Bad guys have feelings too! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most intimidating yet overlooked antagonists of the 21st century. Some spoilers will be mentioned, so this is your official warning!
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00:00 And when we get to this one, I'm going to believe everything you tell me.
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most intimidating, yet overlooked antagonist of the 21st century.
00:11 Some spoilers will be mentioned, so this is your official warning.
00:14 I'm the monster.
00:16 You're the monster.
00:19 You know what I've got at stake with this paper.
00:26 You know how important this is to me.
00:28 I can't help but feel that somehow you're trying to sabotage me.
00:31 You're trying to hurt me somehow.
00:33 Imagine finding out that your husband is secretly a killer.
00:36 You hated me for it!
00:37 In What Lies Beneath, Harrison Ford portrays a seemingly normal husband with an awful secret.
00:42 When a past murder is revealed, it becomes clear that he's masking a monster just beneath the surface.
00:47 Claire, stop it!
00:48 And willing to do anything to cover up his crimes.
00:50 You have no idea what it was like.
00:52 Colder underwater.
00:56 Watch your life slip away.
00:58 The villainous role was a departure for Ford, but the film didn't land well with critics or audiences,
01:02 causing it to fade amongst his other iconic projects.
01:05 Despite that, Ford makes sure that Norman is a disturbing and memorable antagonist.
01:09 First time I met you, all I ever wanted was to spend the rest of my life with you.
01:15 What can happen now?
01:19 Number 9. Victoria Ventuguara.
01:21 The man from Uncle.
01:25 All our information indicates a lethal combination of beauty, brains and ambition.
01:31 She's the real fanatic.
01:33 The effortlessly cool and cunning Victoria Ventuguara is an evil mastermind with impeccable style.
01:38 I laced all the drinks.
01:40 I don't like to leave much to chance, Mr. Solo.
01:44 During the Cold War, this Italian businesswoman and her husband, Alexander,
01:48 schemed to build a nuclear weapon to destabilize the global balance of power.
01:52 There's nothing you'll be able to do but witness their suffering as you await your own death.
01:56 Somehow, Victoria manages to be calculating and charming at the same time.
02:01 May I?
02:02 If you don't, there could be trouble.
02:04 The chemistry between her and Solo is undeniable, even as she's springing a trap on him.
02:09 So sorry, I can't stay to finish you off myself.
02:11 She makes for an iconic femme fatale, stealing every scene she's in with her sheer presence alone.
02:16 Any blood relation of yours still living will be dead within a year.
02:20 It will die slowly and painfully.
02:23 And you know from personal experience, this is an area in which we excel.
02:28 Number 8. Walter Finch. Insomnia.
02:31 This situation isn't yours to control, Will. I saw you do it, get it?
02:35 I'll control this situation, pal.
02:38 Because you don't hide from me in a town this small, get it?
02:43 Yeah, no, not for long. That's why I need your help.
02:46 Robin Williams is better known for his comedic roles, but he made for a chilling villain in this psychological thriller.
02:52 Under pressure, you don't always see the wood for the trees.
02:55 While horror writer Walter Finch positions himself as an author mentoring a young woman,
02:59 his true nature is much darker and culminates in him taking her life.
03:02 I've heard about that, it's tragic.
03:04 Well, that's horrific enough. The way he rationalizes it makes it even worse.
03:07 Working on a new book, Mr. Finch?
03:09 Have you read any of my books?
03:11 I haven't.
03:13 He even attempts to blackmail the lead detective into arresting someone else for the crime.
03:17 It's not gonna do you any good if I show up dead.
03:19 What makes him so scary was the way he describes and justifies his violent deed.
03:23 It's hard to believe that one man can be so cunning and cruel.
03:26 Thank God you got me taking care of us.
03:28 She saw the dress. We're the same boat.
03:31 Number 7. Lamia. Stardust.
03:34 A star has fallen.
03:37 Oh, to be young again.
03:39 There's no time to waste.
03:41 We hear this all the time in some form or another,
03:43 and it's the main motivation for the witch Lamia in the Neil Gaiman adaptation, Stardust.
03:48 In her quest to restore her youth and beauty, she's absolutely ruthless and armed with an arsenal of impressive powers.
03:54 In my absence, I expect you to make it fit for the queens we are.
03:58 When I return with our prize, all of us shall be young again.
04:04 From transforming humans into animals and even reanimating corpses, she stops at nothing to get what she wants.
04:10 Be sure everything is ready for our arrival.
04:12 There are a lot of wicked witches in fantasy, but this one is played with aplomb by Michelle Pfeiffer,
04:17 giving the character a new lease on life.
04:19 If death is what you wish, my dear, I'd be more than happy to assist you.
04:23 Number 6. The Collector. The Collector.
04:27 This sinister killer doesn't even need a name to make a lasting impact.
