Clyde Shelton in Law Abiding Citizen. He's the villian, but with how he was written and the things he went through, you want him to win but you know that he shouldn't because of what he wants to do.
I still maintain that he actually did win. He made Foxx's character realize the cost of taking the easy way in making deals to avoid the possibility of losing. Win or lose, Shelton wanted someone to fight for him and his family, not just treat it as a routine transaction and on to the next deal.
@@jasonibbs yeah. Since Nick resorted to illegal means to stop Clyde, I kinda see it like what Joker (Heath Ledger) said: "I took Gotham's white knight, and brought him down to our level."
MAD RESPECT for reaching back for a classic black & white-era film for this list! These films get so little attention in the internet era, and this was a breath of fresh air, given the WEALTH of fantastic films of the time. Way to go WhatCulture!
Those were the times when actors actually had to act well and it was more about actors/actresses' onscreen presence that made the movie.... today alas it is much the opposite! One recent one I liked that was like these was the movie The Outfit
When Stephen Spielberg directed "Jaws," he made major changes to the novel because he said that he found the main characters so unlikeable, he actually wanted the shark to win!
Hannibal Lecter wasn’t the villain in The Silence of the Lambs. He was a side character whose influence helped the protagonist defeat the true villain, Buffalo Bill.
I read somewhere every villain thinks they're the hero of their own story, I can't remember where I read that but ever since I did every time I watch a villain onscreen I think how did they get to this point.
@@thefuturist8864 Yes definitely, I also think writers have to know their character so they can tell a good story and flesh out their characters, as the one's mentioned on this list.
Tom Hiddleston said about his character Loki “Every villain is a hero in his own mind” John Barth said “Everyone is the hero of their own life story” 🤷🏻♀️
The character of Ed Harris from the movie Rock, is the one I'm missing here the most. Yes, he turns out to be a "good guy" in the end, but his methods were questionable enough in my opinion, that he could have made the list.
Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel! And yes, I was just going to mention him! I can really empathize with what he's trying to achieve, though he does it in a really bad way.
I think Denzel Washington was a brilliant casting in Training Day. Most people were just so used to seeing him as the good guy it really comes as a rug pull when you see him for what he is. I think that was done on purpous and its an excellent use of our own pre-prepared expectations.
Falling Down is classic because the protagonist is 'us' trying to do the right thing and losing at every turn. Sure it's a touch nihilistic at times, but I still respect Foster's journey and Michael Douglas completely owned that role.
How is "Law Abiding Citizen" not on this list, (where I actually fully expected it to be number 1). Clyde Shelton was not only a genius in his planning/execution of his revenge, but he had a completely understandable motivation for his rampage. I will also admit i was sometimes rooting for John Kramer in the Saw movies (especially in Saw VI with those POS insurance company workers)
Lol I was just about to say that about Law Abiding Citizen. Shelton’s revenge was both brilliant and understandable. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want him to succeed with his bombing at the film’s climax.
My exact thought! I honestly have a love/hate relationship with that film specifically because they did TOO good at making Clyde likable. I wanted him to win so badly that I was upset by the ending of the movie.
It’s hard for me to feel bad for the white man who sees himself as a victim after his kind spending literally HUNDREDS of years victimizing POC and women.
I think falling down is about me. When you lose so much until theres nothing left to live for, snapping becomes an option. I refuse to go off the rails though. I see my little girl every week and that's why I'm still alive.
It's a sad statement that this movie highlights how much we need a break just to survive. Not even succeed. When life doesn't give you that break, you lose. Hope, persistence, patience. If life wo t work out for me, I'll do it myself.
There are only 5 things you need to survive: oxygen, water, food, fire and shelter in that order. Sometimes you just have to survive to get to a place worth living again.
Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness. Khan, in this case, is a mirror version of Kirk. If Kirk's crew were kidnapped and threatened and he was forced to do things he doesn't want to do in order to keep them safe, I argue that he would have done almost everything Khan did to save the people he cared about. And, in the end, it's Khan who does win because he is reunited with his crew.
Star Trek: Into Darkness is underrated. Sure, it doesn't hold a phaser to the original Wrath of Khan (let's not forget how compelling Ricardo Montalban's depiction of the character was), but Benedict Cumberbatch brought his a-game to the roll and made it his own rather than try and one-up Montalban. I especially loved the final chase scene between him and Spock. Never before in Trek had I scene such an action spectacle of two super-strong characters beating the crap out of each other while performing parkour Tom Cruise would be proud of.
What about historical villains like 'Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid'? Their deaths in Bolivia, after being cornered by the local federales, was truly heartbreaking. Robert Redford & Paul Newman really made you love these guys even as they became public enemies 1& 2!
