on the other side; the audience never sees it, but it is something very shocking.
* In the French comedy ''Film/TheWingOrTheThigh'', Creator/LouisDeFunes' character and his sidekick research a factory of an evil fast-food magnate, where they find among other things, chicken bred to cube form. But we only see their faces when they make the discovery.
* Used to haunting effect near the end of the film ''Film/TheMessenger''.
* Larry Cohen's werewolf movie spoof ''Film/FullMoonHigh'' makes a joke of its own lack of budget for decent special effects by at one point breaking the camera, and having characters tell us about the amazing scene that's happening over a completely black screen.
* At the beginning of ''Film/WhenAStrangerCalls'', the police arrive to find the remains of the serial killer's latest victim, and not only does the detective put his hand to his mouth in horror, but we are also told soon after that ''no'' weapons were used.
* Whatever Samara[=/=]Sadako does[=/=]shows to her victims to leave them looking [[NightmareFace like that]] in ''Film/TheRing'' and ''Ringu''. One of the milder instances occurs in ''Film/TheRingTwo'', where a Samara-possessed Aidan apparently psychically shows a child psychiatrist ''something'' that makes her commit suicide by air embolism.
* In Film/LaVieEnRose, the audience doesn't actually hear Edith Piaf sing in her breakthrough performance (though we do in all other performances in the movie)- just the piano, and we see Marion Cotillard mime the songs (actually, all the performances were dubbed by a sound-a-like). At one point we also here the audience laughing.
* Babydoll's dancing in ''Film/SuckerPunch'' is never seen, covered instead by the bizarre metaphorical battle sequences.
* Deliberately invoked during the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' films in regards to John Connor's tenure as leader of the Resistance. During the first three films and [[Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles the television series]], every character who comes back from the future is in awe when they talk about John Connor's legendary combat prowess and leadership skills and are willing to throw down their lives at the drop of a hat to protect him. In flash-forwards, of the two times the audience ever sees Connor, he's looking through a pair of binoculars at a ragtag Resistance outpost, and cheering on his soldiers after the Battle of Crystal Peak. ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'' toyed with this - John Connor is serving as an ineffectual lieutenant midway through the Future War, and never gets a chance to take true command until the last major battle sequence.
* For fairly obvious reasons, the audience of ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' doesn't get to experience the odor of the [[PlaceWorseThanDeath Bog of Eternal Stench]] themselves.
* When ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray'' was adapted into a film in 1945, UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode dictated that Dorian's perversions and debaucheries couldn't even be named, let alone shown or described, so the narrator just tells the viewer that he has done such terrible things that he is a social outcast among most everyone who isn't blinded by the idea that BeautyEqualsGoodness.
* ''Film/EaglesGathered'' makes heavy use of this trope to portray some of the stranger aspects of the underworld, including the Bush, which destroys anyone who looks at it.
* In ''Film/TheGodfather'', the grotesque state of [[spoiler:Sonny's corpse]] is not fully shown to the audience, but the reaction shots and the terrific acting of Marlon Brando [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTxIyXk0soE say it all]].
-->'''Vito:''' Look how they massacred [[spoiler:my boy]].
* During the infamous [[TeleporterAccident transporter room scene]] form ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', we can see hints of the BodyHorror being inflicted on the two victims, but it's the unseen Starfleet transporter technician's shocked report which really drives that horror home:
-->'''Transporter Chief''': ''Enterprise'', what we got back didn't live long. ''Fortunately''.
* Plays a major part in the ending of ''Film/GrizzlyMan''. Audio exists of the fatal bear attack that killed Tim Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie, but the film doesn't play any part of it. Instead, we watch director Creator/WernerHerzog listen to the audio through headphones. The famously unflappable Herzog's stricken expression conveys all we'd need to know about how horrible it is. After the audio ends, he immediately advises the owner of the tape to destroy it without listening to it.
* In ''Film/WhatsLoveGotToDoWithIt'', the mother of Ike's two older sons, Laraine, locks herself in the bathroom after discovering his and Tina's affair and shoots herself. We never see the aftermath of it all, thankfully and we soon discover that it was not a headshot, but based on everyone's horrified reactions upon breaking down the door, it was still a nasty mess.
