History Main / NooseCatch

* In the 2009 film ''Film/SherlockHolmes'', Lord Blackwood falls and is hanged by chains.

* ''[[VideoGame/ModernWarfare Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3]]'' features this happening to [[spoiler:Makarov, the series' BigBad]].

* The climactic fight of ''Film/AirForceOne'' ends with the baddie shoved off the plane by the [[AuthortyEqualsAsskicking President]], with a cargo strap wrapped around his neck.

* Clayton's death in ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'', where he falls out of a tree and is hanged by some vines that had earlier wrapped around his neck.

* Clayton's death in ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'', where he falls out of a tree and is hanged on vines below.

Ofttimes, a villain shall [[DisneyVillainDeath tumble forth]] [[GravityIsAHarshMistress from a high place]], never again to be seen. For many reasons, this allows TheHero to remain [[ThouShaltNotKill virtuous and ethical]]. However, sometimes, this is simply not ''quite'' enough.

Perhaps they can [[SoftWater swim]].

Perhaps one is worried that they'll [[NeverFoundTheBody never find the body]]. They ''definitely'' want him ''[[KilledOffForReal gone]]''.

Or perhaps he's just ''really'' evil, yet [[NotProven no court will find him guilty]].

When one of these annoying problems poses itself, there ''is'' a solution; NooseCatch.

This is when a (character, usually a) villain falls from something rather tall, such as a tree, a cliff, a construction site, or a building, and is stopped by some long, thin, dangling object that happens to wrap around his neck. Vines, chains, ropes, most anything will do.

But no, this doesn't ''just'' [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou stop them from falling]]. It also kills them. Sometimes, their neck just ''[[NeckSnap snaps]]''. Otherwise, they get to hang there, dying, as the ropes ''slowly'' chokes them to death...

This is commonly used as something like an IronicDeath, as you may have avoided being hanged due to a normal trial, due to [[NotProven lack of evidence]] or [[OffOnATechnicality a broken court system]], but you still get to be hanged by "other" means. Fate can truly be a cruel mistress. Similarly, it could be the VigilanteMan taking matters into [[JudgeJuryAndExecutioner their own hands]]. Because really, many fatal falls only needed a neatly placed ''push''.

'''As this is a DeathTrope, all Spoilers will be unmarked. Beware.'''

* ''Film/TheGoldenChild''. One of the BigBad's henchmen had a chain that he used to snare opponents. Near the end of the movie the title character managed to wrap the chain around the henchman's neck. When the henchman fell over a balcony, he ended up being [[HoistByHisOwnPetard hanged by his own chain]].
* The CorruptCorporateExecutive in ''Film/TheIsland'' was hanged with his own grappling hook.
* A variation occurs in the Dutch horror movie ''Film/DeLift'' ("The Elevator" later remade as "Down" and "The Shaft"). As the titular homicidal elevator is destroyed and crashes to the bottom of the shaft, the CorruptCorporateExecutive responsible for its creation gets entangled in the loose cables and is hanged in the elevator shaft.

* Bill Sykes in ''Literature/OliverTwist'' accidently hanged himself while trying to escape out a window; the plan was to have the rope under his ''shoulders'', but he got freaked out and fell out with it around his neck. Possibly the UrExample.

* One adaptation of Two-Face (where he was a stage actor called Harvey Apollo) had him die in this fashion after slipping on his own TwoHeadedCoin and falling from the top of a cinema screen.

* A variation occurs in the Dutch horror movie ''De Lift'' ("The Elevator" later remade as "Down" and "The Shaft"). As the titular homicidal elevator is destroyed and crashes to the bottom of the shaft, the CorruptCorporateExecutive responsible for its creation gets entangled in the loose cables and is hanged in the elevator shaft.

But no, this doesn't ''just'' [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou stop them from falling]]. It also kills them. Sometimes, their neck just ''snaps''. Otherwise, they get to hang there, dying, as the ropes ''slowly'' chokes them to death...

Otherwise, this can be just as easily used in rather the opposite manner, to show that indeed, this villain certainly ''is'' just that evil. To be hanged is often seen as '''''the. most. justice-filled way to die.''''' While [[OffWithHisHead beheading]] is often used to show that the ''executioner'' is pretty much [[ForTheEvulz sadistically]] [[DrunkWithPower evil]]. But with a nice and proper ''hanging'', it's the ''hangee'' that gets the [[DramaticSpotlight Spotlight]] of [[ObviouslyEvil Evil]]. Thusly, it proves beyond a doubt that this villain got ''exactly'' what he deserved.

* One adaptation of Two-Face (where he was a stage actor called Harvey Apollo) had him die in this fashion after slipping on his own two-headed coin and falling from the top of a cinema screen.

* In ''Film/HardCandy'', this is what happens to [[spoiler:Jeff, the pedophile photographer. Hayley, his would-be victim, [[DrivenToSuicide makes him jump from the rooftop]] of his house with a noose around is neck tied to the chimney.]]

* In ''Film/HardCandy'', this is what happens to [[spoiler:Jeff, the pederast photographer. Hayley, his would-be victim, [[DrivenToSuicide drives him to it]].]]

A SubTrope of DisneyVillainDeath. Compare [or contrast, whichever] NoKillLikeOverKill.

