Movies can be incredibly polarizing – what one person finds outstanding, another can find disappointing and awful. This often rings true for characters as well. Many of us often adore the lead, a protagonist whom we root for every step of the way. Then there are those who cheer for the antagonist. These characters are often so unlikeable to the majority of us but for some reason, some people praise their despicable behavior.
Whichever character you may openly praise, or secretly encourage, most movie viewers tend to choose good over evil and applaud the hero or heroine. If you’ve sat in a theater stunned and unable to move even as the closing credits scroll on the screen, you know just how much a talented actor can evoke a whole spectrum of feelings within you.
As much as we want the good guys to always come out on top, much as in life, good does not always prevail in Hollywood films. For those times when evil is victorious, you are left questioning how or why and may find it hard to separate the fictional world from the real one. It can be all the more crushing when a film is based on real events, like the part of Moody Mahmoody who demonstrated how a person can flip from a devoted partner to a villainous abuser in the based-on-a-true-story film “Not Without My Daughter.”
Certain characters like Guy Woodhouse in “Rosemary’s Baby” leave us relieved knowing this was a fictional character. But it’s not only live-action films that cause us to become aggravated. Animated films typically have an antagonist that we can’t help but dislike, those that make life that much more difficult for beloved characters. Scar in “The Lion King” and Cruella de Vil in “101 Dalmatians” are perfect examples.
Hated movie characters illustrate just how well an actor has done their job. They’ve turned a role into one so memorable, a role that often leaves a mark and succinctly defines the contrast between good and evil. Whether you root for the protagonist or the antagonist, there is no denying that the characters listed here have earned their spot on the list of the most hated movie characters of all time. (click here to read about the 25 most annoying characters in TV history.)
Percy Wetmore
There was more than one hated character in the Stephen King novel brought to the big screen by Frank Darabont. But the worst of all was Percy Wetmore, the easy-to-hate character played by Doug Hutchison in The Green Mile (1999). There’s nothing quite like a coward with authority and Wetmore is exactly that.
Due to his connections, he walks through the prison like he owns the place, earning the hatred of both prisoners and fellow guards. Though terrified when confronted, he delights in sadistic actions, which makes the blood of viewers boil.
Guy Woodhouse
The fictional character of Guy Woodhouse was played by John Cassavetes in the film, Rosemary’s Baby (1968). In the early part of the film, Woodhouse doesn’t start as a villain but rather garners the audience’s sympathy as he struggles following his wife’s miscarriage. But his character soon turns detestable when he trades the well-being of his wife for his career in a deal he carries out with a witch’s coven. He then turns his attention to fooling his wife into spawning the son of Satan.
Hans Landa
Christopher Waltz took on the role of Hans Landa in the film, Inglorious Basterds (2009). Landa is a Nazi who finds Jews in hiding and then ends their lives. He isn’t necessarily fueled by hatred, but he is an expert at his job and has no remorse for his executioner duties. He’s a cynical, self-centered opportunist, focused only on what benefits him. The worst aspect of his character is that he’s brilliant with his undertakings, leaving the distraction of emotions by the wayside.
Darth Vader
The physical form of Darth Vader was played by David Prowse but was voiced by James Earl Jones. This fictional character in the film, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) is a high-ranking military commander whose interests are limited to domination, no matter who he has to hurt in the process. His past is complex but it’s hard to find any sympathy when he’s so stoic, revealing only his sadistic and heartless character traits.
Calvin Candie
Leonardo DiCaprio played the role of Calvin Candie in the film, Django Unchained (2012). Candie proclaims himself a Southern gentleman but there’s a reason why he’s the only one to refer to himself as such. He’s a rich and racist plantation owner who gets off on hosting “mandingo fights,” which are brutal to-the-death fights he subjects his slaves to for his sadistic entertainment. Candie has no redeeming qualities.
Scar
Scar, voiced by Jeremy Irons, is the evil brother of King Mufasa in the animated Disney movie, The Lion King (1994). His attitude is rooted in resentment and he spends his life plotting against his stronger brother, King Mufasa. He executes a malicious plan by using King Mufasa’s son, Simba, as a pawn. Though he’s weak in character and physical strength, Scar is intelligent and effective with his conniving ways.
Cruella de Vil
In the film, 101 Dalmatians (1996) Glenn Close plays the character of Cruella de Vil, a chain-smoking, fur-loving, high-end fashion line owner who is hyper-focused on obtaining puppies for their soft, spotted fur. Known as one of Disney’s most evil characters, de Vil is a cruel, ruthless, selfish person who’s materialistic and willing to take what isn’t hers via any means necessary.
Max Cady
Max Cady, played by Robert De Niro, is a character in the film, Cape Fear (1991). Cady is not just a convicted rapist; he’s also a psychopath. He spends his time in prison devouring books but not for any other reason than to carry out his plan of homicidal revenge, which he executes ruthlessly, leaving a trail of focused, intentional destruction in his path.
