History Main / ReactionShot

* Happens a few times in the spoof film ''Film/EpicMovie'', especially during the party scene which they hold before the big fight the next day. Two of the orphans, Edward and Lucy, are drinking beer and dancing and are trying to get their sister Susan to drink as well. After a lot of convincing, she agrees to have just one...and then chugs a keg of beer. After that, her stomach starts to gurgle, and she starts to vomit a lot. She pukes all over two guys...TWICE. We cut to reaction shots of them both looking slightly disgusted, followed by her saying [[BlatantLie she's okay.]] She then starts to puke again, covering two more people, again, TWICE, in puke. We cut to Edward who looks freaked out and then cut to her sister Lucy who pukes a bit in her mouth. Susan then burps, clearly not done puking... So she locks lips with a Legolas-Look-alike [[NauseaFuel as she continues to puke down his throat as he struggles.]] We cut to Edward making a disgusted noise while looking away and then cut to Lucy also clearly disgusted and slightly horrified. While this is going on, the fourth orphan, Peter, is dragged into a tent by Mystique, so she can have her way with him. Since she's a shapeshifter, she says she'll change into anything he wants...so he requests [[BreastExpansion bigger boobs]], a larger ass, and a uni-brow. For his final request, he asks for [[ChubbyChaser "Big Flabby Grandma Arms/Bingo Wings like a fat blue Britney Spears."]] After she starts to shapeshift into the last request, we cut to him staring up at her while he's drooling, so that's what he's talking about. After seeing her flapping her bingo wings, we cut back to his reaction again as he yells for her to come to him. He pulls her down and she starts to have her way with him.

[-[[caption-width-right:323:Whenever a new character joined [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits my party]], I ended up dreading the [[TropesAreNotGood extra thirty seconds of "I SEE"]] that were going to be added to [[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn every conversation]].]]-]

'''2.''' When a character (or characters) are shown reacting to something "off camera". Either precedes or precludes a RevealShot. In the latter case it becomes a TakeOurWordForIt. Can be used for laughs as the characters describe what they're seeing. One of the more clever forms of censorship (if you can't show something unspeakable, show people reacting to it and let the audience picture it for themselves!) HeadTiltinglyKinky is an example. The effect can give the offscreen event [[NothingIsScarier more impact]] [[TakeOurWordForIt than a direct depiction]].

* If you rewatch ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', you will notice that Homura gets many reaction shots. Some of these are extreme closeups on her mouth. The shots don't make sense the first time you watch, because you don't know about Homura's backstory yet.

* In ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' story "Pastoral", when Cammie [[FollowTheWhiteRabbit follows the kitten into the barn]], we get a shot of her face, half in shadow, showing her shock; then we get her back in the house working on a new email that shows she's decided [[spoiler:to become a SecretKeeper for Roustabout's SecretIdentity]]. Only after her finishing it do we we get the RevealShot [[spoiler:that shows Roustabout and her cousin kissing]].

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E13Doomsday "Doomsday"]]: When the Doctor discusses the [[GreatOffscreenWar Time War]] and the fall of Arcadia, the camera cuts to Mickey's reaction in particular. Not only is this the first time he's heard about this, he's just spent three years fighting Cybermen. Something in common, at last?

** In "[[Recap/GameOfThronesS3E8SecondSons Second Sons]]", Loras lowers his head after King Joffrey chuckles at Tyrion Lannister for being too short to place a cloak over [[spoiler:Sansa's]] shoulders, unable to hide his exasperation over the boy-king's immaturity.

** During a mocking version of the "War of the Five Kings" with dwarfs, the view switches between the action and a polarized party. Joffrey, Tywin, Cersei, Tommen, Pycelle and the smallfolk find it amusing, while Tyrion, Sansa, Oberyn, Varys and the Tyrells are quietly disgusted or appalled by it. Loras dispenses with the pretension and leaves early on.
** When Joffrey starts abusing Tyrion during his wedding reception, the mood of the entire audience turns stiff and awkward, even including those who were amused by Joffrey's earlier cruel jokes. Tywin in particular is visibly enraged.

* If Creator/MartinFreeman is the king, then Creator/BeaArthur was the queen. According to Creator/NormanLear, "Bea could get more laughs raising her eyebrow than any other actress could with three page of dialogue." Her time on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' used this for all it was worth.

* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' based a well-known sketch around this, as Creator/SteveMartin led a group of yokels staring in befuddled awe at an unseen ''something''. Each in turn tries to guess at what it is, eventually falling back to "What the heck ''is'' that?"

* ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'': In the prologue of the "Handsome Gorilla" event, Lunalu narrates the details of [[YaoiGenre a certain book]] that she read at young age. The camera then zooms in closer to her face, while the player gets treated to a slew of Lunalu's facial reactions as she flips through the pages.

