Happy Gilmore (1996) – Shooter McGavin
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Among all Adam Sandler films, no dastardly villain captured the audience’s collective ire more than Shooter McGavin. The confident and charismatic golfer was the main antagonist to the title character, and Christopher McDonald immaculately executed the role. On the surface, Shooter is the kind of guy who is easy to root against. He showboats, talks trash, and regularly belittles the lovable Happy throughout the film.
However, over the years people have grown more sympathetic to Shooter’s ways. After all, it was Happy who besmirched the classic game of golf by bringing a hockey stick onto the putting green. Shooter wanted just one last chance to shine during the twilight of his career, and it was taken away by a goon.
Black Panther (2018) – Erik Killmonger
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The best villains always tend to drop packets of truth within their long-winded, “take over the world”-type monologues. While fans quickly grew fond of the late, great Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of the T’Challa, it was another warrior who stole the show. Emerging as a long, lost cousin of the King, Killmonger bursts onto the scene in Wakanda and proceeds to cause havoc in the peaceful land.
Audiences gravitated towards Killmonger primarily due to the overwhelming coolness factor of actor Michael B. Jordan. Additionally, his motivations in seizing power of Wakanda weren’t completely off. Killmonger wanted to use Wakanda’s technological advances to help Black people all across the world. Digging into his back story during the early part of the film, it’s easy to see why Killmonger believes Wakanda should not sit idly by while his people are in need.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) – Miranda Priestly
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When casting for the film adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel, there was just one person in mind who was perfect for the role of Miranda Priestly. Even though you’d be hard-pressed to find a single picture of actress Meryl Streep not smiling, she pulls off playing a cold and demanding magazine editor perfectly. Though co-star Anne Hathaway is incredible and accomplished in her own right, Streep simply steals the show in this classic comedy.
We don’t want to spoil the film, but by the end of the movie, the villainous Priestly is given a softer side. Streep’s ability to balance playing a character who isn’t fully good — but isn’t fully bad — was a major takeaway from the film. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination, and she took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress in the Musical or Comedy category.
Hercules (1997) – Hades
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There is an entire catalog of memorable villains within Disney’s expansive vault of films. Who can forget the first time they witnessed Scar refuse to help Mufasa up from a ledge — leading to his untimely demise. The egotistical Gaston is the epitome of self-entitlement. Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, and Jafar are some of the most easily recognizable evildoers in the history of animated film.
And then there’s Hades — the God of the Underworld. Voiced by actor James Woods, Hades is evil, funny, short-tempered, and compelling. You can’t take your eyes off the blue-flame-haired villain from the moment he’s on the screen. His quick-wit and delivery are perhaps only outmatched by the comedic duo of Yzma and Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove.
The Dark Knight (2008) – Joker
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Joker is not only the most popular adversary of Batman, he’s one of the most well-known villains in all of media. He has been portrayed by several actors over the years. Cesar Romero played the role for three years in the ’60s and was noted for his excellent singing voice and unnerving smile. Jack Nicholson took the role in 1989’s Batman, and proved a big-time Hollywood actor could thrive in a superhero movie.
In recent years, we’ve seen Joaquin Phoenix (Joker), Jared Leto (Suicide Squad) and Cameron Monaghan (Gotham) assume the role with varied levels of success. Despite several high-profile actors playing the role, nobody has come close to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. Ledger delivers a perfect performance as the Clown Prince of Crime. Tasked with introducing a taste of anarchy to Gotham City, Joker is the ideal thwart to Christian Bale’s Batman. The Dark Knight even delivered a second excellent villain in the form of Harvey Dent’s Two-Face.
Godzilla (1954) – Godzilla
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Even before advancements in special effects and film-making, 1954’s Godzilla captivated audiences and is credited as one of the first giant monster classics. The film is a classic in every sense of the term. It’s a bit more subdued than some of its sequels and spin-offs and tends to take a darker overall tone than the rest of the series.
