Stories with a Villain as Protagonist

Can people tell me about some books, or movies with a villain as the protagonist. Not an anti-hero, but a villain.

Like:
Grendel
Mr. Brooks

Please don’t just give me lists, please give a bit of background on it.

American Psycho. Protagonist is a 1980s-era New York investment banker and also a serial killer (without spoiling anything).

There Will Be Blood. Protagonist is a villainous oil baron.

Soon I Will Be Invincible; much of the book is from the viewpoint of Dr Impossible, a comic book style supervillain. He’s on his twelfth plan for world domination.

Has there been a movie version of Pinky and the Brain?

Both great films.

I had the opportunity to see “There Will Be Blood” on the Little Boston set. It was fabulous.

Gangs of New York

The book version of LA Confidentiial. And pretty much any book by James Elroy.

Paradise Lost? Ostensibly its purpose is to “justify the ways of God to man,” but Satan is the driving force through most of the narrative and the most complex and developed character.

Depending on one’s definition of “villain,” several of John Waters’ early films could be in this category. “Pink Flamingos”: the protagonist is “the filthiest woman alive.” “Female Trouble”: the protagonist is a multiple murderer. “Desperate Living”: the protagonist is a murderess. It’s been too long since I’ve seen “Multiple Maniacs” but the protagonist, “Lady Divine,” is not a terribly nice person. You could include “Eat Your Makeup” here too, as the protagonists kidnap women and force them to model themselves to death.

All of the works of Tim Dorsey. His protagonist, Serge A. Storms, is a serial killer and complete nutjob.

For that matter, Flashman might qualify. He’s hardly a hero.

The Fly (1986). Seth Brundle becomes the villain, and Stathis Borans becomes the hero.

Arguably, Humbert Humbert is the “villain” in Lolita. I hesitate to call him that, but not because he isn’t evil (he is). It’s just that the way the book is structured, there isn’t really a place for a traditional “villain” character.

If you believe that the events are real, then this can be said of The Voyeur by Alain Robbe-Grillet.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

Well, Tom Ripley in the Patricia Highsmith books probably qualifies.

Clint Eastwood’s “A Perfect World” had Kevin Costner in the lead playing a bad guy.

The Belgian film Man Bites Dog features a serial killer as a protagonist

Beat me to it. Possibly the best protagonist villain ever.

There’s Natural Born Killers, where Woody Harrelson and…I forget…go around killing persons innocent and otherwise. There’s a GREAT scene in a diner where they blow everyone but…it turns the whole horror-movie last-survivor thing around.
Reservoir Dogs (hell, any Tarantino flick): main characters squabble amongst themselves, kill bystanders to their unsuccessful diamond heist, and capture and torture a cop.
To Live and Die in L.A., featuring Secret Service agents who decide that the end DOES justify the means. Coolest car chase ever. I mean that. EVER.
Someone will be along to mention Shakespeare; I’m gonna stop now. :slight_smile:

In Roald Dahl’s story, “Lamb to the Slaughter,” the protagonist is a murderer and at least slightly psychotic.

John Gardner wrote a series of books with Professor Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis in one book and novel by Doyle, and in a LOT of pastiches) as the narrator and central character.

I haven’t seen it yet, but the film Baxter has as its protagonist a pit bull who mauls and kills people.