* [=KOing=] a character with a super move in ''VideoGame/JoJosBizarreAdventureHeritageForTheFuture'' ends the match with the usual super finish background but with a slight twist: an image of the shocked and bloodied opponent will flash on screen as well, even showing appropriate damage as well (Such as being cut-in half when killed by Chaka or Black Polnareff's Dimension Slash super, full of holes when killed by Hol Horse's Gun super or DIO's knife throw or bloody when killed by DIO's blood drain super.) The same image also appeas when the opponent falls victim to Kakyoin's Punishment Time super or DIO's blood drain super.

* Most of the, uh, fun of {{shock site}}s comes from watching Website/YouTube videos of people's {{squick}}ed-out reactions.

[-[[caption-width-right:323:Whenever a new character joined [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits my party,]] I ended up dreading the [[TropesAreNotGood extra thirty seconds of "I SEE"]] that were going to be added to [[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn every conversation]].]]-]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/SitaSingsTheBlues'', during Sita's short speech after Ravana has kidnapped her, every sentence is interspersed with the same dramatic cut to Ravana reacting in shock and anger.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

See also: DoubleTake, EyeTake, LoudGulp, ShrugTake, SpitTake, SplitScreenReaction. An extreme form of this, usually reserved for SequentialArt with all but the [[Creator/SteveMartin most]] [[Creator/ChevyChase physical]] [[Creator/JimCarrey of comedians]], is the FaceFault. If a video is made with this trope at its centre, that is ReactionVideo.

In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', after Catalina executed her [[ZanyScheme brilliant plan]] to [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2013-11-01 convince everyone Elliot was straight]] by [[http://www.egscomics.com/comic/2013-11-04 tackle-kissing him in the middle of a crowded hallway,]] we got to see the reactions of several nearby characters. First Susan and Sarah, then Tedd, and finally Ashley. As Ashley hadn't even been named at this point in time, this was an early hint that she would be important later.

** At the end of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E13LastOfTheTimeLords "Last of the Time Lords"]], after Jack reveals his old nickname, Martha and the Doctor's faces slowly change from grinning to "No freaking way" ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny simultaneously]]''.

* ''Series/HigherGround'''s CrowningMomentOfFunny, when Peter and the Cliffhanger girls attempt to make Sophie a birthday cake without a recipe. The cake isn't shown when they first take it out of the oven.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'', after the [[FriendToAllLivingThings woodland creatures help Marge and Homer]] undress. Although nothing is heard or seen, the aghast expressions on their faces tell us more about the Simpsons' love life than we needed to know. Including the young deer's father shielding his child's eyes as a CrowningMomentOfFunny.

'''2.''' When a character (or characters) are shown reacting to something 'off camera.' Either precedes or precludes a RevealShot. In the latter case it becomes a TakeOurWordForIt. Can be used for laughs as the characters describe what they're seeing. One of the more clever forms of censorship (if you can't show something unspeakable, show people reacting to it and let the audience picture it for themselves!) HeadTiltinglyKinky is an example. The effect can give the offscreen event [[NothingIsScarier more impact]] [[TakeOurWordForIt than a direct depiction]].

See also: DoubleTake, EyeTake, LoudGulp, ShrugTake, SpitTake, SplitScreenReaction. An extreme form of this, usually reserved for SequentialArt with all but the [[Creator/SteveMartin most]] [[Creator/ChevyChase physical]] [[Creator/JimCarrey of comedians]], is the FaceFault.

* About half of the anime ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'' seems to be reaction shots (both kinds). When it isn't setting up a RevealShot, it's usually a reaction shot chain -- Lain reacts to a friend, the friend reacts to Lain's reaction, Lain reacts to the reaction to the reaction, and so on.
* ''Manga/RockLeesSpringtimeOfYouth'': Tenten, being the OnlySaneMan, gets these a lot.

* A Type 2 occurs at the end of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}} XYZ'', when Serena bids Ash farewell with a kiss. We [[KissingDiscretionShot don't actually see]] the act in question, but their friends' collective LuminescentBlush instantly gave it away.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* The director of ''Film/{{Once}}'' [[WordOfGod has said]] that although the film is meant to be focused on the two main characters, it's helpful for the audience to occasionally show the reactions of other people to their music.
* In ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries'', Creator/AnneHathaway and Creator/JulieAndrews [[ThrowItIn improvised]] some of Mia's princess lessons. Cutaway reaction shots of the Queen's secretary Charlotte were so often used to break up the improvisations, that the credits give her full name as "Charlotte [[LampshadeHanging Kutaway]]".
* In both versions of ''Film/TheProducers'', the theater audience watching the premiere of "Springtime For Hitler" is a gold mine of these.
* The Gondola Scene from ''Film/{{Moonraker}}'' derives much of its humor from this.

