This is arguably my favorite movie subject. I tend to find villains more enjoyable than heroes, probably because they don’t have to play by the conventional rules, which means they can do more in the story. Related to that, movies with good villains tend to be good. I don’t know if it’s because the character is better-written, or the actor is good, and both a good screenwriter and a good performance increase the odds that a movie will be good, but it seems that if you like a movie villain, you almost definitely will like the movie.
Similar to my last post, and probably most future posts, I put favorite in the title to acknowledge that these are my opinions, and not certified facts. They’re obviously completely biased by what I have seen the most, what age I was when I saw them, etc. For example, I’ve seen all 3 Lord of the Rings movies exactly once, so Gollum or Smeagol is not on the list.
I will attach a link to an illustrative scene (based on what I can find on YouTube). There will be brief shoutouts to other villains who cover similar territory, but fall just short of making the list. Of course, SPOILERS AHEAD, if you have not seen a movie referenced on here, I recommend skipping it. Villain #5 is a spoiler just for existing.
On to the list!
The most honored of honorable mentions: Dr. Hannibal Lecter – Played by Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs
If we’re talking about my favorite character on this list, Lecter is my #1. It kills me not to include him; he’s one of the most iconic movie characters ever in one of my all-time favorite movies. He’s in the Top 10 villains on 95% of lists you’ll come across. However, there’s a problem…
Hannibal is a bad guy, but he isn’t the “bad guy” in the story. The movie is about whether Clarice Starling can catch a serial killer, both to save lives and to “silence” the guilt she feels over not saving any of the lambs that were being slaughtered at a farm she lived on as a kid. Hannibal is not the serial killer she is hunting, and technically, he helps her figure out who she is looking for.
Lecter is on just about every other list like this. Most were intrigued by his brilliance, sophistication, sensitivity toward Clarice, and even his distaste (so to speak) for rudeness. There hadn’t been a character like that before or since.
My favorite thing about him is his stillness. Before we meet Lecter, other characters refer to him as a horrifying, serial-killing, cannibalistic maniac. In the scene I linked to up top, Clarice walks down the hall of the mental hospital, and we see the other inmates reacting to her presence. We come to the end of the hall and there’s Hannibal, standing upright, not moving. For much of the movie, he looks like a snake or a scorpion, sitting there still, just waiting to strike. You know he’s dangerous. Watching him feels like someone pulled a rubber band and can release it at any second. He’s locked up in prison, yet he still scares people. Everyone else has to actually do things…
10. Alex Forrest – Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction
The scene above is the most unsettled I’ve been watching a movie in a long time. It is a little bit out of context, but in the longer scene, Close and Douglas are arguing, and then she approaches him with both arms behind her back and it legitimately made me nervous. Is she going to pull a gun? Stab him? Then she starts kissing him and it ends up that she has slit her wrists. Yikes!
Bill Simmons has said on many occasions that this movie launched the “…From Hell!” genre. In this case, it is the affair from hell, where the person doesn’t start off as a villain, but then goes crazy over the course of the movie.
It’s terrifically acted by Glenn Close. The reason it is only #10 is that I only first saw the movie last year, and therefore I knew the general gist of what happened, along with the most famous misdeed of hers, which I intentionally will not spoil – so, unfortunately for me, the shock value wasn’t quite there. This is a character that makes you wonder about every person you get involved with, romantic or otherwise.
9. Jame Gumm aka “Buffalo Bill” – Ted Levine, The Silence of the Lambs
As noted above, The Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite movies ever. One underrated reason for why it’s so great is that there are two villains (sort of)! Lecter is a terrifyingly interesting character, but, as I alluded to earlier, the real villain of the story is Buffalo Bill. He is the serial killer that Clarice is chasing. Poor Ted Levine never gets mentioned on any of these lists, and I can’t understand why not?
On the surface, he is a serial killer who kidnaps, starves, kills, and skins his victims. That’s a good start. The clip above is amazing because it shows the different aspects of the character. He kidnapped a woman and is storing her in a pit. He has her rub lotion on her skin, which seems like an odd request, and we later learn the sinister reason for the lotion. There is unintentional comedy in the soft manner in which he says, “it rubs the lotion on its skin.” Then after she whimpers for a while and Buffalo Bill starts to feel bad/vulnerable, he snaps at her “PUT THE FUCKING LOTION IN THE BASKET!” – we see the menace. Then the victim starts screaming because she sees a tooth (or a fingernail), and “Bill” starts mocking her, showing his complete lack of empathy. It’s rare for a character to hit all of those in one performance, especially with such limited screen time.