04:31 The Collector has a penchant for family-cide, slaying all but one member,
04:35 who then becomes a fixture in his twisted collection.
04:38 His motivation is rooted in his own traumatic childhood.
04:44 The torture he inflicts is grisly and ends in one of two ways, insanity or death.
04:49 He goes to extreme lengths even allowing roaches to feast on one of his victims.
04:58 His frightening mask and appalling methods help set him apart from his contemporaries in the genre.
05:03 His last appearance may have been over a decade ago, but fans are still holding out hope that he'll return.
05:07 Number 5. Owen Davian. Mission Impossible 3.
05:25 Philip Seymour Hoffman's Owen Davian is one of the most memorable and intimidating villains in the Mission Impossible franchise,
05:31 and of the spy action genre, period.
05:34 Yep, it's a big claim, but we'll stand by it.
05:50 Calculating, ruthless, and manipulative, the arms dealer remains calm and collected under interrogation,
05:56 and upon his escape, captures IMF agent Ethan Hunt's fiancée, Julia.
06:00 Using her, he blackmails Hunt into obtaining a dangerous weapon so that he can sell it to the highest bidder.
06:05 Davian's scary enough when he's composed, when he finally does snap, it's terrifying.
06:10 I told you I was gonna kill you in front of her, but I'm gonna kill her in front of you.
06:14 This is a villain from whom no one is safe.
06:25 Number 4. Lola Stone. The Loved Ones.
06:28 What are you looking at?
06:30 Rejection can be a hard pill to swallow, but thankfully, few respond like scorned high school student Lola Stone.
06:35 Who looks prettier? Me or Bright Eyes?
06:39 After Brent declines Lola's invitation to prom, preferring, naturally enough, to go with his own girlfriend,
06:44 Lola resorts to extreme violence as the answer, and it soon turns out that Brent is far from her first abductee.
06:50 Lola and her father, for that matter, are true sadists, going to insane lengths to get revenge.
06:55 They like to lobotomize their victims and keep them alive, which is just a whole new layer of horror.
07:01 The fact that she otherwise comes across as just a regular teenage girl makes her even scarier.
07:06 Number 3. Count Olaf. A Series of Unfortunate Events Franchise.
07:29 A serial killer and criminal mastermind, Count Olaf is both a supremely sinister and entertaining villain.
07:34 That remains true whether we're talking about the beloved book series A Series of Unfortunate Events
07:44 or the screen adaptations.
07:51 Introduced as a distant relative of the orphan Baudelaire children, he's really just after the family fortune.
07:57 I'm going to get you no matter where you go, no matter what you do, or find you!
08:01 You are so deceased.
08:04 While he's undoubtedly threatening, he's also hilarious at the same time.
08:08 There may be a survivor of the Baudelaire fire.
08:11 His dramatic, over-the-top attitude makes him an antagonist who's despicable, yet undeniably charming.
08:17 A happy ending. Is that what you had in mind?
08:20 The portrayals of Jim Carrey and Neil Patrick Harris only double down on this.
08:24 Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well.
08:28 You really do tie a beautiful bow.
08:31 Number 2. Sam. Trick or Treat.
08:34 Evil horror movie kids never fail to creep us out.
08:39 Of course, Sam isn't actually a child, but a demon in orange footie pajamas and a burlap sack.
08:44 The getup sure makes him uncanny, though, evoking a deep dread in viewers.
08:53 Personifying the spirit of Halloween, he punishes those who break his traditions.
08:57 And boy, does he punish them.
08:59 His unique look and vicious actions make him one of the best monsters of the 21st century.
09:11 And many are still hoping that he'll come back someday to haunt their screens once more.
09:15 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:21 The Creeper. Jeepers Creepers. A horrifying humanoid with a taste for organs.
09:26 Mama. Dread. An unrelenting gang leader with a penchant for torture.
09:48 Howard. 10 Cloverfield Lane. His deception and menacing attitude were somehow even scarier than the alien invasion.
09:55 Steve. The Italian Job. This double-crossing thief only looks out for himself.
10:13 Al McCoyne. The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2. She sees everyone as disposable pawns in her own political game.
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10:53 The most terrifying villains are those who feel they're completely in the right.
11:08 Juan Vidal exemplifies this as a military officer during a harrowing period in Spanish history.
11:12 The brutal rule of dictator Francisco Franco.
11:15 Vidal's ruthlessness knows no limits as he hunts down Republican rebels.
11:19 His self-righteous, authoritarian mindset is even applied to his own family.
11:30 There have been many people like Vidal in history, and there will be plenty more.
11:36 And perhaps that's what makes him so frightening.
11:38 He's proof you don't have to be a monster to act like one.
11:41 Which 21st century villain do you think doesn't get enough appreciation?
11:59 Let us know in the comments below.
12:01 "And who else?"
12:02 "A slave for us. It'll be nice to have someone to help mop up when we finish with our little guest."
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