History Main / CreepyMonotone

* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'':
** Subverted. Half the fun of most dialogues the [[Characters/DexterDexterMorgan title character]] takes part in resides in the way Michael C. Hall delivers his lines, in an emotionless creepy monotone that should trigger the "serial killer alarm" in the minds of even the most oblivious of the other characters. Except, of course, it never does. "Why, in a building full of cops - all supposedly with a keen insight into the human soul - is Doakes the only one that gets the creeps from me?"
*** Inverted when he snaps and kills the used car salesman for insulting Rita. Cue scared "he's freaking crazy!" reaction.

** The Cybermen from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E6TheMoonbase "The Moonbase"]] onwards speak in a flat, mechanical tone of voice in the '60s, the '70s (i.e. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E5RevengeOfTheCybermen "Revenge of the Cybermen"]]), and the Revival Series. In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet "The Tenth Planet"]], they spoke in a creepy emotionless [[AccentUponTheWrongSyllable sing-song]] modelled on early 'singing computers' like IBM 7094, while in the '80s, they spoke in a projected shout similar to that of the Daleks (though deeper and more drawn out).
** The sociopathic and terrifying Himmler-{{Expy}} Nyder in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS12E4GenesisOfTheDaleks "Genesis of the Daleks"]] has this as his affect. He's remembered as one of the scariest supporting characters in the story because of this, even next to [[EvilIsHammy Davros and the Daleks]].
** The robots in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E5TheRobotsOfDeath "The Robots of Death"]] -- one of the many reasons they invoke the UncannyValley InUniverse. The sequel ''Corpse Marker'' establishes that this monotone has become fashionable for humans to affect, especially those of upper classes.
** The creepiness in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E8TheImpossiblePlanet "The Impossible Planet"]] consists mostly of the creepy monotone of the Ood and the computer system being [[DemonicPossession possessed]] by {{Satan}}.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E8HumanNature "Human Nature"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E9TheFamilyOfBlood "The Family of Blood"]]: The Family of Blood sported eerie monotones for a little while after [[PuppeteerParasite they started inhabiting human bodies]]... and then all four of them went [[LargeHam stark raving mad]].
** Used to great effect in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E8SilenceInTheLibrary "Silence in the Library"]], where an AI retelling cries of panic and pain in utterly emotionless creepy monotone makes the situation seem scarier than it would be if they were reproduced verbatim.
** [[Recap/DoctorWho2019NYSResolution "Resolution"]]: When controlled by [[spoiler:the Dalek]], Lin speaks like this.
* In the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' episode "Objects in Space", River announces to the bounty hunter Jubal Early that she has "melted away" into the ship ''Serenity'', becoming part of it, in a creepy monotone. It becomes even more chilling when she alters her tone just a tiny bit for the line
-->"Not talking to River. You're talking to ''Serenity''. And Early? ''Serenity'' is ''very unhappy.''"

* A bit of TruthInTelevision: behold [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_affect flat affect]], a common symptom of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the psychotic disorders (which includes schizophrenia). Some autistic people and people with aphasia also don't display emotion "appropriately"--that is, in ways similar to the majority--despite feeling it deeply, because they simply don't know how or it doesn't feel natural to them.

** Subverted. Half the fun of most dialogues the title character takes part in resides in the way Michael C. Hall delivers his lines, in an emotionless creepy monotone that should trigger the "serial killer alarm" in the minds of even the most oblivious of the other characters. Except, of course, it never does. "Why, in a building full of cops - all supposedly with a keen insight into the human soul - is Doakes the only one that gets the creeps from me?"

* ''Film/{{Shrooms}}'': [[spoiler:''(Axe to the head)'' "I love you, Jake".]]

* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', the man whom Lift calls Darkness has a calm, flat voice to match his completely [[TheStoic emotionless demeanour]], even while he's trying to [[DisproportionateRetribution lynch a young child]]. He turns out to be [[spoiler:Nale, the Herald of Justice, a TimeAbyss who's spent the last 4500 years WalkingTheEarth slowly going [[SanitySlippage insane]] because it was ''better'' than the hellish duties of the Heralds]]. No wonder Lift doesn't think he's even human.

* In ''Manga/DeathNote'', L and Near, both brilliant, ruthless detectives with NoSocialSkills, are both prime examples of this trope.

** Styr the Magnar pairs this with GutturalGrowler and SoftspokenSadist to breed a great ObviouslyEvil voice.