Also, as a character, this was definitely a different kind of serial killer than many of us were used to viewing, especially in 1991. It was a really well-written character with a unique background and motives, and in the capable hands of Ted Levine, there are layers to the performance. Plus, it taught us that if you’re ever helping someone move furniture, don’t get in the back of the van…”Are you about a size 14?”
8. Alonzo Harris – Denzel Washington, Training Day
This scene takes on new meaning once you’ve seen the movie before and you listen to what Alonzo says on the phone.
Alonzo Harris is a movie star part for one of the most charismatic actors in recent memory. Denzel’s magnetism is all over the screen and Harris’s swagger is unavoidable. You believe him when he talks quietly and nicely, and you fear him when he glares at the camera.
It is also worth noting that this movie was the first time I remember seeing a corrupt cop. I experienced a loss of innocence. There were other movies where someone was supposed to be good, and they turned out to be bad, but that felt different. This was a police officer, who, once he paid off his debt, intended to remain a corrupt police officer. He wasn’t a spy, and he didn’t receive a payoff to do something bad. He was a cop who had to pay a debt, and for whatever reason, that always stuck with me.
I think it was also my first Denzel movie, and the first movie on this list that I saw. So, Denzel’s presence was definitely noticeable, and at age 14 or 15, he was unlike any cop I had seen to that point. Dressed differently, walked and talked differently, and he seemed to commit crimes to get what he wanted, and as the day went on it got worse. The interesting thing about this movie, at least for me, is Ethan Hawke is basically an avatar for the audience. We experience this new world as he’s introduced to it, you’re a little taken aback by Denzel at first, and he gets progressively more suspicious as more layers get peeled off.
Many say Denzel was given a “make up” Oscar for this performance and that it’s not his best acting. That may or may not be true, but I think it’s his most memorable role.
7. John Doe – Kevin Spacey, Se7en
Se7en is also one of my favorite movies ever. In the scene linked above, we meet John Doe. At this point in the movie, we’ve been exposed to his horrible crimes, there’s an encounter where we don’t really see him, we see his apartment with all of the notebooks, and we’re just wondering who could this guy be? There is so much anticipation. Based on the movies I’d seen up until that point, I was wondering, is it going to be someone we’ve already been introduced to? If the killer isn’t to be revealed until closer to the end, then it’s usually someone we have already met, and spent some time with.
It’s so hard to be a good villain if they just show up toward the end because the audience has minimal history with the character. Also worth noting that in the movies I had seen prior, killers usually killed for something, someone, or because they were just crazy. Those reasons all got kind of stale. I’m not saying Doe wasn’t mentally ill, but there was a reason for his killing that was rooted in a messed up logic. The killings were all tied together in a way that didn’t take a criminal profiler to analyze. Each person was killed for the specific sin they committed. It was all planned and reasoned. Then he goes to the police station and turns himself in, something that I’d never seen before. Of course, the ending is shocking.
Another cool note is that Kevin Spacey went uncredited for this role in order to preserve the mystery. It is hard to like Kevin Spacey now, and maybe he was forced into accepting that, but going uncredited is a selfless move that few actors would agree to. By contrast, there’s a certain film noir classic from 1949, that features a mysterious character that isn’t revealed until close to the end of the movie. The problem is, the character’s identity isn’t really a mystery to the audience because the actor’s name is listed first in the opening credits.
John Doe is a contradiction. He combines the brutally violent nature of his crimes with his calm, reasoned speech, and thoughtfully executed plan. Much like many of the other entries on this list, both Se7en and John Doe were unlike anything I’d seen to that point, and it’s a big reason why they stuck with me.
Stand down, “…John Doe has the upper hand.”
6. Michael Myers (shoutout to Ghostface) – Nick Castle, Halloween (1978 & 2018)
TWO LINKS, BABY! I included a link from both the original movie and the ret-con (retroactive continuity) sequel that came out last year. For difference reasons. The link from the original movie was also used in my last post, it is the opening scene with the POV shot. I love that scene because we’re seeing things through Michael’s eyes, and it just feels like an animal hunting. It’s also notable because that’s the backstory. We don’t know anything about Michael’s family life or personality. He just murdered his sister one day for no reason. He is just plain evil.
