In this five part series I’ll present to you the top 50 greatest film villains of all time. They’ll range from films of all genres dating from today’s most eccentric fiends all the way back to the silent era of film. Out of the 50 villainous performances, 15 were nominated for an Academy Award with 7 of the 15 winning the Oscar. Some of the clips will run a little longer than normal, but I find them to be essential in establishing the villain's character for you.
50) Walter Peck (Ghostbusters) - William Atherton
1984 - Who says a comedy can’t have a great villain? Atherton’s Walter Peck was bureaucracy dressed in a three piece suit. As an officer for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Peck’s mission was to shut the Ghostbusters down by any means necessary, even if that meant causing further harm to the city of New York. In his mind, the Ghostbusters weren’t saving the city. They were creating illusions through harmful chemicals in order to make a quick buck. It’s one of the most underrated villainous performances, and he was such a great comic foil for Bill Murray’s Dr. Peter Venkman. One interesting note - to go along with the scene that was played - on the Ghostbusters audio commentary, writer/actor Harold Ramis (who played Dr. Egon Spengler) said after the film became a gigantic hit, Atherton told him he couldn’t walk into a bar without someone wanting to pick a fight with him all the time. The cherry on top though - a school bus of kids going by, spotting him and screaming out the windows, “Yo, dickless!”
49) Calvin J. Candie (Django Unchained) - Leonardo DiCaprio
2012 - The most recent villain on this list, DiCaprio’s Calvin J. Candie is all “sugar and spice and everything nice” with that charming, debonaire smile of his along with a side of sadistic, cutthroat, and just try to do him wrong. As a slave owner who runs a Mandingo fighting chain and happens to own title character Django’s (Jaime Foxx) wife Broomhilda, Monsieur Candie’s scene involving a beaten down slave attacked by dogs is enough to send an uneasy feeling your way. It’s a phenomenal performance by DiCaprio, who certainly has portrayed conflicted men, but at least empathetic and likeable though. Here he finally shows he can play nasty amongst the nastiest of them.
2012 - The most recent villain on this list, DiCaprio’s Calvin J. Candie is all “sugar and spice and everything nice” with that charming, debonaire smile of his along with a side of sadistic, cutthroat, and just try to do him wrong. As a slave owner who runs a Mandingo fighting chain and happens to own title character Django’s (Jaime Foxx) wife Broomhilda, Monsieur Candie’s scene involving a beaten down slave attacked by dogs is enough to send an uneasy feeling your way. It’s a phenomenal performance by DiCaprio, who certainly has portrayed conflicted men, but at least empathetic and likeable though. Here he finally shows he can play nasty amongst the nastiest of them.
48) Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction) - Glenn Close
1987 - If there's ever a movie made that could be used as a terrifying PSA against marital infidelity, Fatal Attraction would be it. Glenn Close’s Alex Forrest comes off as more than just a bit clingy. She attempts suicide, repeatedly calls Michael Douglas’s Dan Gallagher at work, then when that fails, goes for the home phone, and commits a number of wrongs most sane, law abiding citizens would frown upon, yet most crazy exes have right at the top of their to-do list. I’ll refrain from mentioning which of those “wrongs” are committed for the sake of those that haven’t seen the movie, but one thing’s for certain - she is not going to be ignored. To this day, almost thirty years after the release of the film, Glenn Close has stated she still gets men that walk up to her and say, “You scared the shit out of me... You saved my marriage”. Note to all pet rabbit lovers currently involved in an affair - hide your pets... You’ll thank me later.
1987 - If there's ever a movie made that could be used as a terrifying PSA against marital infidelity, Fatal Attraction would be it. Glenn Close’s Alex Forrest comes off as more than just a bit clingy. She attempts suicide, repeatedly calls Michael Douglas’s Dan Gallagher at work, then when that fails, goes for the home phone, and commits a number of wrongs most sane, law abiding citizens would frown upon, yet most crazy exes have right at the top of their to-do list. I’ll refrain from mentioning which of those “wrongs” are committed for the sake of those that haven’t seen the movie, but one thing’s for certain - she is not going to be ignored. To this day, almost thirty years after the release of the film, Glenn Close has stated she still gets men that walk up to her and say, “You scared the shit out of me... You saved my marriage”. Note to all pet rabbit lovers currently involved in an affair - hide your pets... You’ll thank me later.
