It’s impossible to overstate the importance of a memorable movie villain.
The perfect dramatic foil to the hero they often seek to undermine, truly remarkable movie antagonists can either make or break a movie. Forcing the main hero to overcome each obstacle in their path, cinematic antagonists significantly aid in the development of their heroes’ maturatio, helping them grow from unassuming and/or inexperienced characters into far more resourceful and formidable protagonists.
While most movies tend to end with their narrative’s hero triumphing over their villainous counterparts, some films have the audacity to conclude on far bleaker terms, drawing their narrative to a close by having the villain come out on top. From Machiavellian ‘80s superheroes to cannibalistic serial killers, here are seven unforgettable movie antagonists that ultimately achieved their end goals, besting their cinematic protagonists in the process.
Most people tend to examine Zack Snyder’s mainstream DCEU films at the expense of his far more impressive 2000s-era films, including his wondrous adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ sweeping superhero comic, Watchmen. Closely following its original source material, Snyder’s version of Watchmen finds Matthew Goode’s pragmatic anti-hero Ozymandias averting World War III by framing Doctor Manhattan for a genocidal attack on New York City. Despite his fellow heroes’ greatest efforts to stop him, Ozymandias’s twisted plot to unite America and the Soviet Union proves ultimately successful (even if it came at a grievous cost).
Quite possibly the most demented serial killer in cinematic history, John Doe dedicates his entire life to personifying the Seven Deadly Sins in his grisly reign of terror. Using each sin as a source of inspiration for his murders, Doe’s mission is to illustrate the everyday presence of sin in contemporary society. Bringing the barbarity and severity of the Spanish Inquisition to the modern era, Doe’s crusade comes to a close when he manipulates Brad Pitt’s impressionable Mills into completing his holy mission. Though brutally murdered at the hands of his wrathful gaoler, Doe’s philosophical worldview is completed with his death, adding yet another victim to his ever-growing body count in the form of the enraged Mills.
Truthfully, we don’t really know whether to characterize Dr. Hannibal Lecter as a warped anti-hero or a reluctant anti-villain, the Baltimore-based psychiatrist-turned-serial killer blurring the lines between the two moral distinctions. However, it’s also difficult to condone any of Lecter’s most monstrous actions, from the sadistic mind games he plays with his intellectual inferiors to his taboo taste for human flesh. Regardless of how you choose to see him, it’s obvious that Lecter winds up in a far more favorable predicament at the end of The Silence of the Lambs. As Clarice and her superiors at the F.B.I. close in on Buffalo Bill’s location, the good doctor uses the manhunt as a distraction to break free from his own confinement, setting out on a vendetta-filled rampage overseas that we’re sure includes quite a few enemies on his flavorful menu.
Has there ever been a femme fatale more cunning and dangerous than Gone Girl’s Amy Dunne? A sociopathic mastermind able to plot her way out of every life-threatening situation imaginable, Amy’s primary motivation is to destroy the life of her estranged husband, Nick, with whom she’s trapped in a loveless, passionless marriage. From creating an elaborate plan to fake her kidnapping to methodically mapping out her husband’s perceived guilt in the public spotlight, Amy’s meticulous plot against Nick is downright terrifying in both its scope and complexity. In spite of every setback she experiences, though, Amy always finds a way to claw herself back from the brink of failure, cementing her toxic marriage with Nick in a relationship built on lies, deceit, and mutual disdain for one another.
As Keyser Söze himself so eloquently put it, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Such is the simple but effective strategy of Verbal Kint’s enigmatic alter ego. Gaslighting his way out of an official police investigation, Söze’s ability to fabricate a fully-developed story without missing a beat is beyond parallel. Whether faking a physical ailment or piecing together fictionalized biographies from random tchotchkes and office photos, Söze leaves little doubt that he’s one of the most intelligent and charismatic criminals in cinematic history. Evading suspicion through his portrayal of the meek and mild-mannered Kint, Söze disappears without a trace by the end of The Usual Suspects, leaving the authorities to figure out how exactly the criminal mastermind pulled one over on them so masterfully.
It’s absolutely tragic to think Heath Ledger passed away at the very height of his career. But at the very least, fans can always cherish the late Oscar winner’s performance as The Dark Knight’s iconic villain, The Joker. Earning universal praise for his portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime, Ledger’s version of The Joker also remains notable for the ingenious strategies he implemented to discredit Batman and destroy Gotham City’s morale. Though Gotham’s citizens might not be fully aware of his crime’s extents, Ledger’s Joker successfully managed to turn the city against the Caped Crusader, transforming Batman from Gotham’s watchful protector into its number one most-wanted fugitive.
Technically speaking, it’s more accurate to describe the ending to No Country for Old Men more as a stalemate than as an outright victory for either the heroes or villains of the story. However, given the fact that one protagonist winds up horrifically and the other wearily retires, the only man actually left standing at the end of the film is none other than Javier Bardem’s philosophical hitman, Anton Chigurh. Even if he never pulled the trigger that killed Llewlyn Moss, Chigurh’s psychopathic escapades proved disturbing enough to push Ed Tom into retirement. What’s more, he exits back into the world like a wraith once again venturing into the mortal realm, free to wreak havoc on any innocent souls unlucky enough to cross his path.