At the heart of the movie is, of course, Godzilla. The mutated lizard terrorizes Japan with his enormous size and atomic breath in this black-and-white flick. While Godzilla is the one shown as the cause of destruction, it’s the government officials dabbling in nuclear weapon testing who ultimately spawned this mighty monster — and doomed the city.
Mean Girls (2004) – Regina George
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When Mean Girls was released in 2004, Lindsay Lohan was a bonafide superstar. Playing the main role of Cady Heron in a massively successful film, Lohan was somehow outshined at the peak of her popularity. While Lohan’s Heron was integral to the film, it didn’t have nearly the same lasting effect as Regina George.
The leader of the “Plastics”, George is popular, beautiful, manipulative, and controlling. She constantly obsesses over other people’s business and does everything in her power to keep her standing in the school. Regina views Cady as a threat, and the entire film is about the popular George flexing her superiority and trying to break Heron’s confidence. Rachel McAdams plays this role almost too well, and George uttered some of the most iconic lines in a movie that is still quoted to this day.
Spider-Man (2002) – Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
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It’s hard to root against Peter Parker, but a villain as cool as Green Goblin certainly makes it interesting. The Webhead’s ultimate adversary, film director Sam Raimi decided to unleash the Goblin in Spidey’s first-ever live-action movie. The movie was a massive hit — spawned two sequels — and Willem Dafoe was lauded for his role as the pumpkin-wielding, drone-flying supervillain.
Dafoe’s descent from wealthy industrialist Norman Osborn into the cackling, maniacal Green Goblin is both captivating and tragic. His relationship with his son, Harry, is at the core of the film — and makes it all the more tragic once Harry discovers his father’s fate. Masterful performances from both Dafoe and James Franco.
IT (2017) – Pennywise
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While we must show respect to Tim Curry’s portrayal in the 1990 miniseries (probably linked to the mass fear of clowns among 90’s kids), we’ll give the nod here to Alexander Skarsgard who has played Pennywise in both of the feature-length films. To be perfectly honest, both Curry and Skarsgard were the main attractions in their respective adaptations. You can’t go wrong with either.
Skarsgard brought a bit more wickedness to the role. While Curry’s Pennywise was a showman, Skarsgard was more of a shadow hidden in plain sight. As Pennywise, he would take over the bodies of other inhabitants of the fictional city of Derry to conceal itself from the main characters. Pennywise took the form of several different beings during both films, perhaps none more frightening than an unsuspecting elderly woman.
Gone Girl (2014) – Amy (and Nick) Dunne
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The 2014 film stars Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck as a married couple whose life may not be as it seems. When Amy goes missing, husband Nick becomes the primary suspect. It’s quickly revealed to the audience that Amy is alive and well, and personally orchestrated her faux disappearance to get back at Nick for cheating on her. In an epic plot filled with revenge, both Amy and Nick go back and forth between being the villain and the ‘hero’. It’s a riveting showing from both performers, even if you don’t always know which one to root for.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – Darth Vader
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Star Wars: Episode IV was a pioneer in the film industry — particularly in the genre of sci-fi. The trilogy of films told a story of friendship, betrayal, adventure, and heroism as it followed Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Resistance as they attempted to overthrow the powerful Galactic Republic.
The series also introduced us to a new brand of villain in the menacing Darth Vader. Vader is originally introduced as the ultimate “big bad” in the series but is later revealed to be more of a pawn within a grander scheme. Either way, Vader is ruthless during his reign and you can’t help but appreciate the swiftness in which he disposes of his enemies. Also, his patented mask and signature voice made us all fans of the dark side of the Force.
Basic Instinct (1992) – Catherine Tramell
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While Michael Douglas got top billing as homicide Detective Nick Curran, audiences simply couldn’t keep their eyes off of Sharon Stone’s Catherine Tramell. Can you blame them? Tramell is someone who is always one step ahead of everyone else. She knows what tools she has at her disposal and she doesn’t shy away from using them.