Loved these movies! Reminds me of my first reading of the novel, "The Chocolate War". Bad guys win, heroes lose, and the corruption of life continues on. Truly left me baffled and quiet, like The Empire Strikes Back kind of ending.
I would add the movies Blow, with Johnny Depp playing George Jung, Ray Liotta's portrayal of Henry Hill in Goodfellas, and Woody Harrelson/Juliette Lewis as Mickey and Mallory Knox in Natural Born Killers.
The joker shooting those guys on the subway was based on Bernie Goetz who in 1984 shot some hoods on the NY subway and became a hero (although there was debate as to whether he was in real danger, if he used excessive force, and if the heightened crime and fear in NY at the time excused any overreaction).
Actually that incident was inspired from another movie where the protogonist of the movie was completely opposite of joker i think joker is actually everything evil and worst things of a human being the movie did a very disgusting greedy idea to turn that into a hero by changing characteristics of the character and giving him characteristics of The Thomas Wayne And The Bruce Wayne And giving Joker's characteristics to joker shows how much industry has gone greedy because all of people who support this!
@@crankfastle8138 It was when he murdered his 'buddy' Roger (Scott Glenn), just to steal his stash that I knew he was never gonna get my sympathy. So cold!
This is a really great list. I think it’s a fantastic conversation. Every entry on the list belongs here. Looking forward to the next volume. Killmonger would a worthy addition to that next list.
@@Anurepa wildly disagree. Sorry, he "kills" T'challa, takes a throne he didn't deserve, mobilizes his war dogs around the world so the people that "look like us" can take the world. Literally decided wakandan weapons needed to be distributed first. Not one altruistic or selfless action by him. He's just an angry man who wants to punish the world because his dad was killed after betraying his king and country.
I’m so confused how Daniel Day Lewis is the villain in there will be blood, he killed 2 ppl who were one trying to trick him and the second was trying to finesse him. He’s at most an anti-hero
@@tylerposing3585 interesting I might need to read that, I love movies like this because the main character is flawed like real life but you still want him to succeed
They should have kept the bonkers motivation Thanos originally had. I get why they didn't, and a lot of audiences would disagree with me. But he's called the MAD Titan for a reason (and it's not being multi ability dependant).
I was definitely not rooting for Alonso in training day! By the third act.. when he's stalking the rookie in the project houses.. the Denzel character is like a monster from a horror movie!
I’m surprised that Tamara wasn’t in there: she’s hated by several students, her mother left, her dad was a sicko and she’s love-starved, with her teacher being the only source of comfort in her life.
I’ve just started watching this and am hoping that Robin Williams’s character from One Hour Photo isn’t in this list, because it should be clear he’s not a villain.
I haven’t seen it for many years, but as soon as I saw the title of this video I thought of Edward Fox’s character from The Day of the Jackal (1973). Even since I watched the movie, I have carried with me a great deal of respect for how seeing much of the movie from the Jackal’s perspective gives the viewer permission to root for him, even though we know what he is doing is wrong and doomed to failure.
Character for character sake - leaving aside the actor's performance itself - Falling Down should be #1. For one he does do what we all wanted to do at one time or another and also for the fact that if anything he needed help more than the others on this list which becomes clear at the end. And as for Thanos oh the irony... in the movies they show how nature recovers after half the population is wiped out then comes the pandemic and lo and behold: nature starts recovering as soon as humans are quarantined.
Wolf of Wall Street! I know Leo's take on Jordan Belfort is absolutely amazing, you know he's going to go down at somepoint, and you know he's just a despicable individual, but man do uou enjoy watching him!
Dude. I have the number 1 "villain". Clive Owen in inside man! His character was so amazing. And whats even better, he wins!!! It's such a happy ending. I love that movie so much
Erik Killmonger is the sympathetic villain Marvel wishes Thanos was. His backstory and goals are entirely relatable while his actions still remain clearly condemnable. In comparison, Thanos feels cheap.
His plan was to arm his war dogs around the world with Wakandan weapons and take the world. Kill mongers goals aren't relatable, he's an asshole who wants to kill T'challa and take a throne he doesn't deserve.
Nope. Thanos is the most iconic character in Marvel, at least 10X popular than Killmonger ever will be. Killmonger was forgotten in 1 movie, whereas Thanos' shadow has haunted the MCU ever since Infinity War.
Ah yes, an ethno nationalist that wanted global domination and oppress people he didn't like, a very sympathetic villain indeed if you're into ethnosupremacy.