* We never learn what was in [[NoNameGiven the hostess']] refrigerator in ''Film/CantHardlyWait''. She screams at the discovery and is disgusted with it and whoever did it, while party guests peek inside and giggle at whatever it was.
* Although much of the plot of ''Film/MeetMeInStLouis'' surrounded around the family attending The World's Fair and they do eventually go by the end of the film, ultimately, we never actually see the event itself.
* ''Film/{{Lambchops}}'': Gracie Allen wants to tell a story, but Creator/GeorgeBurns won't let her as her stories tend to be really dirty. He insists on having her whisper it into his ear instead. She does so, giggling all the while. After she's done, George makes a face and says goodbye to the audience, and the movie ends.
* ''Film/CatPeople'' is famous for suggesting the threatening creatures by reaction, sound, and shadows, rather than showing them. This may partly be due to its minimal budget (less than $150,000 in 1942).
* In ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', the last we see of Deiter is him being brought down by a compy mob and his blood turning a stream red as the camera pans away. Roland later remarks that the search party found Deiter's body, but "only the parts they didn't like".
* ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'':
-->'''David St. Hubbins''': He died in a bizarre gardening accident.\\
'''Nigel Tufnel''': Authorities said, you know, best leave it... unsolved.
* In the film version of ''Film/TheMartian'', when the stranded Watney expresses frustration at NASA, they advise him to watch his language because everyone on Earth can see what he's typing. Watney then types ''something'' that yields groans from the officials and the United States President calling the head of NASA over it.[[note]]In the book ''Literature/TheMartian'', it was an ASCII pair of boobs.[[/note]]
* Dodge's infamous "Welcome Aboard" tattoo in ''Film/DownPeriscope''. Showing a penis clearly enough for the tattoo to be readable would definitely have not allowed the film to get a [=PG-13=] rating.
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* ''Film/{{Inception}}'' is a good example of how to do this trope well. Near the beginning of the movie, Cobb talks about how it's possible in the dream world to "build cathedrals, entire cities, things that never existed, things that couldn’t exist in the real world." However, the actual dream scenes later on are ultra-realistic and mundane, with the occasional {{Bizarrchitecture}} moment (e.g. the Parisian street scene). This lets the audience know that far more things are possible in the dream world than what is being shown on screen, giving the impression that literally anything could happen next.
* Neil witnesses Victor Kulak rescuing young campers from falling over a waterfall in ''Film/WetHotAmericanSummer'' and simply shouts, "Whoa! Whoa! You're a master! What the! What the fu- you're doing it! You're actually doing it! You saved them! You saved them!" This could also be considered an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome.
* In the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' movie ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', a recorded message ends with the horrible death of the person giving the report at the hands of Reavers, but during this part the camera focuses on the faces of the cast and we only hear the sounds -- and then not even all of them, as Mal shuts off the playback before it goes too far. To be fair, this may be due to keeping the movie below NC-17 -- as Zoe explained in the pilot, Reavers will "rape you to death, eat your flesh, and sew your skin into their clothing. And if you're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order." The message plays again later in front of the operative, who sees the whole thing and then decides to let the crew go and tow them for repairs.
* In ''Film/AllAboutEve'', Eve's on-stage performances are described by the narrator as magnificent, but not a single one of them is actually shown. Then again, most of her screen time is a performance and a damn good one.
* In ''Film/StrangerThanFiction'', the book being written by Emma Thompson's character throughout the movie is supposedly so beautiful that it justifies dying for. It's so beautiful, in fact, that even the person who would have to die agrees [[spoiler:, it helps that his death would save a young boy from being run over by a bus]].
