Greatest Movie Villains

[heelz2345]

I found this video on Reddit last night, thought it was a pretty great montage of basically all of the greatest villains in movie history. I thought you guys might enjoy this video as well. Who are some of your favorite villains out there? Darth Vader is my all time favorite villain for sure, but watching this clip made me think about just how many great villains there have been across so many great movies.

 

[heelmanwilm]

I measure their greatness by their ability to make me genuinely hate or fear them. So many times the movies make u sympathize with them.

The bitch from "play misty for me" with clint eastwood. When clint finaly got a good punch in and sent her flying the audience cheered as did i. Damn i hated her.

The bitch in "fatal attraction". I still cant watch that actress in anything without wanting to cave her face in.

Dean wormer from animal house

 

[heelz2345]

I measure their greatness by their ability to make me genuinely hate or fear them. So many times the movies make u sympathize with them.

The bitch from "play misty for me" with clint eastwood. When clint finaly got a good punch in and sent her flying the audience cheered as did i. Damn i hated her.

The bitch in "fatal attraction". I still cant watch that actress in anything without wanting to cave her face in.

Dean wormer from animal house

Those are all some solid options. I get exactly what you mean about wanting to hate or fear the villain, and while I don't have a problem by any means with a movie making you understand the villain's point of view, there is a visceral enjoyment of watching a character you hate get their comeuppance. Just that feeling of "someone's gotta get this guy" paying off is a very enjoyable experience. One of those moments for me is when Inigo Montoya kills the 6-fingered man in The Princess Bride. You've spent the whole movie rooting for him to do it, and when it finally happens, it's so rewarding. I've seen that movie numerous times, but it's always a fist pumping moment for me.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

One of the best, creepiest villains in any movie I've seen...

Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men

 

[heelz2345]

One of the best, creepiest villains in any movie I've seen...

Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men

Great villain for sure, and sort of goes along with what heelmanwilm said. I wanted them to get this dude so bad and (spoiler alert? the movie is almost 10 years old) it doesn't go in the way I had hoped. So while it wasn't the payoff I wanted, it was a great performance, a great character, and a great villain.

 

[uncboy10]

Its a bit cliche but Heath Ledger's Joker has to be way up there. That was truly an incredible performance

 

[Baby Debo]

Jack Nicholson in a Few Good Men.

 

[WhatTheHeel?]

Hans in Die Hard was good--along with the rest his team. Such pleasure in seeing Bruce Willis take them out...

 

[heelz2345]

Its a bit cliche but Heath Ledger's Joker has to be way up there. That was truly an incredible performance

Absolutely, I have it in my top 5 all time villain performances for sure. Every scene he is in is terrific. The opening heist, the pencil trick, "you wanna know how I got these scars?", the hospital, just an outstanding top to bottom performance.

 

[heelz2345]

Jack Nicholson in a Few Good Men.

I know the "You can't handle the truth" thing has been imitated so many times by this point, but Nicholson is so strong in that movie. Nicholson is just a great actor in general, but when he plays someone bad like in that, or in The Shining, or as the Joker, he really excels.

 

[heelz2345]

Hans in Die Hard was good--along with the rest his team. Such pleasure in seeing Bruce Willis take them out...

Die Hard is the perfect action movie, and a lot of that has to do with Hans Gruber. Such a great villain. He's organized, methodical, and cold as ice. Every interaction he has with John McClane, whether in person or on the walkie talkie is gold. Plus, he has one of my favorite lines in any movie: "Now I have a machine gun. Ho. Ho. Ho." Of course, Alan Rickman's line delivery has a lot to do with that, but he is the perfect foil to Willis in that movie.

 

[UNC71-00]

 

[UNC71-00]

Here are my top 5 in no particular order:

-The Nazi from Inglorious Bastards- I have never wanted a character to die more than this guy
-Hannibal Lector- best lunatic ever
Michael Corleone- was quite happy to see him topple over in his wheelchair, alone, even if I did have to watch all of part 3 to see it.
-Max Cady (Cape Fear)- dude still scares me
-Mike Kryzewski- the way he manipulated officials and the media was just beyond frustrating.

 

[BillyL]

Great video to see. Thanks for the share . .




When I think of a villain actor, one that seems to always be the bad guy in whatever movie he/she is in, for some reason I always think Bruce Dern. The actor has made a career outta being the bad guy . .

 

[Raising Heel]

Fantastic video. I can't imagine the time and effort that went into putting that together.

I was really pleased to see the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on the list. LOL. A couple others I thought of. One is Leonard, the main character from Memento. He was really the antagonist and the protagonist of the story at the same time...such a fantastic movie. Also, because I'm a bit of a sci-fi nerd, Barron Vladamir Harkonnen from Dune should be on the list. The David Lynch version of that movie is all kinds of weird. I never managed to catch the remake on the Sci Fi channel but probably should.

Great thread, by the way.

 

[uncboy10]

Johnny Depp in Secret Window is a bit of a sleeper imo.

And I don't know how I forgot about Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects. One of my favorite bad guys ever

Denzel definitely crushed it as Frank Lucas in American Gangster.

 

[T-Square]

I know the "You can't handle the truth" thing has been imitated so many times by this point, but Nicholson is so strong in that movie. Nicholson is just a great actor in general, but when he plays someone bad like in that, or in The Shining, or as the Joker, he really excels.

Saw the stage version on Broadway back in the 90's. Ron Perlman played Nicholson's role with a much more sinister feel. The audience actually cheered when he was arrested.

 

[heelz2345]

The one in the video that elicited the biggest reaction out of me: Annie from Misery. Just seeing the block get placed between his legs made me squirm. What a fantastic character, played masterfully by Kathy Bates.

 

[coryfly]

Here are some that may not truly be villains but they are in at least one way or another.

 

[RHFD]

One of the best, creepiest villains in any movie I've seen...

Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men

One mean man in this movie.

 

[TarHeelMark]

 

[TarHeelMark]

 

[TarHeelMark]

 

[TarHeelMark]

 

[TarHeelMark]

 

[TarHeelMark]

 

[TarHeelMark]

 

[Raising Heel]

That's outstanding.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

 

[HookUNC75]

 

[gunslingerdick]

That's two Clay Pigeons references within the last 30 days. That's not likely to happen ever again. But I completely agree. Vaughn was brilliant.

I also agree with 71-00's suggestion of Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). I loved his character and I thought Waltz was (and is) amazing. But I never wanted so bad for someone to get killed.

Here are a few more I'm offering:

And of course Walken. You could pick either Frank White in King of New York or Vince Coccotti in True Romance.

 

[coryfly]

True Romance was excellent. Walken was classic in that scene.

 

[gunslingerdick]

True Romance was excellent. Walken was classic in that scene.

Best scene of his career probably. That exchange between Walken and Hopper is legendary movie stuff. it's about the best 20 minutes you can find in a movie.

 

[DeanFor President]

Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher

Walkin Boss in Cool Hand Luke. Still shakin it, Boss

Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) in the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti westerns

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher

Funny you mention this because I was thinking about this thread the other day and Sean Bean came to mind for his performance in the remake of The Hitcher (2007). Haven't seen the original, but SB was pretty ruthless in the new one.