I'm sorry, every time I see Thanos I can't help but see Josh Brolin riding a little girls bike with the training wheels popping off in The Goonies movie🤣
He may be a bit obscure for this list but I think Edward Lionheart from Vincent Price’s ‘Theater of Blood’ should be on this list too. Price is so good that I pretty much root for any villain he plays (Dr. Phibes could probably be added to this list) but here he plays a wronged Shakespearean actor who is savaged by the critics guild. Interestingly many of their criticisms were leveled at Price in real life. After he supposedly kills himself Lionheart proceeds to kill each critic in a manner from one of the plays of Shakespeare that he acted in. The critics are played as pretty vile characters (except for one) and the kills are done with such style that it’s regrettable when Lionheart finally dies. It’s a really a fun movie if you haven’t seen it.
I loved training day; and enjoy Denzel in pretty much everything he does. But at no point in time did I want Alonzo to win, break even or get any less than what he had coming. He was not a sympathetic villain IMO; and I enjoyed watching him lose.
What we didn't know in Infinity War was that there were Celestial's to be born in each major civilization's planet waiting for enough souls to consume the energy to be born. Thanos being half eternal / half deviant, knew this and it was also a way of actually saving entire worlds by eliminating half of the population therefore keeping the dormant celestial from having what it needs to erupt. Maybe uncle Thanos wasn't that bad after all.
and the interesting thing about thanos' "wipe out half to save the other half" strategy is that it's proven prior to the movie that it doesn't work. in the first guardians movie when they're doing the record scan of gamora it shows she's the last of her people, meaning that wiping out half the population of her planet only succeeded in dooming the other half to extinction.
It's a massively complicated task. Wipe out half and thrive. Because the snap is dispassionate, there is no way of knowing who is gone. An entire society may lose too many of their best and brightest to recover and thrive. Thus doomed to eventual extinction.
And that’s why the movie version of Thanos’ crusade to wipe out half the universe doesn’t work quite as well as the comic book crusade did, where he was doing it in an effort to win the affection of Death.
Although not a movie villain, Daenerys Targaryen from GOT was so ingeniously engineered (a woman rising through patriarchies, an idealistic liberator and mother of dragons) that many wanted her to succeed. Hell I heard stories of people naming their babies Daenerys. After being failed by the diplomatic tactics encouraged by her mentors and realizing the land no longer held any respect for her family name or would ever choose a woman leading a foreign host against an honorable man with a stronger genetic claim to the throne, she defaulted on the legend of her ancestor Aegon by attending the Genghis Khan School of Lasting Impressions and started shaping her better world through fire, blood and fear. It was such a good feint, that people to this day still dont see they fell for the charms of a burgeoning tyrant and think the turn came out of nowhere as a case of "bad writing".
Thanos created grief, suffering and outrage throughout all of space. He made our Universe far less appetizing to something that was about to consume all life. The collective emotional outpouring made the meat smell 'off', and so something won't be back this way again. I dunno, too 'Dr. Who'?
Hmmm, I like this Who-ish thinking... What if Thanos thwarted a Galactus attack with the initial snap? Now that everyone has blipped back, mayhap Galactus will return! Cue The Fantastic Four movie!
Some movies that could be added: -Law Abiding Citizen -Watchmen -Bram Stoker's Dracula -The Accountant -The Mummy (1999) -Pulp Fiction -Star Trek Into Darkness
RIGHT?!? it's unexpected but wonderful to have someone you don't even know validate your humanity and your worth. speaking of which, i hope you have a great day filled with joy.😄
I have only seen There Will Be Blood once, and that was back in 2015. I bought it at a Pawn Shop on dvd like 2 weeks ago (it's currently 2022) because it was $1. I really need to watch it again. Paul Thomas Anderson is amazing. we should start a Paul Thomas Anderson fan club and call it the PTA hahaha. hold the meeting at a school and when all the moms walk we'll start off Daliel Plainview abandoning his son lol
Would love to see a list of top ten early cinema influences like buster keaton lorel and Hardy and fatty arbuckle and Charlie chaplain I think it would be interesting
Thanos had the right idea by realizing that there is a shortage of resources in the universe but there are too many life forms fighting for said resources. Thanos just went about it the wrong way.
Why not just make infinite resources or increase resources exponentially. I mean if you can wipe out half of all life I think you could increase resources.
@@Just_Pele When he destroyed the stones, he ensured that the population would eventually double and be in the same predicament. All he did was buy some time. Not much of a savior. They were infinity stones, presumably imbued with infinite power. He wanted to retire to gardening. Why not use that power to maintain a neverending garden? His pathology drove him to his solution to the predicted problem.
@@freakshopusa yup. I've seen Criminal Minds episodes that explain Thanos's pathology- he suffered trauma, didn't process it, projects it onto others, and forces his solution, occasionally taking a survivor as a souvenir. Then he repeats the cycle.
8:45 I felt like Cruella was an alternate universe where 101 Dalmatians isn't going to happen to be honest... I guess if we ever get Cruella 2 we'll find out for sure, but I just feel like she didn't actually blame the dogs in the end and even loved them when she gave the freakin' puppies to the two families.