* In ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'', when Adam Maitland asks [[IAmNotShazam Betelgeuse]] if he can be scary, he turns and shows them. The camera shows things sprouting out of his face, but [[TheUnreveal not what his face looks like]]. An actual scary face was created, using several pieces of large animatronics that were filmed separately then overlaid photographically, to make a single, highly detailed, highly articulate monstrosity. Creator/TimBurton eventually decided to scrap it in favor of...nothing (he probably thought NothingIsScarier). Pictures of the pieces can be found on the Internet.
* ''Film/ForrestGump''
** When Forrest delivers a short speech on Vietnam, his microphone gets unplugged, so we can't hear it. Abbie Hoffman, the only person close enough to hear what Forrest actually said, is reduced to tears, saying, "You said it, man! You said it all!" Apparently the words we see Tom Hanks mouth are, "Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs. Sometimes they don't go home at all. That's a bad thing. That's all I have to say about that."
** Also done with the wound on his buttocks, which Forrest shows to [=LBJ=] in full view of the cameras. His mother is shocked, but the President just says, "Goddamn, son."
* ''Film/KillList'' is not a film that shies away from showing brutal violence onscreen (in [[DaylightHorror broad daylight]], no less), so when it chooses not to show what is heavily implied to be a SnuffFilm, but just Jay's disgusted and horrified reaction to it, the audience knows it must be really bad.
* In ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', Chilton has that great speech about Lecter, ending in, "When the nurse leaned over him, he did this to her," and hands Clarice a photo. All we see is Clarice's expression of shock, and then Chilton adds, "His pulse never got above 85. Even when he ate her tongue." We ''do'' see footage of the attack, however, in ''Hannibal''.
* In ''Film/WaynesWorld'', Garth's rant at Wayne, triggered by the latter walking off the set of the TV program he was hosting with the former, is 95% obscured by the noise of a passenger jet coming in for a landing not far behind them, except for the bit at the end: "... until the handle breaks off and they have to find a doctor to pull it out!" It is clear that Wayne hears it just fine, though, to judge by his expression of astonishment throughout and his response: "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?!"
* In ''Mr Frost'', the titular character's psychiatrist receives a videotape from the police detective who originally captured the mass-murderer. We never see the tape, only the psychiatrist's reaction to it.
* The audience never sees the glowing object in Marsellus Wallace's briefcase in ''Film/PulpFiction.'' One character asks, "Is that what I think it is?" Judging by the reactions of all who see it, it's pretty fantastic.
* We never see the eponymous character in ''Film/RosemarysBaby'', probably because it is the Spawn of the Devil himself. One character states, "He has his father's eyes."
* In ''Film/TheIpcressFile'', both Ross and Dalby remark that Dalby doesn't have Ross' sense of humour, which is nowhere in evidence.
* Subverted in ''Film/TheresSomethingAboutMary'' when Ben Stiller's character gets his genitals caught in the zipper of his fly. The results are only visible to several characters, and each gives a flamboyantly shocked reaction. Just when it looks pretty clear that the film is going to leave it up to the audience's imagination, it flashes an [[{{Squick}} extreme close-up shot of the whole thing]]. [[TooMuchInformation They should have let us take their word for it!]]
* Used for excellent dramatic effect in ''Film/TheThirdMan''. Holly is finally convinced that his friend Harry Lime is completely evil and needs to be killed when he sees some of the children who took Lime's phony black-market penicillin. We don't see the children, but from Holly's reaction it isn't pretty, and probably far beyond what could be depicted onscreen at the time anyway.
* Used and then inverted in the [[TheMovie feature version]] of ''Series/UpPompeii''. References are made to some erotic frescoes in a Roman building, but they cannot be seen. Then, in the final scene, Frankie Howerd gives in and says "Oh, go on then" and the frescoes are shown over the closing credits. They're not actually that erotic, which is not surprising considering that the film was R-rated when it was released in 1971.
* In Creator/DorothyLSayers' ''Literature/LordPeterWimsey'' novel ''Murder Must Advertise'', an advertisement has to be changed at the last second because, while the illustration and the headline are ''individually'' inoffensive, put them together and they somehow become indelicate. In the book we get the headline ("Are you taking too much out of yourself?") and a description of the illustration ("A (male epithet) and a (female epithet) who look as though they'd been making a night of it"), but when the BBC made a movie of the book, they pointedly did ''not'' let the camera ever see the illustration in question.
