Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate
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It starts with a costume. Or maybe a famous laugh? Or perhaps it’s that one act so shocking you’ll never forgive them, but still admire them. There are many reasons why movie villains become so iconic among movie fans. Cinema can offer the chance to leave a complicated reality and enter a place with simple morals – good vs bad, hero vs villain. However, sometimes the villains are so intoxicating, they become as popular as the good guys. Sometimes even more. Here’s our pick of the dastardly characters who have earned their place in film history, and why we love to hate them…

By Victoria Luxford

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Cruella
Cruella de Vil (101 Dalmatians, Cruella) – “If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will!” We start with a character who literally has the word ‘Devil’ in her name. Making her debut in 1961’s animated film 101 Dalmatians, the eccentric, puppy-hating fashionista has been realised in live action by Glenn Close, and most recently by Emma Stone. Whatever the incarnation, it’s her intoxicating mix of glamour and malevolence that keeps us coming back for more. She’s wealthy, rude and does exactly what she wants with little thought for the consequences. You can’t blame us for being a little bit jealous!

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
joker
The Joker (Batman Universe) – Perhaps the most famous baddie of all time, Batman’s arch nemesis has been envisioned a number of ways on film. In the ‘60s, he was a manic jester played by Cesar Romero, which remained the most famous portrayal until Jack Nicholson made him a wise-cracking gangster in 1989’s Batman. Of course, Heath Ledger won an Oscar for depicting the Clown Prince of Crime to be an anarchist, while Joaquin Phoenix won another for showing him as a disturbed man forgotten by society. These portrayals and others may vary on the particulars, but all share the common thread of a man who delights in inflicting pain, maniacally laughing his way through the madness.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Harley
Harley Quinn (Suicide Squad) – How can we mention The Joker without his beloved? Harley Quinn is unique in the DC Universe as a character who didn’t actually debut in the comic books – she was created for the animated Batman series of the 1990s. On film, she was immortalised by Margot Robbie for 2016’s Suicide Squad, reprising the role twice since. Her grubby street style and twisted romanticism has made her a firm favourite, with more movie misadventures on the way.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Grinch
The Grinch – You know you’ve got a true villain when their mission is to ruin one of the most cherished holidays of them all: Christmas. With those pointed eyebrows and that perpetually devious expression, Dr Seuss’ most famous creation has become a holiday favourite. Jim Carrey’s interpretation is arguably the most successful one on film, although Boris Karloff and Benedict Cumberbatch’s versions both have their fans. Carrey’s wild antics worked perfectly in the surreal, colourful world that Seuss’ work inhabits. Across all media, however, it’s the sneering cynicism at one of the happiest times of the year that has made ‘Grinch’ a byword for someone who isn’t getting in the seasonal spirit.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Hans
Hans Gruber (Die Hard) – “Sooner or later, I might get to someone you do care about.” Shakespearean actor Alan Rickman set the standard against which all action movie villains are held. Vicious and manipulative, the intelligent suited criminal provides an excellent sparring partner for Bruce Willis’ blue collar hero. An inspiration to numerous characters since, Rickman reportedly hated being famous for playing bad guys (he also found success as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films and as the sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves). According to comedian John Sessions, he once said: “I don’t play villains. I play very interesting people.”