What about Carlito in Carlito's Way? I know he is more like the protagonist, but still a criminal, who deserved going to jail or something, but getting shot by Benny was like too much. Maybe for the category where the protagonists are actually villains.
Training Day was brilliant, but in what world would u want Denzel Washingtons character to survive granted its an outstanding performance by the actor but my opinion when it came to the climax and you find out what kind of man he is I was relieved that he was gunned down because a character as corrupt as his surviving would have pissed off a lot of people.
I kinda like when the villain wins, in movies like Fallen. As for Thanos, he had the right idea. I think the world would flourish if half the population disappeared.
@Shaun McKee except there is no reason to think that would work. Removing is different to creating, in literally every way. There is no reason to believe that the planets would be able to sustain the resources. You can’t create more water on a planet because it would flood, you can’t create more land space on a planet because it would change the size and therefore the gravitational pull of the planet, which could destroy it an all planets around it. Without the space for the extra flora for the oxygen, that doesn’t exist. Your idea is cute but there’s no reason to think it would be possible.
@Shaun McKee if Thanos was committed to saving the universe through the gauntlet, yes he could just use his army to travel the universe and help. Planet to planet by givi g them what the need. The dispassionate idea of the snap is what makes it reckless. Almost guaranteed to fail that way
Multiverse of Madness had the most sympathetic Marvel villain IMO. I don’t want to spoil it, but I wanted this villain to be able to succeed in some way. It broke my heart when they lost
Law Abiding Citizen! Clyde should've took the system down so it could be (hopefully) built up the right way. People supporting Thanos need to go outside? That's why most people would agree with what he was doing lol
Three quick things; 1. "rarely put a foot wrong in his entire career" is that a cheeky My Left Foot reference or am I reading into it too much? 😅 2. I think the protagonist in Inside Man, Killmonger in Black Panther and Tyler Durder in Fight Club would be good additions to the next list as well ☺️ 3. As always, thank you Jules for your content I don't think anyone else could have presented this list as you did! Big Love my friend 😊
@@redfive5856 Well, he is trying to rob a bank and 'allegedly' killing hostages within it. Everyone in that movie kinda wins besides 'Arthur' (the banker guy)
"I'm the bad guy?... How'd that happen? I did everything they told me to." Such a sad realization he has.
Whats that from
@@helluvagooddrawer2027 Falling Down
@@darrenbeilke6173 cool
Clyde Shelton in Law Abiding Citizen.
He's the villian, but with how he was written and the things he went through, you want him to win but you know that he shouldn't because of what he wants to do.
YES!!!!!
I still maintain that he actually did win. He made Foxx's character realize the cost of taking the easy way in making deals to avoid the possibility of losing. Win or lose, Shelton wanted someone to fight for him and his family, not just treat it as a routine transaction and on to the next deal.
@@jasonibbs yeah. Since Nick resorted to illegal means to stop Clyde, I kinda see it like what Joker (Heath Ledger) said: "I took Gotham's white knight, and brought him down to our level."
100% this.
Great movie ruined by Foxx's ego. Shit ending because Foxx had him "win" in the end.
MAD RESPECT for reaching back for a classic black & white-era film for this list! These films get so little attention in the internet era, and this was a breath of fresh air, given the WEALTH of fantastic films of the time. Way to go WhatCulture!
Those were the times when actors actually had to act well and it was more about actors/actresses' onscreen presence that made the movie.... today alas it is much the opposite! One recent one I liked that was like these was the movie The Outfit
When Stephen Spielberg directed "Jaws," he made major changes to the novel because he said that he found the main characters so unlikeable, he actually wanted the shark to win!
If you read the novel, they _are_ pretty obnoxious...
jacking a spot just to say, n'jadaka
Hannibal Lecter wasn’t the villain in The Silence of the Lambs. He was a side character whose influence helped the protagonist defeat the true villain, Buffalo Bill.
Never knew that Baltimore was a state until i watched this Video. Lol.
I was looking for this comment!
I was looking for it too
That makes4 of us unfamiliar with The entire state of Baltimore
Maryland is too forgettable and was absorbed by Baltimore switching places. Crazy😊
Prince Nuada, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. The best example of a sympathetic villain. that I've ever seen.
Roy Batty in Blade Runner.
What about killmonger in Black Panther
@@xxxsully420 also Vulture and Zemo?
I read somewhere every villain thinks they're the hero of their own story, I can't remember where I read that but ever since I did every time I watch a villain onscreen I think how did they get to this point.
It’s true that the best wrestling heels are the ones who don’t realise that they’re the bad guys (though obviously the person themselves knows).
@@thefuturist8864 Yes definitely, I also think writers have to know their character so they can tell a good story and flesh out their characters, as the one's mentioned on this list.
