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What is a Red Herring in storytelling?
A red herring is a device that is used to mislead or distract the viewer from the real answer or conclusion. Simply said - it's a false clue. And it takes people's attention away from the central point being considered.
A classic example is a detective or mystery series where the viewer tries to figure out who the murderer is. The attention is focused on an individual who could be the murderer. As we emotionally involve ourselves with that person and assume they are in fact the killer, we are distracted, and the real murderer is left alone.
Or, there is a "turncoat" or "rat" in a government building. Someone who is leaking information to the enemies. As everyone attempts to figure out who the "rat" is, we are introduced to a scenario where circumstantial evidence tells the audience that a certain individual is the rat! But they are not the rat, and while we are distracted, the real person keeps getting away with it.
Where did the term "red herring" come from?
False leads started to become known as “Red Herrings” in the early 1800s when an English journalist named William Cobbett used the term to compare the media’s premature reporting of Napoleon’s defeat to the practice of using smelly fish to distract hound dogs from chasing rabbits.
While Cobbett gets credit for the term, storytellers have been using false leads to surprise audiences since the beginning of time.
Famous red herring moments in film and TV.
Alfred Hitchcock was the master of using "red herrings" in most of his films. The best and most popular example is his 1960 horror/thriller film PSYCHO.
The entire first act of the film is about Marion Crane stealing money from her boss. The audience is wrapped into this heist for over 30 minutes. But that is an entire distraction from what is really the bigger question: What is really going on at the Bates Motel?
Hitchcock also uses music in his films as red herring devices. Screeches of violin noise, or intense bass instruments playing to emotionally put viewers on high alert. Only to have the situation be safe for the main character and distract the audience away from the real conflict.
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Red Herrings are even used in children's movies. A great example is the 2013 smash hit FROZEN.
The main plot is that the only way Anna can be stopped from turning into ice, is to have an "act of true love". Almost the entire audience assumes that Anna must get Prince Hans to kiss her - because, as we've learned in previous Disney films, true love's kiss solves everything!
But, Hans isn't Anna's true love at all. He's actually the VILLAIN of the film.
And, Red Herring #2 - it's not about a romantic true love. Anna thaws out because the real act of true love was her sacrificing herself to save her sister! Anna and Elsa's love was the actual TRUE LOVE of the film.
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Other famous red herrings are"
- "THE USUAL SUSPECTS" (1995) (Verbal's testimony and the entire plot of the film.)
- "THE SIXTH SENSE" (1999) (the "dead people" problem)
- "CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016) (The Winter Soldier)
- "GET OUT" (2017) (racism is the real enemy)
TV Series are loaded with red herrings:
The trend of viewing has definitely moved to the "binge watching TV series" experience. Most of us, if we're being honest with ourselves, have and can watch an entire season of a television show in one sitting. So to keep the viewers engaged, and to keep them moving to the next episode, red herrings are used time and time again no matter what the genre is.
BREAKING BAD is considered the most popular and well regarded series from the last 25 years. It had modest success on the AMC network with is first premiered, but when they put the show it on Netflix, the popularity of the show blew up. Why? Because people couldn't get enough of the plotting. This show is the masterclass of the red herring!
A few examples:
- Hank's investigation of Heisenberg
- The Ricin cigarette
- The Poisoning of Brock
- The Train Robbery
- The "Box Cutter" incident
- The Pink Teddy Bear
- The State Motto of New Hampshire
- Walt's bullet hole reflection
All moments and devices used to distract the audience from what is REALLY the going on!
And don't get me started on Better Call Saul! That's another video......