- Alternative Character Interpretation: Some fans view Ruth as a Big Good figure taking necessary steps to protect the freaks, while others see her as a borderline terrorist.
- Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: During the road trip, Granny and the Fre- er, Unique Individuals drown out the sounds of Susan screaming in pain from contractions by singing Lloyd Price's "Personality"—complete with in-house brass accompaniment!
- Ensemble Dark Horse: In the third movie, Seemingly-Wholesome '50s Girl Opal achieves this status after the out-of-nowhere scene where she reveals her dominatrix fantasies toward Duane and then gets a Grounded Forever punishment when her dad walks in.
- Jerkass Woobie: There's really no excuse for Belial raping and killing Sharon, but it's difficult not to feel sorry for him after he was forcefully separated from Duane without either wanting to be separated.
- Memetic Mutation: The choking scene from the third film, especially the line dropped by the cop.
- Narm: The aforementioned scene has a very infamous line dropped by a cop: OH JESUS GOOOOooooood!!!
- Sequelitis: A good percentage of the fanbase ignores that there is a 2nd and 3rd movie.
- Special Effect Failure:
- Especially obvious in the infamous scene where Belial goes on a rampage inside Duane's rented room.
- The sequels introduce new "freaks", who are mostly played by people wearing masks.
- The Mook Horror Show deaths of the deputies are stunningly artificial and unconvincing Narm, particularly the strangulation of the first one to die.