* Clayton's death in ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'', where he falls out of a tree and is hung on vines below.

* In the 2009 film ''Film/SherlockHolmes'', Lord Blackwood falls and is hung by chains.

* ''Film/TheGoldenChild''. One of the BigBad's henchmen had a chain that he used to snare opponents. Near the end of the movie the title character managed to wrap the chain around the henchman's neck. When the henchman fell over a balcony, he ended up being [[HoistByHisOwnPetard hung by his own chain]].
* The CorruptCorporateExecutive in ''Film/TheIsland'' was hung with his own grappling hook.
* A variation occurs in the Dutch horror movie ''De Lift'' ("The Elevator" later remade as "Down" and "The Shaft"). As the titular homicidal elevator is destroyed and crashes to the bottom of the shaft, the CorruptCorporateExecutive responsible for its creation gets entangled in the loose cables and is hung in the elevator shaft.

* Bill Sykes in ''Literature/OliverTwist'' accidently hung himself while trying to escape out a window; the plan was to have the rope under his ''shoulders'', but he got freaked out and fell out with it around his neck. Possibly the UrExample.

* The CorruptCorporateExecutive in ''TheIsland'' was hung with his own grappling hook.

* The latest CallOfDuty game, ''ModernWarfare 3'', features this happening to [[spoiler:Makarov, the series' BigBad]].

* In ''HardCandy'', this is what happens to [[spoiler:Jeff, the pederast photographer. Hayley, his would-be victim, [[DrivenToSuicide drives him to it]].]]
* ''TheGoldenChild''. One of the BigBad's henchmen had a chain that he used to snare opponents. Near the end of the movie the title character managed to wrap the chain around the henchman's neck. When the henchman fell over a balcony, he ended up being [[HoistByHisOwnPetard hung by his own chain]].

* Bill Sykes in ''OliverTwist'' accidently hung himself while trying to escape out a window; the plan was to have the rope under his ''shoulders'', but he got freaked out and fell out with it around his neck. Possibly the UrExample.

But no, this doesn't ''just'' [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou stop them from falling]]. It also kills them. Sometimes, their neck just ''[[AccidentalNightmareFuel snaps]]''. Otherwise, they get to hang there, dying, as the ropes ''slowly'' [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel chokes them to death]]...

This is when a (character, usually a) villain falls from something rather tall, such as a tree, a [[CliffsOfInsanity cliff]], a construction site, or a building, and is stopped by some long, thin, dangling object that happens to wrap around his neck. Vines, chains, ropes, most anything will do.

* A variation occurs in the Dutch horror movie ''DeLift'' (The Elevator). As the titular homicidal elevator is destroyed and crashes to the bottom of the shaft, the CorruptCorporateExecutive responsible for its creation gets entangled in the loose cables and is hung in the elevator shaft.

* A minor villain in ''TheIsland'' was hung with his own grappling hook.

Otherwise, this can be just as easily used in rather the opposite manner, to show that indeed, this villain certainly ''is'' just that evil. To be hanged is often seen as '''''the. most. justice-filled way to die.''''' While [[OffWithHisHead beheading]] is often used to show that the ''executioner'' is pretty much [[ForTheEvulz sadistically]] [[DrunkWithPower evil]]. But with a nice and proper ''hanging'', it's the ''hangee'' that gets the [[DramaticSpotlight Spotlight]] of [[Obviously Evil Evil]]. Thusly, it proves beyond a doubt that this villain got ''exactly'' what he deserved.

[[AC:AnimatedFilms]]
* Clayton's death in ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'', where he falls out of a tree and is hung on vines below.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Comic Books}}]]

[[AC:Film -- Animated]]
* Clayton's death in ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}'', where he falls out of a tree and is hung on vines below.

This is when a [character, usually a] villain falls from something rather tall, such as a tree, a [[CliffsOfInsanity cliff]], a construction site, or a building, and is stopped by some long, thin, dangling object that happens to wrap around his neck. Vines, chains, ropes, most anything will do.

This is commonly used as something like an IronicDeath, as you may have avoided being hanged due to a normal trial, due to [[NotProven lack of evidence]] or [[OffOnATechnicality a broken court system]], but you still get to be hanged by "other" means. Fate can truly be a cruel mistress. [[hottip:*:There seems to be quite a few cruel mistresses out there.]] [[hottop:*: Similarly, it could be the VigilanteMan taking matters into [[JudgeJuryAndExecutioner their own hands]]. Because really, many fatal falls only needed a neatly placed ''push''.]]

Otherwise, this can be just as easily used in rather the opposite manner, to show that indeed, this villain certainly ''is'' just that evil. To be hanged[[hottip:*: 'Til death doth ensue,]] is often seen as '''''the. most. justice-filled way to die.''''' While [[OffWithHisHead beheading]] is often used to show that the ''executioner'' is pretty much [[ForTheEvulz sadistically]] [[DrunkWithPower evil]]. But with a nice and proper ''hanging'', it's the ''hangee'' that gets the [[DramaticSpotlight Spotlight]] of [[Obviously Evil Evil]]. Thusly, it proves beyond a doubt that this villain got ''exactly'' what he deserved.

!!!Examples

[[AC:{{Animated Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Litterature}}]]