When a famous rockstar is found stabbed to death, Detective Curran’s only viable suspect is Tramell — the deceased rocker’s girlfriend. Tramell is a novelist. Her most recent book contains a plot that eerily resembles the murder in question. A deadly relationship forms as Curran and Tramell play a classic game of cat-and-mouse.
New Jack City (1991) – Nino Brown
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One look at the poster for New Jack City tells you all you need to know about the movie. The film’s three protagonists — a trio of detectives — are in the foreground and are quite small in scale. While the villain — Nino Brown (played by Wesley Snipes) — takes up nearly the entire artwork. Though he’s a ruthless drug lord who will do anything to keep a stranglehold on his turf, one simply cannot help but be enamored by Nino’s presence every time he’s on screen.
Se7en (1995) – John Doe
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Kevin Spacey has a knack for playing unassuming, villainous characters (perhaps, too well). He pulled the rouse on everyone in The Usual Suspects, played Lex Luthor in 2006’s Superman Returns, and was an absolute psycho in Horrible Bosses. In Se7en, Spacey plays the inconspicuous John Doe while the film centers around two detectives who are tasked with finding a serial killer inspired by the seven deadly sins.
Though the detectives — played by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt — are well-trained, they’ve never experienced someone as meticulous and unprincipled as this criminal. Doe runs laps around the two detectives throughout the film, leading up to a shocking climax.
Training Day (2001) – Alonzo Harris
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It takes a special type of actor to play a character as pure and noble as Coach Herman Boone in Remember The Titans, and then a year later dominate the role of crooked cop Alonzo Harris. Denzel Washington is in a class of his own. Training Day begins with Officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) getting ready to begin his first day on the job working for the LAPD.
Jake joins Alonzo in hopes of joining the unit, but their day takes some turns that the newbie could have never expected. Washington gives an absolutely dynamite performance as a cop whose mind, body, and spirit have been contorted by the pressure of his job. Though he engages in questionable activity throughout the movie, it’s hard not to recognize the allure of Alonzo as well as Washington’s performance.
Halloween (1978) – Michael Myers
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Halloween’s Michael Myers is a murderous psychopath with little to no redeemable qualities. He’s also the main reason why fans love this series of horror flicks. John Carpenter revolutionized the genre in 1978 with a low-budget, atmospheric slasher film that completely blew audiences away. While most of the dialogue in the film is handled by babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance), it’s the mute Michael that carries the movie (with some help from Carpenter’s impeccable original score).
Michael was eventually “killed” at the end of Halloween II. However, he was such a beloved character that audiences were outraged he did not return in the third film of the series, Halloween III: Season of the Witch. After being a box office bomb, Michael returned for Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and has appeared in every film in the franchise since.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – Freddy Krueger
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Michael Myers spawned a series of similar slasher villains who kept it quiet during their films. The most famous Myers-clone is perhaps Jason Vorhees, the hockey mask-wearing psycho from the Friday the 13th series. Six years after the original Halloween, Wes Craven turned the genre on its head once again with a wise-cracking, pop-culture-referencing, murderous predator named Freddy Krueger.
Krueger may have not been the first slasher villain to talk, but he had the most interesting things to say when he did speak. He’s legitimately funny at times, and the dash of comedy within these horror films made it stand out above the rest. His one-liners evolved over the years, but Freddy was always the center of attention in every film of the Nightmare series.
There Will Be Blood (2007) – Daniel Plainview
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It’s difficult to get much better than Daniel Day-Lewis. Even when he’s playing a villain, Lewis shines for his performance. In There Will be Blood, Lewis plays the despicable Daniel Plainview who will do anything to become rich. Plainview is an oil tycoon who engages in several dastardly activities on his way to the top — including adopting an orphaned boy so he can present himself as a “family man” to potential business partners and beating a man to death with a bowling pin.
Even though the audience knows it’s supposed to dislike Plainview, you can’t help but be enamored by the enigmatic character. Lewis won Best Actor at both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes for his performance.
