History YMMV / StormOfTheCentury

* IdiotPlot: The townsfolk willingly go outside to see the lighthouse fall over, despite there being whiteout conditions and knowing that a homicidal, demonic entity is lurking somewhere out there.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: Anything involving [[spoiler: Linoge's cane coming to life, or the destruction of the lighthouse.]]

** Is Linoge giving away all the town's secrets JustForTheEvulz to enjoy seeing lives destroyed? Or is he making it clear A) he's showing how a town like this can keep all that happens in the storm secret and B) that the townspeople can't judge him given their own dark sides.

** His threat to destroy the island. Genuine given his powers? Or a bluff to bully the townsfolk into his deal? It doesn't help that Linoge offers evidence that points in both directions. On the one hand, he implies that he was responsible for the infamous mass disappearance of Roanoke Island. But his line to Molly at the end, "Perhaps you tricked yourselves", implies that he was lying. That, and he is never seen affecting more than one adult at a time with his powers (though he can control multiple children), and appears to have difficulty controlling one character to murder another when they aren't predisposed to the action ([[spoiler:Billy was dismissive of Kat because of what she did, while Kat was genuinely angry at him for his hypocrisy]]).

** Andre himself. A sadistic, psychopathic demonic entity who torments islands for fun? Or a dying man driven to desperation to [[spoiler: find a protégé?]]
** His threat to destroy the island? Genuine given his powers? Or a bluff to bully the townsfolk into his deal? It doesn't help that Linoge offers evidence that points in both directions. On the one hand, he implies that he was responsible for the infamous mass disappearance of Roanoke Island. But his line to Molly at the end, "Perhaps you tricked yourselves", implies that he was lying. That, and he is never seen affecting more than one person at a time with his powers, and appears to have difficulty controlling one character to murder another.
** Did Linoge truly play by the rules of his game or, as Molly put it, did he fix the game just so he could have [[spoiler:Ralphie]], who he seemed to prefer?

* MagnificentBastard: The courteous yet menacing Andre Linoge is a demonic sorcerer in search of an apprentice to carry out his legacy after his death. Arriving at Little Tall Island, Linoge murders an old woman and allows himself to be arrested so he can demonstrate his power to the town by revealing knowledge of the citizen's dark secrets, as well as magically influencing others into committing murder and suicide. Breaking out of his holding cell, Linoge demands a child, and threatens to kill everyone on the island if they do not fulfil his wishes. Ultimately getting what he wants in the end, Linoge thanks the inhabitants of Little Tall Island and leaves them to live with their guilt.

* MagnificentBastard: Andre Linoge

** His threat to destroy the island? Genuine given his powers? Or a bluff to bully the townsfolk into his deal? It doesn't help that Linoge offers evidence that points in both directions. On the one hand, he implies that he was responsible for the infamous mass disappearance of Roanoke Island. But his line to Molly at the end, "Perhaps you tricked yourselves", implies that he was lying.

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** His threat to destroy the island? Genuine given his powers? Or a bluff to bully the townsfolk into his deal? It doesn't help that Linoge offers evidence that points in both directions. One the one hand, he implies that he was responsible for the infamous mass disappearance of Roanoke Island. But his line to Molly at the end, "Perhaps you tricked yourselves", implies that he was lying.

** His threat to destroy the island? Genuine given his powers? Or a bluff to bully the townsfolk into his deal. It doesn't help that Linoge offers evidence that points in both directions. One the one hand, he implies that he was responsible for the infamous mass disappearance of Roanoke Island. But his line to Molly at the end, "Perhaps you tricked yourselves", implies that he was lying.

* ParanoiaFuel: The latter half of [[spoiler: the whiteout scene. The idea that someone next to you can be kidnapped/killed if you're not looking directly at them is terrifying. The fact that the audience gets to see the victims get yanked off-screen makes it even worse.]]

* NightmareFuel: Everyone has [[spoiler: a collectively-shared dream in which they have vanished without a trace, like the settlers of the Roanoke colony. It's then revealed that they were all hypnotized into [[DrivenToSuicide throwing themselves into the ocean]], and that Ralphie was the only one left aware of what was going on, and he was powerless to stop it. He spends his last moments struggling in vain to get out of his mom's grasp, and screaming for his daddy as he plunges to his death.]]

* NightmareFuel: Everyone has [[spoiler: a collectively-shared dream in which they have vanished without a trace, like the settlers of the Roanoke colony. It's then revealed that they were all hypnotized into [[DrivenToSuicide throwing themselves into the ocean]], and that [[ItGotWorse Ralphie was the only one left aware of what was going on]], and he was powerless to stop it. He spends his last moments struggling in vain to get out of his mom's grasp, and screaming for his daddy as he plunges to his death.]]

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Everyone has [[spoiler: a collectively-shared dream in which they have vanished without a trace, like the settlers of the Roanoke colony. It's then revealed that they were all hypnotized into [[DrivenToSuicide throwing themselves into the ocean]], and that [[ItGotWorse Ralphie was the only one left aware of what was going on]], and he was powerless to stop it. He spends his last moments struggling in vain to get out of his mom's grasp, and screaming for his daddy as he plunges to his death.]]