Alex DeLarge
Malcolm McDowell expertly embodies the role of fictional character, Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange (1971). He has a certain charm which you can’t ignore but despite having some redeeming moments when his depth intrigues you, he’s ultimately a sadist who relishes participation in a host of heinous crimes.
Nurse Ratched
Louise Fletcher, the actress who plays Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), makes her character easy to hate. She is an absolute authoritarian who holds the reins of her ward tightly, no matter if it’s to the detriment of others. Instead of using violence, she resorts to fear and punishment by dehumanizing and demoralizing those around her – whether using emotional tactics, electroshock therapy, or mental control – she is unbearably cruel.
Anton Chigurh
Javier Bardem transforms into Anton Chigurh, the main character in the film, No Country for Old Men (2007). Chigurh has made murder his profession and he is adept at it, taking the lives of those he’s assigned to kill without a second thought. He is a mystery throughout the film. The only thing you learn about him is he’s well-reasoned with his chilling actions.
Tony Montana
Al Pacino brought the character of Tony Montana to life in the film Scarface (1983). It is one of the most well-known and rightfully hated characters of all time. Montana is the perfect example of someone who lives hard only to die fast. He is single-minded, wanting to acquire money, power, and women. He’s a mob boss and drug dealer and even as bodies drop around him, nothing deters him. He isn’t entirely heartless but the carnage he causes makes him impossible to like.
Hannibal Lecter
Anthony Hopkins is uncanny in the film, The Silence of the Lambs (1991), in which he plays the role of Hannibal Lecter, a sociopath who can often appear charming and appealing. This is the hallmark of a serial killer which Lecter is but he doesn’t just murder his victims — he eats them, too. He’s a psychiatrist, proving his mental prowess, but now lives in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally insane. He is determined in his wickedness, seeing most as beneath him. Until he meets Clarice, that is.
Alex Forrest
Glenn Close epitomizes the role of villain perfectly in the film, Fatal Attraction (1987) where she plays Alex Forrest, a delusional and scorned woman seeking love. As if this combination isn’t enough, she is also frantic, obsessive, desperate, and angry. Unable to accept the reality of rejection, she turns to violence instead.
John Kreese
John Kreese, played by Martin Kove, is the antagonist in the movie, The Karate Kid (1984). Kreese is a martial arts instructor who encourages ruthlessness when dealing with opponents. He takes an at-all-costs approach to life and shows his students that winning, no matter how you get there, is the only place to be. Kreese takes a cruel, merciless position at a tournament meant to settle matters and behaves unethically, encouraging a no-holds-barred approach.
Cameron Alexander
Stacy Keach takes on the role of Cameron Alexander in the poignant film, American History X (1998). Alexander is a white supremacist who doesn’t keep his ideas to himself and instead uses propaganda to infiltrate the minds of young, impressionable men. He manages to replicate his vicious ideas in the minds of those who follow him.
Moody Mahmoody
Alfred Molina plays the two-faced Moody Mahmoody in Not Without My Daughter (1991), a film based on a true story. Mahmoody begins the film as an adoring husband and loving father, but things change drastically after he and his family arrive in Iran, where he’s from. His character is ultra-infuriating because his actions don’t stray far from the truth of what occurred.
Mahmoody plans to move to his home country under the guise of a two-week visit. When his wife, played by Sally Field, uncovers the truth, he begins to beat her ruthlessly, forcing her to flee the country on a dangerous quest with her daughter in tow.
Amon Goeth
One of the characters that is the easiest to hate it that of Amon Goeth, also spelled Göth, played by Ralph Fiennes in the film, Schindler’s List (1993). This character is all the more evil knowing that he’s based on a real person. Goeth’s job is to oversee the development of the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp and he does so from atop his villa, rifle in hand, ready to shoot Jews at whim, considering them sub-humans. He is enthusiastic with his cruelty, delighting in his sadistic actions.
Miss Agatha Trunchbull
Pam Ferris plays the role of the wretched Miss Agatha Trunchbull in the movie, Matilda (1996). Trunchbull is a large-bodied woman who wears her hair in a tight bun and behaves like a drill sergeant with the children she oversees as head teacher at Crunchem Hall Primary School. She is violent and cruel, throwing children in “The Chokey,” a confined space filled with spikes, and throwing them into the air as if she were competing in the shot put.
Meredith Blake
Elain Hendrix perfected the role of Meredith Blake in the movie, The Parent Trap (1998). Her character is the type of person you reject at first glance. She’s a gold-digger who views the daughters of her love interest as a nuisance she’d rather not have to deal with. She’s snobby and manipulative throughout the movie and tries to take on the role of puppeteer, using everyone around her to her advantage