The link from the new sequel showcases what a savage he is. Yes, Michael is physically imposing, but he also reminds me of the famous Sun Tzu quote from The Art of War, “Every battle is won or lost before it’s ever fought.” Whether intentional or not, Michael is a master of intimidation. When the man is looking to pay for the gas, he comes across a man whose face has been completely smashed to the point that his jaw is unhinged (technically the still alive man doesn’t see the dead guy, but they’re letting us know that someone lost their teeth); shortly thereafter, he finds another man lying dead in a pool of blood next to a hammer. The guy knows they’re in trouble. The woman is using the bathroom. If you’re using the bathroom and someone tries to open your stall it’s a little unnerving. If someone reaches over the top and drops teeth in your stall, you’re going to have a rough day.
Michael Myers doesn’t talk, he doesn’t run. He wears a plain black outfit, and we know nothing about him. On the surface, that sounds boring. The only thing that makes it interesting is that Michael is a prolific killing machine. He is very stealthy and cunning. He has remarkable physical strength, and is basically immune to pain. He is not motivated by anything tangible, he is just on earth to kill people.
The reason I made a shoutout to Ghostface from Scream, is that a scary aspect of both Scream and Halloween is that the killer comes to your house. It’s the place you’re supposed to feel the most safe, where your guard is down, and they take that from you. Apologies to Jason Voorhees, but it’s less scary to watch someone get killed in the middle of the woods, unless you’re in the woods, which I usually am not. Michael could be in any room in my apartment.
We don’t need a back story to try and explain what made him a murderer (like in the Rob Zombie reboots). He doesn’t need to be related to the people he pursues (like in Halloween II and subsequent sequels). He is just a predatory, efficient, humble, killing machine.
(Heavy breathing…)
5. Amy Dunne – Rosamind Pike, Gone Girl
I saw this movie on a date with my fiancee, back in our early days of dating. Big mistake.
It’s impossible to write this without spoilers. Suffice it to say, Amy Dunne is the scariest woman in the history of movies. She gets the edge over Alex Forrest because Alex Forrest was an extramarital affair. Sure, no one expects their affair to be a psychopath, but if you cheat, that person can ruin your life by ratting you out, etc. Cheaters are knowingly inviting risk into their life. Gone Girl isn’t like that.
Gone Girl is about marriage. It is about a meet-cute, dating, falling in love, getting married, and starting a life together with someone who has been hiding that they are a complete psychopath. Nick Dunne (the husband) is also bad person, but he’s not a criminal. Amy Dunne framed one ex-boyfriend for her rape. She framed her husband for her murder. She framed a different friend for her kidnapping and rape to cover her tracks (she murdered that friend, by the way). Amy is very intelligent, patient, tactful, conscientious, a good actress, and has lots of spare time. She’s every straight man’s worst nightmare. I’d rather just be poisoned.
4. Hans Gruber – Alan Rickman, Die Hard
I believe that Die Hard is the best action movie of all-time. There are many reasons for this: a unique (at the time), tightly-constructed plot, good pacing, good escalation, one of the best action movie Directors of a generation, good dialogue, and a breakout movie star turn from Bruce Willis. The thing that sets is apart from every other action movie in the 80’s, and maybe ever, is that it has the best villain.
Die Hard was Alan Rickman’s feature film debut. I don’t even know what to compare that to? Wilt Chamberlain averaged nearly 38 points and 27 rebounds as a rookie. Obviously that’s impressive, but Wilt (somehow) had other seasons that were better than that. Rickman came in as a rookie and turned in a GOAT performance for a whole genre of movies.
Hans Gruber is very smart, adaptable, and smooth. He commands respect from his crew, knows how to prioritize and delegate. In the above scene, we see him reassure his crew that the police are not only a minor speed bump, but a necessary part of their plan. We see him think on his toes as he tries to figure out the who and the where of John McClane, seemingly, the only real obstacle in their way. He is both expertly prepared, and a master of improvisation.
Gruber is also deadly. No, he’s not physically intimidating, but he is more than just a guy with a plan. He pulls the trigger himself on multiple occasions. He does not care about taking a life if it gets in the way of his plan (or if it’s part of his plan), but he is not vindictive or trigger-crazy.
John McClane is one of the best heroes in movie history, and his character is pushed to the brink, in a much more believable way than in 99% of action movies. He’s completely beat up, his feet are bleeding, and he’s lost faith in the authorities outside the building. In order to sell how close McClane is to losing, he needs to be up against a juggernaut.
Make no mistake, Hans is in charge…
3. Anton Chigurh – Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
This movie is also among my personal favorites. The above scene is just pure discomfort. At this point, we’ve already seen Chigurh kill a couple of people, including a cop, but he had a semi-logical reason for those murders – The cop arrested him and he didn’t want to be in jail, he could only escape in a cop car, and had to ditch it for another vehicle on a desolate Texas highway. But then here’s Chigurh in the gas station, ready to pay for his gas and snack, no problems whatsoever, and he gets annoyed because the clerk asks him, “Y’all getting any rain up your way?” It’s a one-sided confrontation where he is messing a nice man who doesn’t want any trouble. We fear the worst for the clerk, and then Chigurh flips a coin and makes the man call it.