🤔🧐
Tom Hiddleston said about his character Loki “Every villain is a hero in his own mind” John Barth said “Everyone is the hero of their own life story” 🤷🏻♀️
Palpatine believed he was bringing peace to the galaxy.
The character of Ed Harris from the movie Rock, is the one I'm missing here the most. Yes, he turns out to be a "good guy" in the end, but his methods were questionable enough in my opinion, that he could have made the list.
Brigadier General Francis X. Hummel! And yes, I was just going to mention him! I can really empathize with what he's trying to achieve, though he does it in a really bad way.
This^ I loved Hummel and absolutely didn’t want him to die
I think Denzel Washington was a brilliant casting in Training Day. Most people were just so used to seeing him as the good guy it really comes as a rug pull when you see him for what he is. I think that was done on purpous and its an excellent use of our own pre-prepared expectations.
Yes, but nobody wanted his character to win in the end. Great villain, but unsympathetic
A much better Denzel Washington villain role that you want to win is Frank Lucas in American Gangster
Falling Down is classic because the protagonist is 'us' trying to do the right thing and losing at every turn. Sure it's a touch nihilistic at times, but I still respect Foster's journey and Michael Douglas completely owned that role.
His bewilderment at the end ("Am I the bad guy here.... how did that happen?") is just heartbreaking.
Yes! This is exactly right! Falling Down!
How is "Law Abiding Citizen" not on this list, (where I actually fully expected it to be number 1). Clyde Shelton was not only a genius in his planning/execution of his revenge, but he had a completely understandable motivation for his rampage.
I will also admit i was sometimes rooting for John Kramer in the Saw movies (especially in Saw VI with those POS insurance company workers)
Lol I was just about to say that about Law Abiding Citizen. Shelton’s revenge was both brilliant and understandable. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want him to succeed with his bombing at the film’s climax.
Because that movie was trash.
My exact thought! I honestly have a love/hate relationship with that film specifically because they did TOO good at making Clyde likable. I wanted him to win so badly that I was upset by the ending of the movie.
EXACTLY! Law Abiding Citizen! For the Win!!😃👌
Absolutely.
Not having Law Abiding Citizen on this list is an absolute crime.
The bigger crime is the ending
7:15 I actually felt so bad for Michael Douglass ' character in Falling Down, I cried when he died at the end. 😥
It’s hard for me to feel bad for the white man who sees himself as a victim after his kind spending literally HUNDREDS of years victimizing POC and women.
He was a little too unhinged to sympathize with. Still a great movie though.
This should be on this list. I agree.
He's a principled man that speaks for all of us that our intrusive thoughts won't let us who couldn't take it anymore.
I think falling down is about me. When you lose so much until theres nothing left to live for, snapping becomes an option. I refuse to go off the rails though. I see my little girl every week and that's why I'm still alive.
It's a sad statement that this movie highlights how much we need a break just to survive. Not even succeed. When life doesn't give you that break, you lose. Hope, persistence, patience. If life wo t work out for me, I'll do it myself.
There are only 5 things you need to survive: oxygen, water, food, fire and shelter in that order. Sometimes you just have to survive to get to a place worth living again.
Law abinding citizen is probably the top movie where I wanted a villain to win and was a Lil mad when he didnt🖤
Exactly!
Thank Jamie Foxx's ego for ruining the end.
Yeah and also Zemo from Civil War
What about Neil from Heat? My wife and I found ourselves cheering for him and were disappointed when he didn’t
While talking about silence of the lambs, you actually said, ‘…the entire state of Baltimore…’ Um, Baltimore is a CITY, not a state. 🤣
Ok, I combed the comments to make sure I didn't hear it wrong.
Specifically at 4:30.
And he actually escaped from Memphis, not Baltimore.
Give him a break, he's British
@@cleverboy867 and I am South African 😂
I definitely did NOT want Denzel Washington to win in Training day. Proof what a great actor he is.
really thought law abiding citizen would be on here, high on the list too.
Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness. Khan, in this case, is a mirror version of Kirk. If Kirk's crew were kidnapped and threatened and he was forced to do things he doesn't want to do in order to keep them safe, I argue that he would have done almost everything Khan did to save the people he cared about. And, in the end, it's Khan who does win because he is reunited with his crew.
100%
Star Trek: Into Darkness is underrated. Sure, it doesn't hold a phaser to the original Wrath of Khan (let's not forget how compelling Ricardo Montalban's depiction of the character was), but Benedict Cumberbatch brought his a-game to the roll and made it his own rather than try and one-up Montalban. I especially loved the final chase scene between him and Spock. Never before in Trek had I scene such an action spectacle of two super-strong characters beating the crap out of each other while performing parkour Tom Cruise would be proud of.
