# Movies in which the Evil Guy is more interesting than the Good Guy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730 "2003-09-05T15:26:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/21 "2003-09-06T00:13:29Z")
I could have bet my house that Lecter was here! The **caller** in _Phone Booth_. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/22 "2003-09-06T00:17:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LordVor \* > **… I was actively cheering for Denis Leary to kill Emilio Estevez and Cuba Gooding Jr.** I, too, am hoping that Denis Leary will kill Emilio Estevez and Cuba Gooding Jr. Were they in a movie together? ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/23 "2003-09-06T00:17:43Z")
Mmm… I was the only one who didn’t use bold font for the movie title… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/24 "2003-09-06T00:24:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Baker \* > \*\*In the PBS mini-series _I, Claudius_, the best role, bar none, was Livia, played by Sian Phillips. I’d have loved to play that villianess! \*\* Livia was great, but I’d call it a draw between her and John Hurt as Caligula. ---
**Author:** ![MetalDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@MetalDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MetalDog)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/25 "2003-09-06T00:30:20Z")
**Annie Wilkes** - _Misery_ ---
**Author:** ![sickboy51](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@sickboy51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sickboy51)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/26 "2003-09-06T00:43:19Z")
As promised… In **Connan the Barbarian** (I love the comic, but let´s talk about the movie) James Earl Jones makes a most interesting villain, instead of that pale shade of Connan Swartzennegger (yeah, I couldn´t spell it properly… best thing for this guy to make sure his name is written properly in the votes or there´ll be a lot of invalid votes in California “What? Nobody voted for Arnie?!”) I was going to say **The Proffessional** with Gary Oldman and Jean Reno too, but it has been said before. Anyway, Gary Oldman IMO tends to steal the show in every film he makes. A classic one, Burt Lancaster in **Veracruz**. I´m sorry for Liam Neeson, but in **Rob Roy** Tim Roth is a really interesting amoral mf! I don´t know if this one can be regarded as the evil one, but in **Vikings** I clearly preferred Kirk Douglas instead of Tony Curtis. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/27 "2003-09-06T00:52:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kunilou \* > **Almost every drama by Shakespeare** Especially **Richard III**. Specifically (since this is a movie thread) the Ian McKellen version. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/28 "2003-09-06T01:20:24Z")
In opposition: Key Largo (unless you want to argue that the hurricane is the bad guy, but I’m not buying that.) To Have and Have Not ANY of the four Alien movies (human and alien villians) The 13th Warrior (maybe a cheat) Rebus Buffy the movie I move that no work in which Satan is the bad guy can be used to support your thesis; Satan is the most fascinating character in history. And Disney just can’t count. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/29 "2003-09-06T01:34:44Z")
Any Steven Segal movie. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/30 "2003-09-06T01:56:18Z")
Bartleby and Loki in Dogma. I’d even go so far as to say that Ben Affleck’s performance as Bartleby (his bits in the climactic scene sent shivers down my spine) make up for Jiggly. I do concede that Salma Hayek and Chris Rock are hardly dull, but… Bartleby and Loki! If we include mentor figures, though, it’s a bit more difficult: Alan Rickman as Metatron does a fantastic job. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/31 "2003-09-06T01:57:55Z")
Not that this is difficult, but I should mention Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith in The Matrix. I know it is not very hard to be more appealing than Keanu, but Smith is really the only reason that I’ll see the third. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/32 "2003-09-06T02:04:47Z")
**Pirates of the Caribbean** Barbossa was so much more interesting than that poor, washed-out character played by Orlando Boom. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/33 "2003-09-06T02:08:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith in The Matrix. How could I have missed that? He really stole the show in the first movie. Also: Brick Top in Snatch. He’s not necessarily complicated… But he’s the most evil bastard ever. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/34 "2003-09-06T02:11:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Barbossa was so much more interesting than that poor, washed-out character played by Orlando Boom. Orlando was a decent hero. But Barbossa, while certainly a great character, was weak sauce next to Depp, who stole a nigh-unstealable movie. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/35 "2003-09-06T02:12:07Z")
**Alan Rickman** as the Sherrif of Nottingham and the Baddie in Die Hard. He simply stole the show. I forget her character and real name, but the evil snippy sister of Mr. Bingly who has the hots and her claws set on Mr. Darcy. She doesn’t steal the show, but she is delicious to watch in the BBC production. **Angelica Huston** as the Evil Stepmother in **Ever After** She was brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. The evil British Lieutenant that slaughters everything in **The Patriot**. So much more interesting that Mel Gibson. He is also Mr. Malfoy in Harry Potter. **Danny Divito** in Romancing the Stone. He’s just so schmucky, it’s fun to watch. If I ever acted, I’d rather play evil. It’s so much more fun. **John Lithgow** in Buckaroo Bonzai as Dr. Emilio Lizardo. Overacting extraordinaire. I love this man. “Laugh while you can, monkey boy.” ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/36 "2003-09-06T02:18:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadfly \* > \*\*But Barbossa, while certainly a great character, was weak sauce next to Depp, who stole a nigh-unstealable movie. \*\* Oh aye. No arguments there. He carried the movie start to finish. It’s just that he wasn’t the Evil Guy or the Good Guy; he just _was_. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/37 "2003-09-06T02:21:45Z")
I nominate **Heat** as a counterexample to both sides of the argument. DeNiro and Pacino brilliantly play two similar characters on the opposite sides of the law. And the movie takes the necessary time tro build up the complexity of both characters. The cafe scene where they sit with their guard slightly down and get into each other’s heads – just mmmmmm. I don’t think that it is a case of evil or good characters being more interesting. Rather it is the depth to which the characters are developed. Often good characters need less development because they are supposed to be the ones we relate to. Evil characters are different, intriguing and have twisted ways of seeing things and strange motives. (There – I just said twice as much about the evil character without intending to.) ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/38 "2003-09-06T02:37:15Z")
Albert Spica in “The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover” was the villain and the most interesting character in the movie. He was horribly cruel, nasty, and selfish and at the same time came across as a pathetic and stupid person. The other characters seemed like wallpaper compared to him. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/39 "2003-09-06T02:52:01Z")
Shirley Ujest wow And Miss Bingley may not steal the show, but the expression on her face when Darcy says, ‘… it is some months since I have thought her the most handsome woman of my aquaintance’, is BRILLIANT. The perfectly frozen features, with real hear-break in her eyes, save her from being just another upper-class cliche bitch. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730/40 "2003-09-06T02:59:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\*I, too, am hoping that Denis Leary will kill Emilio Estevez and Cuba Gooding Jr. Were they in a movie together? \*\* Yes, **Judgement Night**. Unfortunately, Leary’s 20’s-style death ray malfunctioned, and he got tackled by a kid’s hockey team. -lv [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-evil-guy-is-more-interesting-than-the-good-guy/199730.md?page=3)