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Ursula
Ursula (The Little Mermaid) – For decades it has been quite common in American cinema to have ‘queer-coded’ villains, who (for better or worse) demonstrate traits stereotypically synonymous with the LGBTQ+ community. One of the most celebrated examples is Ursula, the baddie of Disney’s 1989 The Little Mermaid. A sea witch who lures Ariel the mermaid into a deadly contract, her songs and deliciously evil asides are still quotable to this day. Her appearance is based upon drag queen pioneer Divine, who found fame in the films of John Waters, and as such has been held close by the queer community ever since. Melissa McCarthy has a big task ahead of her playing the role in the forthcoming live-action version.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Killmonger
Killmonger (Black Panther) – Some of the most interesting villains are people who, from a certain perspective, are not villains at all. Killmonger, played by Michael B Jordan in 2018’s Black Panther, is driven to do terrible things out of vengeance for the death of his father at the hands of T’Chaka, the father of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman). While undoubtedly twisted by his grief, Jordan’s performance is memorable for its moral complexity. Yes, he is someone who T’Challa must stop in order to bring peace, but he is also someone who T’Challa must heed in order to correct the mistakes of the past.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Hannibal
Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal) – One of Hollywood’s most enduring and horrifying antagonists, based on the novels of Thomas Harris. Sir Anthony Hopkins is synonymous with the role, giving the imprisoned cannibal patient menace that chilled FBI Agent Starling (Jodie Foster) and millions of moviegoers. The murderous psychologist was also played effectively by Brian Cox (1986’s Manhunter) and on TV’s Hannibal by Mads Mikkelsen. However, it was Hopkins’ interpretation, inspired by natural predators like the crocodile and tarantula, that remains eternal.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Darth
Darth Vader (The Stars Wars Saga) – With his own theme tune and that ominous breathing, few make an impression like Lord Vader. Yes, he may have found some redemption sacrificing his own life to save his son, but for most of his time on screen, the dark silhouette of the Sith Lord represents unmistakable evil. The prequel trilogy gave us a peek behind the mask, as we saw Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) slowly seduced by the Dark Side, however it was the original trilogy that cemented his reputation as a true baddie for the ages – cold, ruthless and unforgettable.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Regina
Regina George (Mean Girls) – From a Lord of the Sith to the Leader of the Plastics. Rachel McAdams’ Regina George is the embodiment of everything that made your life hell in high school. Ruling North Shore High with an iron fist, she is highly intelligent and capable of manipulating situations to get her way. Mean Girls has developed a cult following over the years, and it’s partly because of McAdams’ skilful embodiment of the worst parts of the secondary school experience, where the prettiest and most popular stand at the top. Ironically, it was McAdams’ sweet nature in real life that convinced writer Tina Fey she would be perfect for the role.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Gollum
Gollum (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) – “He hates and loves the Ring, just as he hates and loves himself.” Andy Serkis created an icon when, through motion capture, he conceived the hideous and piteous Gollum. We see how a hobbit named Sméagol became obsessed with the Ring of Power, descending into physical and mental decay before becoming the treacherous Gollum. A dark shadow of what hero Frodo (Elijah Wood) may become, he’s been a pop culture phenomenon for 20 years and is instantly recognisable through his hissed catchphrase: “my precious.”