* Hal Hartley's ''Film/HenryFool'' has a character who writes a literary work of life-changing brilliance, which we never get to hear/read. Also understandable considering how much of an effect it is supposed to have on people who read it. One person commits suicide, one woman's period is brought on early, and one person breaks out into a sad song. Henry Fool's work is also the trope, but for a [[BrownNote totally different reason]].
* Guy Ritchie's ''Film/RockNRolla''. The painting that is a main plot point of the film is ''never shown''. From the reactions of several of the characters, one would assume that it is very beautiful, even to serious gangsters.
* In ''Film/ClerksII'', Elias tells Randall about his girlfriend's "pussy troll". According to Creator/KevinSmith, the studio wanted him to film a pussy troll, but he told them nothing he could come up with would be nearly as funny as what the audience is imagining.
* In ''Film/TheNextVoiceYouHear'' (1950), God pre-empts radio programs all over the world for six consecutive days to address the human race. The audience never gets to hear what God said. For the entirety of the film, people ''discuss'' what God said. Finally, at the film's end, people the world over gather 'round their radios to hear God's seventh message; the scene is given a huge build-up, with the strong implication that we, the audience, will finally ''ourselves'' get to hear the message. At last the announcer intones reverently, "Ladies and gentlemen, [[TitleDrop the next voice you hear]] will be the voice of God." There's a lengthy pause ... and then the announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the seventh day. We must presume that God is resting."
* In ''Film/{{Dogma}}'', Bartleby and Loki enter a board meeting for the presidential staff of Mooby's, and go around the table, listing off all their sins. One of the members is so 'disgusting', Bartleby whispers it into the president's ear, then leans back, allowing Loki to say, "You're his father, you sick fuck!"
* In ''Film/TheImpossibleYears'', the psychologist's older daughter is involved in a protest on campus where she held up a sign saying "Free Speech!" There was something else on the other side; the audience never sees it, but it is something very shocking.
* In the French comedy ''Film/TheWingOrTheThigh'', Creator/LouisDeFunes' character and his sidekick research a factory of an evil fast-food magnate, where they find among other things, chicken bred to cube form. But we only see their faces when they make the discovery.
* Used to haunting effect near the end of the film ''Film/TheMessenger''.
* Larry Cohen's werewolf movie spoof ''Film/FullMoonHigh'' makes a joke of its own lack of budget for decent special effects by at one point breaking the camera, and having characters tell us about the amazing scene that's happening over a completely black screen.
* At the beginning of ''Film/WhenAStrangerCalls'', the police arrive to find the remains of the serial killer's latest victim, and not only does the detective put his hand to his mouth in horror, but we are also told soon after that ''no'' weapons were used.
* Whatever Samara[=/=]Sadako does[=/=]shows to her victims to leave them looking [[NightmareFace like that]] in ''Film/TheRing'' and ''Ringu''. One of the milder instances occurs in ''Film/TheRingTwo'', where a Samara-possessed Aidan apparently psychically shows a child psychiatrist ''something'' that makes her commit suicide by air embolism.
* In Film/LaVieEnRose, the audience doesn't actually hear Edith Piaf sing in her breakthrough performance (though we do in all other performances in the movie)- just the piano, and we see Marion Cotillard mime the songs (actually, all the performances were dubbed by a sound-a-like). At one point we also here the audience laughing.
* Babydoll's dancing in ''Film/SuckerPunch'' is never seen, covered instead by the bizarre metaphorical battle sequences.
* Deliberately invoked during the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' films in regards to John Connor's tenure as leader of the Resistance. During the first three films and [[Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles the television series]], every character who comes back from the future is in awe when they talk about John Connor's legendary combat prowess and leadership skills and are willing to throw down their lives at the drop of a hat to protect him. In flash-forwards, of the two times the audience ever sees Connor, he's looking through a pair of binoculars at a ragtag Resistance outpost, and cheering on his soldiers after the Battle of Crystal Peak. ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'' toyed with this - John Connor is serving as an ineffectual lieutenant midway through the Future War, and never gets a chance to take true command until the last major battle sequence.