47) Frank Booth (Blue Velvet) - Dennis Hopper
1986 - The late Dennis Hopper’s Frank Booth was a drug and sex addicted, sadomasochistic, psychotic sociopath who terrorizes Isabella Rossellini’s Dorothy in the town of Lumberton. His infantile behavior in moments of rage such as his famous line, “Baby wants to fuck!” add much more to his twisted psychosis. Of course, to those that have seen Blue Velvet, we all know the most iconic aspect of Booth is his frequent inhalation of the unexplained gas (In 2002, on the DVD commentary, Hopper claimed it was Amyl Nitrite) through a medical mask. After years of film flops and battling drug addiction, it was Hopper’s performance here as the demented Frank Booth that gave him his much needed comeback.
1986 - The late Dennis Hopper’s Frank Booth was a drug and sex addicted, sadomasochistic, psychotic sociopath who terrorizes Isabella Rossellini’s Dorothy in the town of Lumberton. His infantile behavior in moments of rage such as his famous line, “Baby wants to fuck!” add much more to his twisted psychosis. Of course, to those that have seen Blue Velvet, we all know the most iconic aspect of Booth is his frequent inhalation of the unexplained gas (In 2002, on the DVD commentary, Hopper claimed it was Amyl Nitrite) through a medical mask. After years of film flops and battling drug addiction, it was Hopper’s performance here as the demented Frank Booth that gave him his much needed comeback.
46) Hans Gruber (Die Hard) - Alan Rickman
1988 - “I am an exceptional thief, Mrs. McClane. And since I'm moving up to kidnapping, you should be more polite.” Hans Gruber is just one of many examples of how you can have a great villain that’s not crazy or psychotic, but actually eloquent, well dressed, and highly intelligent. As the leader of a group of terrorists, Gruber plans to steal $640 million from the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles, and most certainly uses terrorism as a means; however, in his mind he’s not a terrorist. He’s using terrorism as a tool to teach the Nakatomi Corporation a lesson about their greed. It’s that sort of deceptive trick (used by many great villains before and after) of portraying themselves as the good while their captives are really bad that makes Hans Gruber such a devilishly smart antagonist. On top of that, the back and forth between him and Bruce Willis’s John McClane is grade A entertainment.
1988 - “I am an exceptional thief, Mrs. McClane. And since I'm moving up to kidnapping, you should be more polite.” Hans Gruber is just one of many examples of how you can have a great villain that’s not crazy or psychotic, but actually eloquent, well dressed, and highly intelligent. As the leader of a group of terrorists, Gruber plans to steal $640 million from the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles, and most certainly uses terrorism as a means; however, in his mind he’s not a terrorist. He’s using terrorism as a tool to teach the Nakatomi Corporation a lesson about their greed. It’s that sort of deceptive trick (used by many great villains before and after) of portraying themselves as the good while their captives are really bad that makes Hans Gruber such a devilishly smart antagonist. On top of that, the back and forth between him and Bruce Willis’s John McClane is grade A entertainment.
45) Roger “Verbal” Kint (The Usual Suspects) - Kevin Spacey
1995 - It’s hard for me to explain much of “Verbal” Kint’s character without giving much away, but Kevin Spacey knocked it out of the park as the hobbled Kint who’s interrogated throughout the film for a recent dockyard massacre. Both Spacey and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie took home Oscars (Best Supporting Actor and Original Screenplay respectively) for their roles in this film. I can’t say much about the plot, but to those that haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you check it out. Spacey’s performance alone is good enough for a watch, but McQuarrie’s intricate script makes it even better.
44) Scar (The Lion King) - voiced by Jeremy Irons
1994 - While not the greatest Disney animated film villain, Scar still gave children enough nightmares to keep them sleeping with one eye open with his “Cain and Abel” story arc. Being jealous of his brother Mufasa - who’s king of the pride - is just the tip of the iceberg. He then plans and executes the death of his brother. Hold on, ‘cause it gets better when Scar then places the blame of Mufasa's death on his nephew cub Simba in a guilt trip that drives him away for years (Giving the movie a perfect balance of slapstick fun mixed with sobering reality like most Disney animated films). As much I enjoy Scorsese and Stone and the Cohen brothers and Tarantino, I’m still never ashamed to say I’ve always loved Disney’s animated features. Their stories are unique and they’ve always been able to create extremely colorful villains. Scar (perfectly voiced by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons) is no exception.
1994 - While not the greatest Disney animated film villain, Scar still gave children enough nightmares to keep them sleeping with one eye open with his “Cain and Abel” story arc. Being jealous of his brother Mufasa - who’s king of the pride - is just the tip of the iceberg. He then plans and executes the death of his brother. Hold on, ‘cause it gets better when Scar then places the blame of Mufasa's death on his nephew cub Simba in a guilt trip that drives him away for years (Giving the movie a perfect balance of slapstick fun mixed with sobering reality like most Disney animated films). As much I enjoy Scorsese and Stone and the Cohen brothers and Tarantino, I’m still never ashamed to say I’ve always loved Disney’s animated features. Their stories are unique and they’ve always been able to create extremely colorful villains. Scar (perfectly voiced by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons) is no exception.