* During the church fight in ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'', the camera pans away to show [[TheAce Eggsy]] and [[BigBad Valentine]] separately reacting in horror and disgust.

* The Crossroads of Twilight from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' series is basically just this whole concept spread out over 700+ pages. Essentially, the major plot twist of the previous book is shown to many different groups of characters just so the reader can see how each of them react.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': At the end of [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E13LastOfTheTimeLords "Last of the Time Lords"]], after Jack reveals his old nickname, Martha and the Doctor's faces slowly change from grinning to "No freaking way" ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny simultaneously]]''.

* ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' spoofs ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' for its [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php?page=0&comic=082712 overuse of these.]]

* In ''WebComic/RustyAndCo'' [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-8-30/ level 8-30,]] there is the audience's reaction to a bloody dismemberment when a troll is lured into a saw blade trap.

[-[[caption-width-right:323:Whenever a new character joined [[RagtagBandOfMisfits my party,]] I ended up dreading the [[TropesAreNotGood extra thirty seconds of "I SEE"]] that were going to be added to [[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn every conversation]].]]-]

* ''Series/CharliesAngels'': In one scene from the "Toni's Boys" episode the trope is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDA4MYH0skE#t=12m39s inverted]] and then [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDA4MYH0skE#t=14m24s played straight]] when Kris [[EatingTheEyeCandy sees]] Bob Sorenson with [[ShirtlessScene his shirt off]] and watches [[ChippendalesDancers Arnie the male stripper]] rehearse.

* ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' spoofs ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' for its [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/index.php?page=0&comic=082712 overuse of these]].
* Junko has some nice reaction shots in [[http://www.megatokyo.com/strip/1164 these]] ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo'' [[http://www.megatokyo.com/strip/1165 strips]].

* In ''WebComic/RustyAndCo'' [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-8-30/ level 8-30]], there is the audience's reaction to a bloody dismemberment when a troll is lured into a saw blade trap.

* ''WebVideo/{{Hadriex}}'': Many reaction shots in his LetsPlays and Reviews, but his most extreme is probably [[http://youtu.be/z5pmxOXixf4?t=1m49s this one]].

[-[[caption-width-right:323:Whenever a new character joined [[RagtagBandOfMisfits my party,]] I ended up dreading the [[TropesAreNotGood extra thirty seconds of "I SEE"]] that were going to be added to every conversation.]]-]

** For ShowAndTell, Bart brings a video of his cat giving birth. We only see the class' squicked-out reaction, and then Bart says "If I hit rewind, I can make them go back in!". Cue ScreamingAtSquick.

* ''Series/OurMissBrooks'': Miss Brooks' reactions are something to see. One notable example is her look of horror in "Home Cooked Meal", as Mr. Conklin's about to light a match in a gas-filled kitchen....

** During the wildfire explosion in "Blackwater," the view switches between the carnage itself and the expressions of the onlookers: Sandor looks genuinely fearful, Tyrion looks remorseful, Joffrey almost smirks, and Pyromancer Hallyne is ''giggling''.

* The last shot of ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' (as a regular series) with Patrick Duffy saying "Oh my god".
* In an episode of ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'', the employees pass around a box containing a birthday present, each in turn reacting and saying what a wonderful gift it is. Mr. Humphreys finally steps through the [[NoFourthWall fourth wall]] and admits, "We're not going to show you what it is."
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' based a well-known sketch around this, as Creator/SteveMartin led a group of yokels staring in befuddled awe at an unseen ''something''. Each in turn tries to guess at what it is, eventually falling back to "What the heck ''is'' that?"
* In the fourth season finale of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', Xander's dream sequence involves heavily tarted-up versions of Willow and Tara kissing... but because girl-on-girl kissing couldn't be shown, we only see Xander's expression, as he's unsure of whether he's more disgusted with himself for looking or turned on by the show, in a very, very long reaction shot with smoochy noises playing on the soundtrack.
* When the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' crew reviewed the trailers for ''Film/TheLostWorldJurassicPark'' they made the claim that the reaction shot is Creator/StevenSpielberg's trademark. They showed all the reaction shots together; the sheer volume was a compelling argument.
** In fact, the Spielberg Reaction Shot or "Spielberg Face" is the subject of a brilliant video essay by Kevin Lee. [[http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2011/12/14/the_spielberg_face_a_brilliant_video_essay_by_kevin_b_lee.html See and read about it here.]]

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', after Jack reveals his old nickname, Martha's and the Doctor's faces slowly change from grinning to "No freaking way" at the [[CrowningMomentOfFunny exact same time]].