* For fairly obvious reasons, the audience of ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'' doesn't get to experience the odor of the [[PlaceWorseThanDeath Bog of Eternal Stench]] themselves.
* When ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray'' was adapted into a film in 1945, UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode dictated that Dorian's perversions and debaucheries couldn't even be named, let alone shown or described, so the narrator just tells the viewer that he has done such terrible things that he is a social outcast among most everyone who isn't blinded by the idea that BeautyEqualsGoodness.
* ''Film/EaglesGathered'' makes heavy use of this trope to portray some of the stranger aspects of the underworld, including the Bush, which destroys anyone who looks at it.
* In ''Film/TheGodfather'', the grotesque state of [[spoiler:Sonny's corpse]] is not fully shown to the audience, but the reaction shots and the terrific acting of Marlon Brando [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTxIyXk0soE say it all]].
-->'''Vito:''' Look how they massacred [[spoiler:my boy]].
* During the infamous [[TeleporterAccident transporter room scene]] form ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', we can see hints of the BodyHorror being inflicted on the two victims, but it's the unseen Starfleet transporter technician's shocked report which really drives that horror home:
-->'''Transporter Chief''': ''Enterprise'', what we got back didn't live long. ''Fortunately''.
* Plays a major part in the ending of ''Film/GrizzlyMan''. Audio exists of the fatal bear attack that killed Tim Treadwell and his girlfriend Amie, but the film doesn't play any part of it. Instead, we watch director Creator/WernerHerzog listen to the audio through headphones. The famously unflappable Herzog's stricken expression conveys all we'd need to know about how horrible it is. After the audio ends, he immediately advises the owner of the tape to destroy it without listening to it.
* In ''Film/WhatsLoveGotToDoWithIt'', the mother of Ike's two older sons, Laraine, locks herself in the bathroom after discovering his and Tina's affair and shoots herself. We never see the aftermath of it all, thankfully and we soon discover that it was not a headshot, but based on everyone's horrified reactions upon breaking down the door, it was still a nasty mess.
* We never learn what was in [[NoNameGiven the hostess']] refrigerator in ''Film/CantHardlyWait''. She screams at the discovery and is disgusted with it and whoever did it, while party guests peek inside and giggle at whatever it was.
* Although much of the plot of ''Film/MeetMeInStLouis'' surrounded around the family attending The World's Fair and they do eventually go by the end of the film, ultimately, we never actually see the event itself.
* ''Film/{{Lambchops}}'': Gracie Allen wants to tell a story, but Creator/GeorgeBurns won't let her as her stories tend to be really dirty. He insists on having her whisper it into his ear instead. She does so, giggling all the while. After she's done, George makes a face and says goodbye to the audience, and the movie ends.
* ''Film/CatPeople'' is famous for suggesting the threatening creatures by reaction, sound, and shadows, rather than showing them. This may partly be due to its minimal budget (less than $150,000 in 1942).
* In ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'', the last we see of Deiter is him being brought down by a compy mob and his blood turning a stream red as the camera pans away. Roland later remarks that the search party found Deiter's body, but "only the parts they didn't like".
* ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap'':
-->'''David St. Hubbins''': He died in a bizarre gardening accident.\\
'''Nigel Tufnel''': Authorities said, you know, best leave it... unsolved.
* In the film version of ''Film/TheMartian'', when the stranded Watney expresses frustration at NASA, they advise him to watch his language because everyone on Earth can see what he's typing. Watney then types ''something'' that yields groans from the officials and the United States President calling the head of NASA over it.[[note]]In the book ''Literature/TheMartian'', it was an ASCII pair of boobs.[[/note]]
* Dodge's infamous "Welcome Aboard" tattoo in ''Film/DownPeriscope''. Showing a penis clearly enough for the tattoo to be readable would definitely have not allowed the film to get a [=PG-13=] rating.
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