Jules, your motivational quips at the end of your videos really hit hard when its what I need to hear. Thank you.
What about historical villains like 'Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid'? Their deaths in Bolivia, after being cornered by the local federales, was truly heartbreaking. Robert Redford & Paul Newman really made you love these guys even as they became public enemies 1& 2!
Loved these movies! Reminds me of my first reading of the novel, "The Chocolate War". Bad guys win, heroes lose, and the corruption of life continues on. Truly left me baffled and quiet, like The Empire Strikes Back kind of ending.
That book was why my schools furniture was welded.
Love that book
I would add the movies Blow, with Johnny Depp playing George Jung, Ray Liotta's portrayal of Henry Hill in Goodfellas, and Woody Harrelson/Juliette Lewis as Mickey and Mallory Knox in Natural Born Killers.
The joker shooting those guys on the subway was based on Bernie Goetz who in 1984 shot some hoods on the NY subway and became a hero (although there was debate as to whether he was in real danger, if he used excessive force, and if the heightened crime and fear in NY at the time excused any overreaction).
Actually that incident was inspired from another movie where the protogonist of the movie was completely opposite of joker i think joker is actually everything evil and worst things of a human being the movie did a very disgusting greedy idea to turn that into a hero by changing characteristics of the character and giving him characteristics of The Thomas Wayne And The Bruce Wayne And giving Joker's characteristics to joker shows how much industry has gone greedy because all of people who support this!
Who wanted thanos or denzel to win? Missed this one. You had a clockwork orange, pulp fiction, oceans eleven…
Tom cruise in collateral was so unbelievably cool! I'd kill for a entire movie about that character
I wanted to see Mr Pink from 'Reservoir Dogs' to win in the end.
Yes. I carry this hope that he blasted his way free of the police once again and escaped.
Training Day was a superb film, but no way did I want denzel to win. When the Russians pulled up alongside, I was like 'Karma, dude!'
Yeah nobody did. He's just a villain. A great one but unsympathetic
@@crankfastle8138 It was when he murdered his 'buddy' Roger (Scott Glenn), just to steal his stash that I knew he was never gonna get my sympathy. So cold!
I wanted him to win
What about Gerrard Butler's character in Law Abiding Citizen?
I prefer the Hannibal show Mads version over the movie Hopkins version. Also didn't hate the final season. Really really really want a session 4.
This is a really great list. I think it’s a fantastic conversation. Every entry on the list belongs here. Looking forward to the next volume.
Killmonger would a worthy addition to that next list.
Honestly, one of the best, most sympathetically written villains ever, imo.
@@Anurepa wildly disagree. Sorry, he "kills" T'challa, takes a throne he didn't deserve, mobilizes his war dogs around the world so the people that "look like us" can take the world. Literally decided wakandan weapons needed to be distributed first. Not one altruistic or selfless action by him. He's just an angry man who wants to punish the world because his dad was killed after betraying his king and country.
Along with Mr Glass,Zemo and the vulture
I’m so confused how Daniel Day Lewis is the villain in there will be blood, he killed 2 ppl who were one trying to trick him and the second was trying to finesse him. He’s at most an anti-hero
He’s more of a stand-in for capitalism, which is the real villain of the movie. Based on an Upton Sinclair book (Oil!).
@@tylerposing3585 interesting I might need to read that, I love movies like this because the main character is flawed like real life but you still want him to succeed
They should have kept the bonkers motivation Thanos originally had. I get why they didn't, and a lot of audiences would disagree with me. But he's called the MAD Titan for a reason (and it's not being multi ability dependant).
Darth Vader... I sooooooo wanted him to grease all the ewoks😘
I was 100% wanted Ethan Hawke to take Denzel down in Training Day. Denzel was great, but I actually cared for Hawke, and he was great.
Same here. I can't imagine people rooting for Alonzo.
I agree. I am surprised that the movie was on this list considering nobody I know in person would root for Denzels character.
Great villain, but unsympathetic or relatable. Nobody wanted Denzel to win that day.
I wanted him to win, I love when the bad guy beats the good guy😎
If you want filmic morality ambiguity, check out Shane Meadows' 'Dead Man's Shoes.' Not an easy watch. 😅
That movie is haunting.
I disagree with Training Day. I wanted something to catch up with him.
I was definitely not rooting for Alonso in training day!
By the third act.. when he's stalking the rookie in the project houses.. the Denzel character is like a monster from a horror movie!
I was rooting for him
I’m surprised that Tamara wasn’t in there: she’s hated by several students, her mother left, her dad was a sicko and she’s love-starved, with her teacher being the only source of comfort in her life.
I’ve just started watching this and am hoping that Robin Williams’s character from One Hour Photo isn’t in this list, because it should be clear he’s not a villain.