Chigurh is like a darker, more badass version of Two-Face. He represents chance and death. Sometimes his kills are for work or survival, but other times, he doesn’t need to kill, but has been irked by a particular subject, and thus allows them to play a game of chance, calling a coin toss.
Similar to Michael Myers, there’s no backstory. The first time we see him he is being apprehended and taken to the police station, we don’t even know why. Then at the station, he murders the arresting officer and leaves.
Chigurh has a noticeably atypical haircut, he carries around a captive bolt stunner, typically reserved for cattle, and a sound suppressed shotgun – two weapons that aren’t in any other movies. He is a hard character to explain. He’s a “mood”, as the kids say. You see him on screen, it is bad news, and you do not feel very good.
2. Colonel Hans Landa (shoutout Amon Goeth) – Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
As referenced in the previous post, I cannot find the full opening scene on YouTube, but that is Landa at his best. Simultaneously goofy, cerebral and deadly, with the weight of history helping to raise the stakes.
Nazi’s have been portrayed in movies and on TV numerous times. They’re generally serious, cold, and nasty. I shouted out Amon Goeth because that is the most realistically terrifying Nazi portrayal I’ve seen. But what does Tarantino do? He goes against type, allowing the prior knowledge of the Holocaust to create a sense of dread, which gives leeway to Hans Landa to be a little bit silly.
He is loquacious, his intonation changes fairly often, he smiles, but not in an evil way, he has an unnecessarily large pipe. He is the exact opposite of every Nazi we’d seen, except that he is a very good detective.
Competence is a big part of villainy. We have to respect them. Amy Dunne is intelligent, an amazing planner, and willing to do whatever it takes. Michael Myers, if we look at his stats, it’s like 150 kills and…0 deaths? Landa is outstanding at reading people, synthesizing information, and assuming the mindset of the people he is hunting. His nickname is the Jew Hunter, a moniker he claims to appreciate, because he’s earned it.
When you think about it, he doesn’t even really get defeated. He bests the Basterds, recognizes the Allies will win the war, makes a deal, and gets screwed over at the end, but for all we know, he still makes it out alive.
1._The Joker – Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
I’ve never been more mesmerized by a movie character than I was when I saw The Joker. Super-charismatic, he owns every scene, you can’t look at anyone else, and you miss him when he’s not on screen.
The Joker embodies anarchy better than any character I’ve seen. His evil machinations are well-planned, creating chaos to disguise the master plan, while also being open to an improvising an ending. His introduction happens when he plans a bank heist where each member of the crew is killed after they complete their part of the job, until it is revealed that he has secretly been in the heist the whole time. The second time we see him, he interrupts a mafia meeting, after robbing their money from the bank, with several grenades attached to his jacket.
In this iteration of the character, The Joker isn’t driven by, “…anything logical, like money.” He has a different set of values. That means that he has different goals, and different weaknesses. The most literal example of this is the interrogation scene above. Batman is beating the crap out of The Joker, and The Joker isn’t bleeding, and doesn’t lose an ounce of enthusiasm. In fact, he’s laughing maniacally because he knows he has boxed Batman into a corner.
Considering how much hype there was surrounding the character and the movie, which only escalated when Ledger passed away, The Joker managed to exceed all the hype. He is the perfect foil for Batman: One believes in rules and structure, the other chaos and anarchy. One favors hand to hand combat, the other uses weapons. One believes that humanity is, at its core, good, while the other believes that people are not inherently good. It’s the unstoppable force vs the immovable object.
Honorable mentions: Keyser Soze – Not Spoiling, The Usual Suspects; Norman Bates – Anthony Perkins, Psycho; Bane – Tom Hardy, The Dark Knight Rises; Darth Vader – James Earl Jones (voice), Star Wars Episodes IV – VI; Agent Smith – Hugo Weaving, The Matrix; Voldemort – Ralph Fiennes, Harry Potter franchise; Thanos – Josh Brolin (voice), Avengers Infinity War + End Game; Noah Cross – John Huston, Chinatown; Max Cady – Robert DeNiro, Cape Fear; Pennywise – Bill Skarsgard, It; Clubber Lang – Mr. T, Rocky III; Commodus – Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator; Ghostface – Scream franchise; Amon Goeth – Schindler’s List
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