HORROR TEN SPOT: Top 10 Villains 2 Root 4

February 13th 2009, 3:08pm

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

Gotta give a shout out to AITH reader Christopher Hennessee for this week’s idea. Obviously horror thrives on a great villain, and sometimes we even end up rooting for them. A couple great examples are Jason, Michael and Freddy in their later series installments.

But even more striking is the occasional instance when we find that the “bad guy or girl” is actually more sympathetic and involving than the protagonists. We’re rooting not for ultra high body counts or lots of ripped clothing, but honestly hoping the villain attains their goal.

So let’s get down with the misunderstood and just plain righteously wrong. If I miss your favorite evil to root for then spit some bullets and set me straight below!

1. Leslie Vernon, BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON

This movie knocked my socks off when I first saw it. Leslie Vernon is easily one of the most compelling slasher’s I’ve ever seen. Not only is he motivated and funny, but he’s got a logic to his approach that has you nodding your head along with what he’s saying. Even when it involves the brutal slaying of a house full of teens. That’s some powerful mojo my friends!

2. Hannibal Lecter, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Anybody looking to defend the census taker? Or Dr. Chilton? Buffalo Bill was kinda sad, depressing and twisted, but Lecter is a mofo I’d love to have dinner and drinks with – provided I could side step him finding me discourteous. The man has style, wit, grace, and most importantly, a purpose. Too bad for Dr. Chilton I suppose.

3. Patrick Bateman, AMERICAN PSYCHO

Bateman is fun, and he’s living in a world populated by superficial, annoying, effete, jerkwads and their disposable mates. So seeing him ending some lives with a chainsaw and an axe while dancing to hits from the 80’s is a pure joy to behold. I even want him to feed the cat to that ATM. Let the bodies hit the floor!

4. Norman Bates, PSYCHO

Can somebody just give this kid a hug? And some Prozac?! Basically a nice guy who’s all wigged out, literally, by sexual issues and mommy stuff. Creepy for sure, but you can’t hate the guy for things that are out of his control. Besides, it’s not like most of the people he’s interacting with are of the highest character anyway. Sometimes a boy’s just gotta get down and dirty.

5. Roy Batty, BLADE RUNNER

Rutger Hauer is one unrelenting sunuvabitch throughout this whole movie, but at the end we see what it’s all been about for him and it’s hard not to take his side. He’s got a dove for goodness sake! The whole construct of Blade Runner is one of the best sci-fi has to offer – at what point does life count? Good stuff, and a very understandable villain.

6. Alex de Large, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

Anybody who twists Singing In The Rain into the soundtrack for a beating and rape is going to be a little different that your average Joe. In fact, when Alex first gets re-conditioned I think we all feel that it’s not unjustified. But then seeing this particular psycho neutered so effectively, unable to even enjoy the ole Ludwig Van, it just breaks the heart. So when he comes back at the end, oh man it is a fantastic event that leaves us looking forward to a bit of the old ultraviolence.

7. Frankenstein’s Monster, FRANKENSTEIN

Generally if you want to get sympathy as a bad guy then you need to avoid throwing little girls into a lake, but we all know FM was trying to be playful, he just failed miserably at it. Given the fact that this lumbering mess of disparate body parts had the brain of a psycho, he was actually quite restrained and sympathetic. Relatively speaking.

8. May Dove Canady, MAY

Poor May. She just wants to have a friend. Granted she’s willing to chop, slice, stitch, cut, stab and dice to make that happen, but still, she mostly seems like a genuinely misunderstood lass. Plus she’s hot in an alternative sort of way, and not averse to a little girl on girl action. What’s not to like?

9. Catherine Trammell, BASIC INSTINCT

I don’t know that it’s so much I want this crazy bitch to keep doing her thing and offing dudes in flagrante, but I can’t get over the fact that if I gotta go before my time is up, then I wouldn’t mind it being like this. Plus all the dudes, including Michael Douglas, are such easily manipulated douchebags that you kind of feel like the overall gene pool is getting a pretty big favor by this murderous author’s activities.

10. Stripe, GREMLINS

Sure Gizmo’s cute and all, but who wasn’t completely in awe of the massive mayhem brought down my Stripe and his associates? The good times they delivered at the bar and the movie theater were better than any fuzzy little snuggle from the good Mogwai. Bring on the Gremlins and keep Stripe in the lead. He’s badazz and we’re behind him 100%!