Red Dragon (2002) – Hannibal Lecter
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Hannibal Lecter is one of the most recognizable villains in film history. It’s hard to overlook a serial killer who enjoys snacking on his victims alongside fava beans and a nice chianti. This would be the third time Anthony Hopkins portrayed the role, and it’s nearly impossible to choose which movie in the series was his best performance.
In the previous two films, Hannibal had a worthy opponent in Clarice Starling to contend with (played by Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs, and Julianne Moore in Hannibal). But in Red Dragon, Hannibal easily outshines the forgettable FBI agent Will Graham.
Wizard of Oz (1939) – Wicked Witch of the West
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Let’s face it: Dorothy is the worst. At the end of the all-time classic film The Wizard of Oz, it is revealed that all of the events that have occurred are a dream. You mean this sick and twisted girl dreamt all of these things? She dreamt that she would drop a house on someone and murder them…And then when the sister of the deceased shows up, Dorothy just goes and steals the belongings of the dead?
Disgraceful. The Wicked Witch of the West was simply mourning the death of her sister, while Dorothy was over here grave robbing. The red slippers were not Dorothy’s to have. Dreams are a way for your subconscious to communicate with you. Dorothy’s subconscious was telling her that she was rotten — and her little dog, too.
Whiplash (2014) – Terence Fletcher
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Whiplash stars Myles Teller as Andrew, an aspiring drummer who is set to attend a prestigious music college in New York. Andrew is taught by the famed Terence Fletcher who is portrayed extraordinarily well by J.K. Simmons. Fletcher is a perfectionist and a relentless bully. He routinely calls his students out when they are underperforming, and berates them in front of the entire class.
Fletcher targets Andrew and overworks the young student into mental and physical exhaustion. Even though he’s a rather vile individual, the film simply would not be as great without Fletcher. Simmons keeps the audience on pins and needles the entire way and earned the 2014 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
Avengers: End Game (2019) – Thanos
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Thanos was introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2012, during a post-credits scene following The Avengers. Seven years later, the purple alien got his own film as he battled against all of Marvel’s most popular heroes. As we get to know Thanos more and more, his motivations don’t seem quite as bad as originally thought.
Sure, he snaps away half of the human population with the powers of the Infinity Gauntlet. But, he did it under the idea that the universe only has a finite amount of resources and that overpopulation could lead to serious issues that could stem across the galaxy. He was trying to save us! Well, half of us.
Blade Runner (1982) – Roy Batty
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It’s not too often that a villainous character is able to outshine the great Harrison Ford. In 1982’s Blade Runner, actor Rutger Hauer does just that. Playing a rogue robot leading a resistance, Roy Batty (Hauer) and his caravan are being chased down by Rick Deckard (Ford) – a Blade Runner of the LAPD. Hauer does an impeccable job of portraying an AI who is beginning to feel human emotions.
While he’s depicted as the villainous leader in the film, Batty simply wants autonomy over his life. Is that so wrong? During the climax of the film, Batty surprisingly saves Deckard’s life and delivers a memorable monologue before his ultimate death. Solidifying his place as a legendary “villain” and one of the great sci-fi characters of all-time.
No Country for Old Men (2007) – Anton Chigurh
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No Country for Old Men is not a horror movie. But make no mistake about it, Anton Chigurh is a textbook horror villain. The efficient serial killer is menacing, calculated, and downright terrifying. He stalks his prey, hides behind doors, and is easily one of the most intimidating figures in recent movie history. Most horror villains need a mask or a deformity to be scary, but not Chigurh. All he needs is his deep, baritone voice, a coin, and his cattle gun.
Forget about aging officer Ed Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) and main protagonist Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), Javier Bardem’s performance as Chigurh is why No Country for Old Men is held in such high esteem and won several awards. At the 2008 Academy Awards, the film was named Best Picture and Bardem was awarded Best Supporting Actor.
