History Film / Fallen

** JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Possibly in the climax, where, while remaining firm in arresting Hobbes, he does claim that if he is exonerated, then he'll be happy with that outcome.

* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: "why is there a space between Lyons and Shipowsky?" Which provides an early clue to Azazel's origins and BodySurf nature.

* WhatMeasureIsAMook: or rather, what measure is a meat suit, as, with some regret, Hobbes is willing to kill one of his closets friends to rob Lucifer of a host and hopefully kill him.

* SomethingOnlyHeWouldSay: "why is there a space between Lyons and Shipowsky?" Which provides an early clue to Azazel's origins and nature as a BodyJumper.

* AloneWithThePsycho: During the final scene, [[spoiler: Stanton and Jonesy]]. have came to arrest Hobbes, and it's pretty obvious that at least one of them is possessed, but neither Hobbes, nor the audience can be sure which, as neither man is acting out of character yet.

* AgentScully: Stanton, to the point he would rather arrest Hobbes than accept something supernatural is going on.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Stanton]], who is shot in the face by an Azazel-possessed [[spoiler:Jonesy.]]

* CriminalMindGames: They are Azazel's ''favorite'' kind of game. Even before Reese was executed and he got loose, there's mention of how he used to call John at odd hours of the night from prison, something he continues to do after Reese's death, which is only the start of John's troubles.

* InconvenientlyVanishingExoneratingEvidence: With a twist. [[spoiler:Azazel possesses a random man on the street, who steals the gun hidden nearby and draws down on Hobbes, who is forced into killing him. The demon then possesses a nearby woman, explaining he can possess anyone within 500 cubits, or about a sixth of a mile (880 feet), if suddenly loosed from his last host. Using this woman, Azazel then smears Hobbes, saying he killed the last host without provocation. The media buys it, since the man's gun only had blanks in it. And Hobbes can't explain his main reason for shooting--freaking demonic possession--without looking crazy, so he gets suspended, removing him from hunting down the demon.]]
* InspectorJavert: Lietutenant Stanton ends up becoming this when the evidence starts stacking up against Hobbes.

* {{Jerkass}}: Lieutenant Stanton gets in the way of Hobbes’ investigation repeatedly because of a DarkSecret that doesn’t matter anymore and has already been exposed, and believes Hobbes is the new killer out of obviously planted evidence even before Azazel [[spoiler:makes it look like Hobbes killed a man in cold blood.]] Stanton outright tells Hobbes that the only reason he actually suspects him is so that he doesn’t have to acknowledge something supernatural is going on.

* ChristianityIsCatholic: The theologian and demonoligist Hobbes is Catholic. When he's trying to find out what the meaning of "Apocalypse" is (he could look it up easily) he asks a nun. Hobbes mentions he goes to church occasionally, but not what denomination. Catholicism is the only sect brought up in the movie.

* BoomHeadshot: How a possessed [[spoiler:Jonesy]] kills [[spoiler:Stanton.]]

* OneOfTheKids: Innocent, childish Art, who is implied to be mentally handicapped.

Not to be confused with the 2006 miniseries starring Paul Wesley and Creator/BryanCranston, or the 2016 film starring Addison Timlin and Creator/JeremyIrvine. Nor should it be confused with the [[Music/{{Fallen}} Evanescence album]].

* DarkSecret: Subverted. Stanton treats Milano’s Suicide and the circumstances around it as if they were this, despite the fact it had already been exposed.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: When Hobbes has to figure out which his co-workers Azazel is possessing, it turns out to be [[spoiler:his likable partner Jonesy instead of his aloof, JerkAss superior officer.]]

* {{Reasonable Authority Figure}}s: A whole police station full of 'em.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Azazel, again!

* FallenAngel

* Foreshadowing: One scene partway through the film shows Azazel possessing [[spoiler:a cat, meaning that humans aren't the only way he can survive. He does the same in the end to another cat in order to escape death.]]

** A less-noticeable example is the cheerful ''WarioLand'' music playing in the background right as Hobbes realizes [[spoiler: what's happened to his brother]].

Not to be confused with the Miniseries starring Paul Wesley and BryanCranston. Nor should it be confused with the Music/{{Evanescence}} [[Music/{{Fallen}} of the same name]].

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fallen_7264.jpg]]

-->''"Remember this, Hobbes... what goes around, ''really'' goes around."''

Police detective John Hobbes (Creator/DenzelWashington), gains notoriety for capturing wily serial killer Edgar Reese. Immediately after Reese is executed, Hobbes is plunged into the case of another murderer who seems to be copycatting Reese with scary attention to detail.

* HeroicSuicide: [[spoiler:Realizing that Azazel will never stop tormenting him and that the demon will target Gretta and Sam next, Hobbes plots to lure Azazel to the remote cabin Milano killed himself at, then poison himself and trick Azazel into his dying body so that the demon will die, too, without any other host in the area. Although he does succeed in setting all aspects of his plan into motion, and dies thinking it worked, Azazel manages to survive by finding a cat to possess.]]

Not to be confused with the Miniseries starring Paul Wesley and BryanCranston

* CriminalMindGames: Are Azazel's ''favorite'' kind of game. Even before Reese was executed and he got loose, there's mention of how he used to call John at odd hours of the night from prison, something he continues to do after Reese's death, which is only the start of John's troubles.

* DyingCurse: Before his jaunt to the gas chamber, Reese gives one to a mildly unsettled Hobbes. [[NamesToRunAwayFrom/AncientDeadLanguages In Syrian-Aramic.]]

* VideoWills: A camera crew records Edgar Reeves before his execution. At one point in the footage, Reeves addresses Hobbes (who is watching it days after Reeves' death) directly.

* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: Edgar Reeves' execution. It launches the whole damn movie!

* DyingCurse: Before his jaunt to the gas chamber, Reeves gives one to a mildly unsettled Hobbes. [[NamesToRunAwayFrom/AncientDeadLanguages In Syrian-Aramic.]]
-->'''Reeves/Azazel:''' I can't get inside you by touch, but even when I can, when I'm spirit, I won't. No. Better I get you for real. I'll fuck you up, down, left, right, coming, going. I'll get so close to you, so close it breaks you. And if that doesn't work, I have other ways. I have so many, many ways.

* CriminalMindGames: Are Azazel's ''favorite'' kind of game. Even before Reese got killed and he got loose, there's mention of how he used to call John at odd hours of the night from prison, something he continues to do after Reese's death, which is only the start of John's troubles.