I was hoping for Magneto and Cumberbatch as Kahn in 'Into The Darkness'.
DIE HARD!!! every Christmas (and yes it is a Christmas movie) I always hope I have stumbled across a directors cut when Hans Gruber wins.
Obviously, you haven't had the delightful experience of seeing "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot"!
I know there was no reason to bring it up, but MAN, Third Man has an AMAZING score. Jaunty and riveting, seriously a one of a kind in noir
Love that zither !
"I'm the bad guy?"
"Yeah."
"How did that happen?"
I haven’t seen it for many years, but as soon as I saw the title of this video I thought of Edward Fox’s character from The Day of the Jackal (1973). Even since I watched the movie, I have carried with me a great deal of respect for how seeing much of the movie from the Jackal’s perspective gives the viewer permission to root for him, even though we know what he is doing is wrong and doomed to failure.
Character for character sake - leaving aside the actor's performance itself - Falling Down should be #1. For one he does do what we all wanted to do at one time or another and also for the fact that if anything he needed help more than the others on this list which becomes clear at the end.
And as for Thanos oh the irony... in the movies they show how nature recovers after half the population is wiped out then comes the pandemic and lo and behold: nature starts recovering as soon as humans are quarantined.
"the entire state of Baltimore", man how I love you Brits 🤣
You cannot have this list without including Law Abiding Citizen or Faster although he really did away with it in Faster but deservedly so...
Faster was a weak movie (imo). But yeah, law abiding citizen should be on top. You can thank Jamie foxx for that ending
I've spent a depressing amount of time without Jules videos on WhatCulture. So happy to see you back!
Wolf of Wall Street! I know Leo's take on Jordan Belfort is absolutely amazing, you know he's going to go down at somepoint, and you know he's just a despicable individual, but man do uou enjoy watching him!
Dude. I have the number 1 "villain". Clive Owen in inside man! His character was so amazing. And whats even better, he wins!!! It's such a happy ending. I love that movie so much
Erik Killmonger is the sympathetic villain Marvel wishes Thanos was. His backstory and goals are entirely relatable while his actions still remain clearly condemnable. In comparison, Thanos feels cheap.
His plan was to arm his war dogs around the world with Wakandan weapons and take the world. Kill mongers goals aren't relatable, he's an asshole who wants to kill T'challa and take a throne he doesn't deserve.
Totally agree. I just posted this before I saw your comment.
Nope. Thanos is the most iconic character in Marvel, at least 10X popular than Killmonger ever will be. Killmonger was forgotten in 1 movie, whereas Thanos' shadow has haunted the MCU ever since Infinity War.
No, no he is not. You need to control your white guilt, it clouds your judgment.
Ah yes, an ethno nationalist that wanted global domination and oppress people he didn't like, a very sympathetic villain indeed if you're into ethnosupremacy.
Honorable Mentions: Law Abiding Citizen & Grudge Match
According to TV Tropes this list would be an example of "Rooting for the Empire."
I'm sorry, every time I see Thanos I can't help but see Josh Brolin riding a little girls bike with the training wheels popping off in The Goonies movie🤣
What about Law abiding citizen?
He may be a bit obscure for this list but I think Edward Lionheart from Vincent Price’s ‘Theater of Blood’ should be on this list too. Price is so good that I pretty much root for any villain he plays (Dr. Phibes could probably be added to this list) but here he plays a wronged Shakespearean actor who is savaged by the critics guild. Interestingly many of their criticisms were leveled at Price in real life. After he supposedly kills himself Lionheart proceeds to kill each critic in a manner from one of the plays of Shakespeare that he acted in. The critics are played as pretty vile characters (except for one) and the kills are done with such style that it’s regrettable when Lionheart finally dies. It’s a really a fun movie if you haven’t seen it.
Great choice- love that movie !
Hummel, played by Ed Harris, in The Rock. I absolutely wanted him and David Morse's characters to win.
I loved training day; and enjoy Denzel in pretty much everything he does. But at no point in time did I want Alonzo to win, break even or get any less than what he had coming. He was not a sympathetic villain IMO; and I enjoyed watching him lose.
I wanted him to win
This list BEGS a "WhatCulture" philosophy video. No. 1 was a welcome stunner. Honorable mention to "Changing Lanes!"
Heat was amazing, as was Silence of the Lambs!
"Has rarely put a foot wrong." Love it!
Uhm, Baltimore is a "city" in the "state" of Maryland. HTH
What we didn't know in Infinity War was that there were Celestial's to be born in each major civilization's planet waiting for enough souls to consume the energy to be born. Thanos being half eternal / half deviant, knew this and it was also a way of actually saving entire worlds by eliminating half of the population therefore keeping the dormant celestial from having what it needs to erupt. Maybe uncle Thanos wasn't that bad after all.
and the interesting thing about thanos' "wipe out half to save the other half" strategy is that it's proven prior to the movie that it doesn't work. in the first guardians movie when they're doing the record scan of gamora it shows she's the last of her people, meaning that wiping out half the population of her planet only succeeded in dooming the other half to extinction.