43) Jack Torrance (The Shining) - Jack Nicholson
1980 - “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” This is like cabin fever except instead of being trapped inside an small, enclosed space with nothing to do, you’re trapped in a grand hotel... with still nothing to do. Author Stephen King may have at one point been quoted as saying he hated this movie, but that doesn’t change the fact that Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation is one hell of a horror masterpiece both in story and visuals. In particular, since this is about the villains, Jack Nicholson’s performance is a haunting tale of man descending into madness. At first, he refuses to admit anything is remotely wrong when his wife (Shelley Duvall) starts to show concern, but like a decaying foundation left unattended he slowly but surely begins to crack. On a side note, I showed this film to one of my friends who was spending the night, and after seeing it once, he refuses to watch it again.
1980 - “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” This is like cabin fever except instead of being trapped inside an small, enclosed space with nothing to do, you’re trapped in a grand hotel... with still nothing to do. Author Stephen King may have at one point been quoted as saying he hated this movie, but that doesn’t change the fact that Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation is one hell of a horror masterpiece both in story and visuals. In particular, since this is about the villains, Jack Nicholson’s performance is a haunting tale of man descending into madness. At first, he refuses to admit anything is remotely wrong when his wife (Shelley Duvall) starts to show concern, but like a decaying foundation left unattended he slowly but surely begins to crack. On a side note, I showed this film to one of my friends who was spending the night, and after seeing it once, he refuses to watch it again.
42) T-101 (The Terminator) - Arnold Schwarzenegger
1984 - He shows no anger, no passion, no psychosis, no emotions whatsoever. In writer/director James Cameron's breakthrough hit, the T-101 has been programmed to complete one mission: kill Sarah Connor and not just her, but anyone that gets in his way. It is through Sarah Connor that her own yet to be born son John will lead a resistance of men against the rising of the machines in the future. In spite of the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s role isn’t flashy or in need of much, if any, acting at all, it is still a chilling performance. That’s the point though. He’s a machine. There is no show or theatrics, and in some ways, you can argue that it’s just as difficult to portray emotionless perfectly as it is theatrical. In a twist of irony, T-101 does reappear in the sequel (which I believe to be the best in the series), but this time reprogrammed to be the hero.
1984 - He shows no anger, no passion, no psychosis, no emotions whatsoever. In writer/director James Cameron's breakthrough hit, the T-101 has been programmed to complete one mission: kill Sarah Connor and not just her, but anyone that gets in his way. It is through Sarah Connor that her own yet to be born son John will lead a resistance of men against the rising of the machines in the future. In spite of the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s role isn’t flashy or in need of much, if any, acting at all, it is still a chilling performance. That’s the point though. He’s a machine. There is no show or theatrics, and in some ways, you can argue that it’s just as difficult to portray emotionless perfectly as it is theatrical. In a twist of irony, T-101 does reappear in the sequel (which I believe to be the best in the series), but this time reprogrammed to be the hero.
41) Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men) - Javier Bardem
2007 - If you wind up facing him, get ready for one high stakes game of heads or tails. Javier Bardem’s quietly menacing Anton Chigurh made something as simple a coin flip frightening while at the same time turned a cattle gun into a rather fashionable weapon. Portraying a hitman hired to recover money from a drug deal gone bad, Bardem’s Oscar winning performance is nothing short of brilliant. It’s his quietest moments when he hardly utters a word that sends the biggest shiver up your spine. Like with their previous efforts, the Cohen brothers know what it takes to make a memorable villain. Here with Anton Chigurh (who, to be fair, is from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name), I argue is their most memorable.
That’s all for the first ten villains with Part I. Next week I’ll have Part II which will have the next ten (40-31).
2007 - If you wind up facing him, get ready for one high stakes game of heads or tails. Javier Bardem’s quietly menacing Anton Chigurh made something as simple a coin flip frightening while at the same time turned a cattle gun into a rather fashionable weapon. Portraying a hitman hired to recover money from a drug deal gone bad, Bardem’s Oscar winning performance is nothing short of brilliant. It’s his quietest moments when he hardly utters a word that sends the biggest shiver up your spine. Like with their previous efforts, the Cohen brothers know what it takes to make a memorable villain. Here with Anton Chigurh (who, to be fair, is from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name), I argue is their most memorable.
That’s all for the first ten villains with Part I. Next week I’ll have Part II which will have the next ten (40-31).
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