From Dolores Umbridge to Anton Chigurh, all-too-effective antagonistic performances fans love to hate.
Audiences are sometimes introduced to terribly realistic characters that are almost uncomfortable to watch on-screen given how creepy and bizarre they are; others are simply plain evil and make you question why they do the things they do because there seems to be no logic behind their actions.
From Game of Thrones' infamous King Joffrey played by Jack Gleeson to Imelda Staunton's iconic Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter, there are several different types of villains — while some are motivated by their own pleasure, others merely crave power over others. Sometimes actors embody this scarily well, bringing a perfectly flawed antagonist to life. Here are 10 memorable times that has happened.
Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon
It's barely any news to anyone that Joffrey Baratheon wasn't one of the most universally loved GOT characters — viewers of the show have made their negative takes on the character clear from the beginning and happily cheered his death by poisoning later in the series.
Although Joffrey seemed harmless at the beginning of the show, his true colors began to show as soon as he was crowned king. Jack Gleeson unarguably brought the evil character to life flawlessly, depicting the complex character's unpredictability and restlessness to perfection and quickly making worldwide viewers hate him passionately.
Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange
Helena Bonham Carter's Harry Potter character is barely a stranger to anyone. Although it is extremely difficult to hate Bellatrix, there is hardly any doubt that Bonham Carter did an excellent job portraying the sadistic, psychopathic maniac in the franchise.
Having first appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the intriguing character has done her share of irreversible damage from the moment she set foot on-screen. Despite being responsible for the scarring death of Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) only father figure, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), Lestrange remains a popular character fans can't help but be fascinated with.
Heath Ledger as The Joker
The late Heath Ledger steps into the shoes of the mass-murderer clown in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, the second installment of the trilogy of the same name, and fans have been infatuated with the legendary role ever since.
While other actors have brought the character to life, Ledger's eternally iconic take on The Joker — always showcasing the right amount of madness without ever going over the top — is one of the most unforgettable and universally beloved.
Rosamund Pike as Amy Dunne
Though, for some, it is debatable whether or not Rosamund Pike's Amy Dunne was a villain, the actress surely nailed the role of the antagonist—or non-antagonist. Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy Dunne seem like the perfect couple in the famous David Fincher thriller. Until Amy goes missing and a series of unexpected events unfold.
Apart from the "Cool Girl" monologue, there are many memorable things about Pike's terrifying Gone Girl role, including her almost effortless ability to translate her character's psychopathic tendencies on-screen. Thanks to the star's superb talent, the star and character are forever melded for some film fans.
Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge
Adapted from the Anthony Burgess' novel of the same name, A Clockwork Orange follows a sociopath as he undergoes psychological rehabilitation for his behavior.
Alex DeLarge is certainly one of Stanley Kubrick's most well-known characters, and Malcolm McDowell brilliantly brings the disturbed robber and rapist — who assaults innocent people for his own amusement — to life in a scarily accurate way that inevitably makes the audience uncomfortable during this unnerving, classic movie.
Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh
If there is anyone that deserves a spot on this list, it is Javier Bardem's character from No Country for Old Men. In this crime thriller, viewers are introduced to ruthless psychopathic killer Anton Chigurh, who is pretty much as capable of unstoppable killing as he is of any regular day-to-day activity.
Surprisingly, the haircut isn't the most terrifying thing about Bardem's character — Chigurh is such a creepy and convincing villain that he'll probably leave you wondering if he'll follow you to the ends of the earth.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis Bloom
Centering around a con man who is desperate for work, gloomy thriller Nightcrawler offers genius storytelling and brilliant L.A crime world-building. Apart from the captivating plot, Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a chilling performance that makes anyone's blood run cold.
Louis Bloom is possibly one of the most unsympathetic main characters in movies, and arguably Gyllenhaal's finest performance — there is no way not to be at least a tiny bit disturbed by the actor's unsettling presence on-screen.
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman
Patrick Bateman is the titular character of American Psycho, and that title pretty much speaks for itself. Centering around a handsome business man who lives a double life in 1980s New York, the treasured film ranks high in popularity even 22 years later.
Cult classic enthusiasts may not be surprised to see Christian Bale's notable role here — and for good reason. Bale totally embodies his killer role in the film, which oftentimes makes the line between fiction and reality slightly blurry.
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
In The Silence of the Lambs, screen legend Anthony Hopkins steps into the shoes of cannibal killer Hannibal Lecter, who helps an F.B.I trainee, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), find a missing woman in order to save her from a psychopath murderer who skins his victims.
Sending shivers down viewers' spines — much like Mads Mikkelsen's latest version of the character — with a screen time of only 24 minutes, Hopkins managed to steal the spotlight in every scene he was in.
Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge
It takes some talent to make viewers so infuriated by a character that they can't even look at the actor's face without getting immediately upset, but Imelda Staunton has surely managed to master the art of annoying people by simply making an appearance on-screen as her Harry Potter counterpart.
While Voldemort is the real villain of the movie franchise, there is no doubt that the gifted actress, who is set to take on the role of Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's The Crown, fully embodied Umbridge's judgemental and ruthless nature, which is what easily makes her the most unnerving.