History Film / RuthlessPeople

* ReversePsychology: Sort of. Ken lays down a list of things he doesn't want Sam to do, with the warning that if he does any of them, he'll kill Barbara. This includes notifying the police or the press about Barbara's kidnapping. Sam (who's visibly growing more and more ecstatic as Ken rattles off the different things that will get Barbara offed) then proceeds to do ''all of the things''. Bonus: though he doesn't actually appear in the movie, the newsreader who announces Barbara's kidnapping is voiced by the late, great creator/PhilHartman.

* OneDialogueTwoConversations: ''Constantly.'' Wacky misunderstandings are the basis of much of the plot. One of the biggest examples is when Carol and Earl ''think'' they're taping Sam murdering his wife, but instead accidentally the chief of police on tape having sex with a prostitute. When Sam sees the tape, he calls Carol and promises "to do the same to you", which she thinks is a threat, so she sends the tape to the chief of police, who thinks he's being blackmailed.

* {{Irony}}: The only two characters who we actually see commit a crime (as opposed to just ''planning'' one like most of the other characters) are Ken and Sandy, who are also the two nicest and kindest characters in the movie. Everyone else are devious and/or ruthless. Also, they're the only ones who end up successful in what they planned.

* {{Irony}}: The only two characters who we actually see commit a crime (as opposed to just ''planning'' one like most of the other characters) are Ken and Sandy, who are also the two nicest and kindest characters in the movie. Everyone else are devious and/or ruthless. Also, they're the only ones with a KarmaHoudiniWarranty.

* DidntSeeThatComing: Chief Benton plans to plant evidence implicating Sam in Barbara's disappearance, thinking he'd being blackmailed into arresting an innocent man. To his astonishment, his men discover ''real'' evidence implicating Sam--the bottle of chloroform he planned to use, and photos of Sam with Carol.

* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-zagged all over the place.]] Carol tries to have Sam arrested for Barbara's murder, but the Chief of Police misinterprets her request as blackmail, leading to him planting evidence in Sam's house, only to discover ''real'' evidence that Sam had done it. In fact, Sam was technically innocent, but he'd been planning to kill her when she was kidnapped.

* IHaveYourWife: Inverted, as Sam actually wants rid of Barbara anyway.

* {{Irony}}: The only two characters who we actually see commit a crime (as opposed to just ''planning'' one like most of the other characters) are Ken and Sandy, who are also the two nicest and kindest characters in the movie. Everyone else are devious and/or ruthless.

%% Context-free example. Please fix before uncommenting.
%%* MostDefinitelyNotAVillain: Ken and Sandy.

* SpringtimeForHitler: Sam tries to get his wife killed by failing to pay the ransom. It doesn't work.

* SweaterGirl: Carol has a few sweaters.

A modern update of Creator/OHenry's "The Ransom of Red Chief"[[note]]Though Dale Launer, the film's writer, claimed he had based the film on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Hearst abduction of Patty Hearst]], and that any similarities between the film and the short story were coincidental[[/note]], ''Ruthless People'' is a 1986 BlackComedy film that has the distinction if being the only traditional, non-RapidFireComedy by the Creator/ZuckerAbrahamsAndZucker team. It also proved to be the last time all three men would direct as a trio.

A modern update of Creator/OHenry's ''The Ransom of Red Chief''[[note]]Though Dale Launer, the film's writer, claimed he had based the film on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Hearst abduction of Patty Hearst]], and that any similarities between the film and the short story were coincidental[[/note]], and the only traditional, non-RapidFireComedy by the Creator/ZuckerAbrahamsAndZucker team. It also proved to be the last time all three men would direct as a trio.

* YouCanKeepHer: A classic example. Given how much Sam hates Barbara and wants to be rid of her, he makes absolutely no attempt to cooperate with Ken and Sandy (in fact, he actively ''antagonizes'' them) in the hopes that they actually kill Barbara. This backfires when he's arrested on suspicion of murdering Barbara and suddenly needs her alive again to prove otherwise.

