TikTok's Subtle Foreshadowing Trend Is Giving Us a Glimpse Into the Future

Though it can sometimes be a source of drama, misinformation, and cringe, TikTok is always good for at least one thing: making us laugh. And one of the app's newest trends, the "Subtle Foreshadowing" trend, has users absolutely cackling at others' misfortunes.

If you're not familiar with the concept of foreshadowing, it's a literary device typically used in books, movies, and TV shows to hint at something major happening in the future. And on TikTok, it's a brand new way to show off your biggest fails, hilarious pet moments, and more — and all you need is a little bit of light video editing, a melancholy soundtrack, perfect comedic timing, and the ability to laugh at yourself.

Here's how the trend works.

The "subtle foreshadowing" trend is a brand new, creative way to show off those hilarious videos that you've had sitting in your camera roll, from your sister falling down the stairs to your pets being weird little creatures. The more unexpected, the better.

If you're unfamiliar, the trend sees folks editing their shocking clips so that the climax of the video, or the funniest moment, is interspersed throughout the rest of the video to hint at what's to come. And yes, the term "subtle" is used pretty sarcastically — the foreshadowing in these videos is anything but.

The videos are also usually set to a particular TikTok audio: a snippet of a song called "QKThr" by Apex Twin. It's slow, melodic, and somber, contrasting with the humorous and often shocking moment being teased.

If you want to partake in the trend, the good news is that TikTok's updated video editing features will allow you to make your subtle foreshadowing creation right in the app.

All you'll need to do is click the plus-sign button at the bottom of the page, which will you bring you into creation mode. From there, you can begin filming, or upload your existing video if you already have one that will work for the trend.

Then, you can split your video into multiple clips and arrange them in the way you want. You'll need to isolate the most shocking moment into its own clip, and then copy and paste it throughout to achieve the foreshadowing effect.

If you're not a fan of TikTok's rudimentary video editing interface, you can always import your video into a more detailed app or program to perfect your masterpiece!

Folks on the app can't get enough of the subtle foreshadowing trend, as evidenced by the 1 million plus videos on TikTok set to the "QKThr" audio, as well as the millions and millions of likes and comments on each video.

One, in which a woman foreshadowed a clip of herself falling into a loved one's grave during a funeral, garnered thousands of hilarious comments.

"I can’t get enough of these videos of subtle foreshadowing," one user said.

Another, which teased a referee falling onto the court during a basketball game, garnered mixed reactions of laughter, guilt for laughing, and concern for the man's wellbeing.

So, if you've been reading this article and thinking about all of the ridiculous videos you have sitting in your camera roll, it's time to break out the TikTok app and practice some subtle foreshadowing.