The unwritten law of movies is that you have to champion the protagonist whether they’re a hero, an anti-hero, a renegade, or a downright villain. But have you ever stopped to think that you might be wholly invested in a nasty character, one that you wouldn’t give wiggle room in real life? We’re all about the action, seemingly! Who cares if they’re bad people?
Let’s have a look at 21 characters that enthral us, despite their questionable morals.
Tony Montana, Scarface
He’s a ruthless drug kingpin who murders anyone that gets in his way. He assaults his cocaine-addicted wife, berates her for being childless, and does little to support her downward spiral. But we still love him. What’s that about?
George Jung, Blow
The true story of the late infamous drug trafficker George Jung who abandoned his wife and adoring daughter. He ultimately paid the price, and we were heartbroken for him. But it’s Johnny Depp, right?
Edward Cullen, Twilight
He’s a ‘nice’ vampire who parades about brutally murdering innocent animals for his dinner. And it’s all in the name of good morals, apparently. Debatable for non-meat eaters.
Dewey Finn, School of Rock
We held out for the moment when Jack Black’s teaching genius turned a bunch of kids into superstars. But did you ever stop to think that he impersonated his roommate, pretended to be a teacher, and abducted them from school? That’s a punishable offense!
Rose Dawson, Titanic
There’s nothing good to say about Kate Winslet’s, Rose. Bottom line, there was plenty of room left on the raft for Jack. But no, she watched him die while she hogged the wooden door. So much for love.
Nick Leeson, Rogue Trader
He lost over $1 billion in company derivatives and brought Barings Bank to its knees. We urged him to speak up, but he continued to spiral. How is it that we’re still hoping he got away with it in the end? It’s a true story and he didn’t, but the real-life rogue trader has done alright since his release.
Joker, Joker
He’s unnervingly weird and deeply disturbed. He imagines himself hurting people and savagely beats a bunch of guys in a subway for taunting him. We’d give him a wide berth in reality, yet we’re impossibly drawn to his oddness. Fight on, Joker!
Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street
A more narcissistic character you’re unlikely to find: one with a drug addiction to boot, a lack of respect for his wife and kids, and no regard for the law. But we’re rooting for this real-life, debaucherous conman the entire way through!
Nancy Downs, The Craft
She’s the darkest of witches since The Wizard of Oz, but it’s impossible to walk away from The Craft without applauding Fairuza Balk’s outlandish performance. Her weirdness is nothing short of terrifying and she undeniably steals the movie for her portrayal of a demonic, menacing force. She even had viewers thinking she was the real deal.
Mark Renton, Trainspotting
The movie consists of Renton shooting up with his druggie friends in varying situations. Cue multiple disturbing scenes. He finds himself in a few stomach-churning situations and despite our rationality, we’ve got his back the entire time. Even the notorious toilet scene doesn’t deter us!
William Foster, Falling Down
When ordinary guy William Foster, played by Michael Douglas suddenly flips out and starts wreaking havoc across LA, we feel a sense of empathy in his actions. It’s fair to say that we don’t all go to such extremes, but we can relate to the sense of injustice that he experiences. Meditation is a good alternative.
Louis Bloom, Nightcrawler
Louis Bloom is nothing short of chilling, possibly even a psychopath, but Jake Gyllenhaal sucks us in with his portrayal of this deranged photographer who manipulates crime scenes for sensational footage. Strange hobby.
Richard, The Beach
Leonardo DiCaprio is at it again but this time as an entitled, pot-smoking, girlfriend-stealing island-destroyer! Granted, he does it with the assistance of a bunch of hippies, but his immoral standards leave a lot to be desired. It doesn’t stop the stomach flips when the famous Moby track kicks in.
Ma, Ma
Octavia Spencer does a splendid job of playing on our sympathies as ‘Ma’ but the reality of her disturbing actions towards a bunch of teenagers is plain terrifying. There’s torture and even death; pretty extreme, even in the name of childhood trauma!
Alex DeLarge, A Clockwork Orange
A dark movie classic: Malcolm McDowell’s Alex DeLarge is a compelling character, despite his penchant for extreme violence. The movie was banned in several countries and became Stanley Kubrick’s most repellent movie, but we continue to champion the protagonist for his barbaric bravado.
Amy Dunne, Gone Girl
Who doesn’t appreciate the brilliance of Amy Dunne’s psychosis? In fact, we positively favor her murdering tendencies over her husband’s mere infidelity. Rosamund Pike sells it to us, and we have to admire her top-drawer sneakiness.
‘Dom’ Toretto, The Fast and The Furious
He’s the crew leader of an illegal street racing team who commits highway robberies in their spare time. We’re unapologetically sucked in by their combined passion for family and fast cars, so we let them off. It takes Vin Diesel to pull it off.
Mickey and Malory, Natural Born Killers
You can’t possibly mention one without the other, so we’ve thrown this serial-killing tag team in as a duo. As they set out on a bloody rampage across the US, we endorse their everlasting love for each other, balking at their eventual demise. Love makes us do crazy things.
Maleficent, Maleficent
Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent epitomizes evil in its purest form. She’s dark, ruthless, and lacks remorse. But we’re suckers for a sad history, and Maleficent’s early betrayal helps us understand her hardened heart. Still, there are less extreme avenues to portray one’s distaste.
The Grinch, The Grinch
He’s miserable, cruel, and continually misunderstood, and that’s precisely why we love him. It isn’t Christmas he hates, it’s people, and it’s that fact alone that resonates with us on a certain level. We’ve all been there.
Hans Gruber, Die Hard
Arguably one of the best baddies of all time, Alan Rickman deserves every inch of his notoriety for presenting such bold challenges to the hero of the movie, John McClane played by Bruce Willis. He has our full respect for making the win a tough one!