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Thanos
Thanos (The Marvel Cinematic Universe) – When you spend 18 films building up to a devastating final battle, you better make the antagonist memorable. First teased in 2012’s The Avengers, it was in 2019 that Josh Brolin’s Mad Titan carried out his nefarious plan to find the Infinity Stones and erase half of all life in the universe. Played with gravitas, Brolin gives Thanos the insane conviction of a religious zealot, following through with a plot so vast it would take a major sacrifice to undo. He remains the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most fearsome villain.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Hook
Captain Hook (Hook, Pan, Peter Pan) – Another villain who has been portrayed in a number of ways over the years, the cackling pantomime dandy from Disney’s animated Peter Pan (1953) is the most recognised version. Played by the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Jason Isaacs and Hugh Jackman in live action, his motives range from revenge (for losing his hand) to jealousy, an ageing man raging against the boy who never grew up. He’s most often played comedically, but can also be seen as a tragic figure. There, in fact, are many ways to view Hook, but what makes him popular is always the same: the scowl, the air of theatrics, and the conviction that this will be the moment he finally kills Peter Pan.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
O
O-Ren Ishii (Kill Bill: Vol. 1) – Uma Thurman’s Blood Spattered Bride hunts a lot of people on her quest for revenge, but for our money the most memorable is O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) in Volume One of Quentin Tarantino’s saga. Lording over her domain, she instigates the film’s elaborate House of Blue Leaves battle, before facing The Bride like the end-of-level-boss in a video game. Prone to murderous rages, Liu delivers one of her finest performances as she verbally jousts with Thurman in a spectacular snow-covered final duel. The title may be ‘Kill Bill’, but the first volume belongs to O-Ren.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Hans Landa
Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds) – Another masterful Tarantino antagonist, Austrian actor Christoph Waltz was an overnight sensation as Standartenführer Landa. A soulless and egotistical villain, he prides himself on his ability to find Jewish refugees during the darkest moments of World War II. While the director’s take on the war is somewhat sensationalised, he seems to encapsulate all that is awful about the conflict in one performance. Landa is undoubtedly evil, but Waltz lends him an intelligence and charisma that makes every scene terrifying to watch.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Ernst
Ernst Stavro Blofeld (The James Bond Series) – Waltz makes a second appearance as the latest incarnation of 007’s greatest foe. Even if you’re not especially familiar with Bond films, the image of Blofeld will be familiar: sitting in a chair, stroking a cat, plotting world domination. Appearing eight times on screen, Blofeld was most recently rebooted as Bond’s adoptive brother (Waltz) in 2015’s Spectre. However, previous appearances have been just as impactful, including Telly Savalas’ Blofeld, who kills Bond’s wife in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. In all versions, the sinister, performative danger of the character has made him an influential part of the series, and of cinema itself.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Agent
Agent Smith (The Matrix Series) – If The Matrix was a rallying call against conformity, The Agents would represent everything it rails against. Suited up, interchangeable police figures who find and eliminate anything that interferes with the Matrix simulation, one version emerged as a particularly hateful, vindictive enforcer: Agent Smith. Played with relish by Hugo Weaving, the first film in particular features some incredible moments, including a sobering speech where Smith reveals he sees humanity as a “virus”. Giving a brief cameo in the recent Space Jam: The New Legacy, he remains a cold, calculating bad guy for the ages.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Hela
Hela (Thor: Ragnarok) – Unlike her brother Loki, who started out as a villain and is now perhaps more of a loveable anti-hero, Hela emerged from banishment to wreak havoc in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. Sometimes, a villain wins over a lot of heroes by doing their deeds with style, and that’s certainly true of Cate Blanchett as the former Executioner of Asgard. With killer eyeshadow and elaborate headwear, Hela became part of Marvel history with lines like: “I’m not a queen or a monster. I’m the Goddess of Death.” Incredibly, Blanchett was not familiar with the Marvel Universe at the time, only accepting the role at the encouragement of her children!

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Scar
Scar (The Lion King) – Family was also the source of villainy in Disney’s The Lion King. As a loose adaptation of Hamlet, it’s perhaps fitting that former Royal Shakespeare Company star Jeremy Irons should voice its villain, Scar. Purring with witty asides and even the unsettling song “Be Prepared”, Scar was responsible for the first on-screen death in Disney history when he killed his brother, Mufasa. Chiwetel Ejiofor would add a different twist to the 2018 remake, giving the character more of a cold detachment, but just as much wickedness.

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate.
Meyers
Michael Myers (Halloween) – While not the oldest villain on this list, Michael Myers may hold the claim of being one of the most influential. Michael Myers was the horrifying bogeyman of Halloween, the 1978 John Carpenter film that helped kick-start the slasher horror sub-genre. Relentless and unstoppable (unless you are Jamie Lee Curtis), the character has appeared in ten of the eleven Halloween films, with his expressionless mask haunting his victims’ every move. In reality, that mask had a less sinister origin: it was a modified fancy dress mask of William Shatner, which the actor himself confesses to having worn trick-or-treating!

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Wickedly Good: The Movie Villains We Love To Hate

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