* YouCanKeepHer: A classic example. Given how much Sam hates Barbara and wants to be rid of her, he makes absolutely no attempt to cooperate with Ken and Sandy (in fact, he actively ''antagonizes'' them) in the hopes that they actually kill Barbara.

-->'''Sam::''' You got no nuts! What do I have to do? Put a gun in your hand, aim and ''pull your finger down'', you spineless wimp?! '''I dare you to kill her!''' ''(slams phone down)'' Now ''that'' oughta do it!

-->'''Sam::''' You got no nuts! What do I have to do? Put a gun in your hand, aim and ''pull your finger down'', you spineless wimp?! '''''I dare you to kill her!''' ''(slams phone down)'' Now ''that'' oughta do it!

-->'''Sam::''' You got no nuts! What do I have to do? Put a gun in your hand, aim and ''pull your finger down'', you spineless wimp?! '''''I dare you to kill her!''' (slams phone down)'' Now that oughta do it!

* AnimatedCreditsOpening: The opening credits, designed by renowned indie animator Sally Cruikshank, are a clever series of ruthless acts, like stabbing, poisoning, arson, etc.

* [[ItsXIHateX It's X, I Hate X]]: The serial killer tells [[spoiler: Barbara]] "You look like my mother. I ''hate'' my mother."
** Followed shortly thereafter with [[spoiler: Ken]] “You. You look just like my father. ''I hate my father!''

* DescriptionCut: When Barbara arrives at her kidnappers' home.
--> '''Barbara''': MY HUSBAND WORSHIPS THE GROUND I WALK ON! WHEN HE HEARS ABOUT THIS, HE WILL EXPLODE!!
--> *cut to Sam, popping open a champagne bottle*
--> '''Sam''': [cackles, pours] Bye bye, Barbara!

* YourCheatingHeart: As mentioned above, Police Chief Benton employs the services of a hooker as he doesn't like how his wife is in bed and [[spoiler:and goes along Carol and Earl's attempts to "blackmail" him when they sent him a tape of what they think was Sam killing Barbara -- because it was really of Benton's fling with the hooker. This ends up going to no avail as when the two realize what's really on the tape, as mentioned in "Funny Background Event", Benton's wife is among those who see the tape.]]

* YourCheatingHeart: As mentioned above, Police Chief Benton employs the services of a hooker as he doesn't like how his wife is in bed and [[spoiler:and goes along Carol and Earl's attempts to "blackmail" him when they sent him a tape of what they think was Sam killing Barbara -- because it was really of his fling with the hooker. This ends up going to no avail as when the two realize what's really on the tape, as mentioned in "Funny Background Event", Benton's wife is among those who see the tape.]]

** When the Benton video is played on department store televisions, an offscreen woman can be heard exclaiming, "That's my husband!"
*** Mrs Benton, I presume?

* {{Blackmail}}: Carol and Earl try to do this with Sam at first, planning to tape him murdering his wife. Except Earl didn't bother to watch what he was taping and they ended up a video of [[AutoErotica something else instead]]. [[spoiler:Ironically, they unintentionally do this to the chief of police when they send him the tape, still thinking it was Sam killing Barbara, as the tape was really of the chief, a married man, boning a hooker.]]

* {{Blackmail}}: Carol and Earl try to do this with Sam at first, planning to tape him murdering his wife. Except Earl didn't bother to watch what he was taping and they ended up a video of [[AutoErotica something else instead]].

-->'''Sam:''' Low?

-->'''Ken:''' Yes, you do!

* BeeBeeGun: At one point, after learning of Sam's infidelity and his refusal to pay the ransom, Barbara fantasizes punishing him by covering with honey and taking him to a bee farm.

--->'''Ken:''' What can we deprive Sam of that would really get to the core of his being?