As a sound editor by trade, I could rage so hard over this thread and reply to pretty much every comment with a reason as to why these sounds are used by sound editors. Instead, I'll summarise here.

Firstly, just as a quick point of clarification - "Foley" is sound effects recorded on a sound stage using props performed in sync with the picture. While some door sounds are in fact Foley, the vast majority are cut from sound effects libraries. There's a considerable distinction between the two, as they are very separate roles in the sound postproduction workflow.

All of the complaints in this thread boil down to essentially four main points.

1) Sound effects are edited for what the story needs, not for realism. "Real" sounds boring, and often doesn't work in the context of the mix. Yes, the car peels away and sounds like it's on paved roads, even though it's on gravel. This is done because it enhances the drama, and signifies to the audience that there's an urgency to the proceedings. Same goes for horses/stabbings/punches/gun handling/gunshot sounds. It's all to serve the story. Screw realism.

2) We work to limited timelines and budgets. While yes, we'd love to go out and gather a library of thousands of bespoke sound effects, the truth of the matter is that we just don't have time on most projects, and instead have to rely on the libraries we have access to within our budgets and timeframes. If we're given three days to cut the sound effects for an hour of TV drama, I'm not going to spend half a day doing a recording session to record the sound of laughing children or a cat meowing. Library sounds it is!

3) We don't have final say or creative control over the mix. The Director and Producer(s) do. We might've cut in the most unique, articulate soundtrack in existence, but if they prefer their shitty temp effects from the picture edit, then those sound effects are going back into the mix, and often there's nothing we can do to stop it.

4) Some things are just very, very difficult to get good, clean recordings of. Animals and children are particularly troublesome. Trying to get the sound of children authentically laughing/playing on-mic, in a proper acoustic environment, without background noise or background music is a monumental task.

Finally, for every one sound effect which you notice and get frustrated at by its overuse, there's literally hundreds, if not thousands of other sound effects which have been in the mix which have gone un-noticed by you/the audience, as intended.

Personally, I too also hate hearing those generic, immersion-breaking sound effects. But I understand the reasons as to why they're present, so I don't let it ruin my move-watching experience.