Through the ages, the images of villains in cinema were characterized by a sense of mystery, intrusion into the moral decisions, and complexity. It can be from iconic villains to confused antihero protagonists, the very films in which these figures play the role of protagonists provide a specific view which through which we can view some extremely dark aspects of human nature.
1. American Psycho (2000)
In agreement with the novel «American Psycho» by Bret Easton Ellis, the protagonist is Patrick Bateman, a rich guy while working as an investment banker, and is a serial killer in his other life. The character of Bateman portrayed by Christian Bale produces a horrible picture of the personality of a person, who is vain and sick soul, that leads him to commit horrible deeds. The all-round brilliance of the movie’s director is demonstrated through the straight-to-the-point and yet thoughtfully sarcastic portrayal of the movie. It offers a haunting examination of money-driven society deprived of empathy, the materialism, and the nature of evil.
2. Nightcrawler (2014)
Dan Gilroy directed «Nightcrawler» with Jake Gyllenhaal playing the role of Louis Bloom, a devious and morally grey independent videographer who records gruesome pictures of crime scenes and mishaps for the sake of news networks. As Bloom indulges in a tremendous amount of workmanship, his ravenous ambition deepens into moral ambiguity. Gyllenhaal give us a brilliant performance, making Bloom's wierd attention and dark side seem real.
3. Falling Down (1993)
And under the director of Joel Schumacher, Michael Douglas, the character of William Foster, who is disillusioned and hot-tempered, does his dangerous traveling around Los Angeles. As the main character, Foster, struggles with different social ills and challenges he is unable to overcome, his eccentric behaviour and eventual descent into madness symbolize the negativity and suffering of the metropolitan area. The movie stars with the performance of Douglas who is entirely able to immerse the viewers into the world of Foster. Thus, the viewer gets a glimpse of the inner world where the man feels apprehension, frustration, and alienation that make him act the way he does.
4. Joker (2019)
Todd Phillips-directed «Joker» gives the iconic Batman villain a unique amount of focus and a psychological aspect shown in Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal. Although the movie is placed in Gotham City during 1980s, the main character of the movie is Arthur Fleck, a wannabe comedian whose whole life is falling apart and decides to become his alter ego, the Joker. The song, in fact, is a symbol of their involvement in this process ofchange. Phoenix is the one who takes a peek into the man who belongsto the marginalized and mentally unwell class of the society and transformed into the world’s best-known a symbolof chaos and rebellion. Superhero movies are often associated with bright colors and optimistic outlooks. «Joker» goes against that grain, giving its audience a dark and bleak tale. This narrative breaks the mold and presents a character study of someone who slips between the borders of heroism and villainy.
5. No Country for Old Men (2007)
Cult directors Joel and Ethan Coen, «There's no Place for an Old Man» is about the nihilistic and methodical hitman Anton Chigurh, who is portrayed by Javier Bardem, and his unstoppably quest for a drug deal fortune. Chigurh's kind of cold and computer driven manner and the use of a captive bolt pistol brings the fear factor into the film up as one advances to the final intriguing scenes. While his bloodshed is behind him, Chigurh is a ghost-like figure that unwittingly reminds of fate and the ineludibility of the moral doubt in the Texan desert.
These top 5 pictures being the most dominant demonstrate in a complex way how villains are, hence presenting the leads who are against the traditional hero attributes and make audiences to reconsider the characters' morality and ethics. In doing so, they use their magnetic acts and the mind-numbing storylines to not only cross the line between the good and the bad but also make us realize the shadowy parts of us that we sometimes fail to grasp.