* If Creator/MartinFreeman is the king, then Creator/BeaArthur was the queen. According to Creator/NormanLear, "Bea could get more laughs raising her eyebrow than any other actress could with three page of dialogue." Her time on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'' used this for all it was worth.
* ''Series/{{Passions}}'': [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT306gVZizA#t=0m22s The look]] on Sheridan's face when she sees Luis naked after he gets out of the shower.
* ''Average Joe: Hawaii'' has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlJQOo20rNQ#t=7m23s the first type]] of reaction shot when Larissa Meek [[EatingTheEyeCandy watches]] the Hunks [[ShirtlessScene take their shirts off]] for the Shirts vs. Skins dodgeball game.
* ''Series/CharliesAngels'': In one scene from the "Toni's Boys" episode the trope is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDA4MYH0skE#t=12m39s inverted]] and then [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDA4MYH0skE#t=14m24s played straight]] when Kris [[EatingTheEyeCandy sees]] Bob Sorenson with [[ShirtlessScene his shirt off]] and watches [[ChippendalesDancers Arnie the male stripper]] rehearse.
* Based on [[FemaleGaze her body language and eye contact]], the reporter thinks the New Year's Eve reveler [[{{Mooning}} who's mooning her]] in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqAIsmBZbOU#t=0m28s this live report]] has a nice butt.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SitaSingsTheBlues'', during Sita's short speech after Ravana has kidnapped her, every sentence is interspersed with the same dramatic cut to Ravana reacting in shock and anger.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheWeekenders'', "Pru": Pru shows the main characters a room for popular kids. We only see them peering into the room, but also hear them say that there's a tennis court and waterfall in there.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', a game character is faced by a Binome in a trenchcoat. The Binome flashes the player (seen from over the Binome's shoulder), and a second after he opens the coat there's a wet, meaty ''thump'' of something hitting the ground. The player's eyes bulge in horror, he screams and runs away, and the Binome looks over his shoulder to wink at the camera.

** The first type occurrs in the first few Aftermaths. Often it cut to a shot of the non-participating contestants giving an EyeTake or responding nonverbally (ie: crying at Trent's love song or laughing at Owen) to whatever was happening onstage.
* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender,'' this combines with [[ScreamDiscretionShot three]] [[GoryDiscretionShot different]] [[ShadowDiscretionShot kinds]] of DiscretionShot to show us how Zuko got his scar. [[http://piandao.org/screencaps/ep12/ep12-834.png We see]] Iroh [[PapaWolf looking horrified]], Zhao looking [[SmugSnake Smug]], and Azula looking oddly triumphant. It's also early {{Foreshadowing}} that Azula is ''seriously cruel and messed up''.
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Calculon tells his crew to "edit in some reaction shots of [him]" and the shots used are blatantly out of context. One has Bender, indoors, saying something; Calculon somehow reacts to this while lounging on a beach.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'': The episode "[[Recap/TheLooneyTunesShowS2E2YouveGotHateMail You've Got Hate Mail]]" has reaction shots from the characters that WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck accidentally sent insulting e-mails to.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' [[GoryDiscretionShot cuts away]] from the [[OffWithHisHead beheading]] of [[spoiler:Aresko and Grint]] by immediately switching to [[CoDragon Co-Dragons]] Kallus's and Tua's horrified reactions the second the blade touches their necks.
* On ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' you get to see the effect of Derek Powers mutagen on a plant (which withers and dissolves in ''seconds'') and the man witnessing it is quite impressed. Then Powers shows it's effects on livestock: we don't get to see ''that'', but we get to see the reaction of ''sheer horror'' to whatever it did to the poor cow. Then we get to see the effects of it on a human one day after infection, and two hours after that; we only get to see the horrified reaction to ''three'' hours later.

* ''Series/CharliesAngels'': In one scene from the "Toni's Boys" episode the trope is [[http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/253/1250738191_10.jpg inverted]] and then [[http://cidadaoquem.blogspot.com/2016_01_01_archive.html played straight]] when Kris [[EatingTheEyeCandy sees]] Bob Sorenson with [[ShirtlessScene his shirt off]] and watches [[ChippendalesDancers Arnie the male stripper]] rehearse.

''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' gives us some [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/storyfiles/hs2/03583.gif of]] [[http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13790475/Vriska.gif the]] [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/storyfiles/hs2/02719.gif best]] [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/storyfiles/hs2/03184.gif reaction]] [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/storyfiles/hs2/02757.gif shots]] [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/storyfiles/hs2/03346.gif ever]], courtesy of a few trolls.

* Many websites where you can add images into a user comment or post (e.g. Imgur, Website/FourChan and other Website/{{imageboard}}s, etc.) fall prey to the ubiquitous "reaction image" -- a picture or animated gif cropped from some media that effectively shows the reaction of the user that posted it. Mostly posted without accompanying text for full effect.

* Many websites where you can add images into a user comment or post (e.g. Imgur, 4chan and other {{imageboard}}s, etc.) fall prey to the ubiquitous "reaction image" -- a picture or animated gif cropped from some media that effectively shows the reaction of the user that posted it. Mostly posted without accompanying text for full effect.