It's a massively complicated task. Wipe out half and thrive. Because the snap is dispassionate, there is no way of knowing who is gone. An entire society may lose too many of their best and brightest to recover and thrive. Thus doomed to eventual extinction.
And that’s why the movie version of Thanos’ crusade to wipe out half the universe doesn’t work quite as well as the comic book crusade did, where he was doing it in an effort to win the affection of Death.
Although not a movie villain, Daenerys Targaryen from GOT was so ingeniously engineered (a woman rising through patriarchies, an idealistic liberator and mother of dragons) that many wanted her to succeed. Hell I heard stories of people naming their babies Daenerys. After being failed by the diplomatic tactics encouraged by her mentors and realizing the land no longer held any respect for her family name or would ever choose a woman leading a foreign host against an honorable man with a stronger genetic claim to the throne, she defaulted on the legend of her ancestor Aegon by attending the Genghis Khan School of Lasting Impressions and started shaping her better world through fire, blood and fear. It was such a good feint, that people to this day still dont see they fell for the charms of a burgeoning tyrant and think the turn came out of nowhere as a case of "bad writing".
WhatCulture, I’m very disappointed!!! How is Eric Kilmonger not #1 on this list considering how realistic his fight is???
Good list.
I would have put, “Law Abiding Citizen”, in there too.
Gerard Butler was amazing in it…I wanted him to get away scott free. Cheers. 🇨🇦
He supposed to win the day. But jamie fox's ego got in the way
Thanos created grief, suffering and outrage throughout all of space.
He made our Universe far less appetizing to something that was about to consume all life.
The collective emotional outpouring made the meat smell 'off', and so something won't be back this way again.
I dunno, too 'Dr. Who'?
Hmmm, I like this Who-ish thinking... What if Thanos thwarted a Galactus attack with the initial snap? Now that everyone has blipped back, mayhap Galactus will return! Cue The Fantastic Four movie!
"To reunite with his wife and daughter." Shit the man had me thinking they were the same person for a second 😂
Collateral is the best Tom Cruise performance of the past few decades.
Ok, Estella was not the villain in Cruella, it was the Baroness. She sent the dogs to kill her parents and manipulated Estella to her will.
Travis Bickle? Tony Montana? Henry Hill? Heath Ledger's Joker? Jules from Pulp Fiction?
Some movies that could be added:
-Law Abiding Citizen
-Watchmen
-Bram Stoker's Dracula
-The Accountant
-The Mummy (1999)
-Pulp Fiction
-Star Trek Into Darkness
Ngl the heartfelt message jules leaves keeps my faith humanity in tact
RIGHT?!?
it's unexpected but wonderful to have someone you don't even know validate your humanity and your worth.
speaking of which, i hope you have a great day filled with joy.😄
Please tell me I'm not the only one who always prefers the bad guy in movies. Surely, I can't be the only person.
Most of the time I do .
@@feck2594 cool
I have only seen There Will Be Blood once, and that was back in 2015. I bought it at a Pawn Shop on dvd like 2 weeks ago (it's currently 2022) because it was $1. I really need to watch it again. Paul Thomas Anderson is amazing. we should start a Paul Thomas Anderson fan club and call it the PTA hahaha. hold the meeting at a school and when all the moms walk we'll start off Daliel Plainview abandoning his son lol
It falls into the classic trope that a truely great villain is a hero in their own story
Would love to see a list of top ten early cinema influences like buster keaton lorel and Hardy and fatty arbuckle and Charlie chaplain I think it would be interesting
Thanos had the right idea by realizing that there is a shortage of resources in the universe but there are too many life forms fighting for said resources. Thanos just went about it the wrong way.
No he didn't. In 50 years the universe would be in the same predicament, and then what? Round up the stones and snap again?
Why not just make infinite resources or increase resources exponentially. I mean if you can wipe out half of all life I think you could increase resources.
@@Just_Pele When he destroyed the stones, he ensured that the population would eventually double and be in the same predicament. All he did was buy some time. Not much of a savior.
They were infinity stones, presumably imbued with infinite power. He wanted to retire to gardening. Why not use that power to maintain a neverending garden?
His pathology drove him to his solution to the predicted problem.
@@freakshopusa yup. I've seen Criminal Minds episodes that explain Thanos's pathology- he suffered trauma, didn't process it, projects it onto others, and forces his solution, occasionally taking a survivor as a souvenir. Then he repeats the cycle.
Thanks for the Pep talk Jules; it's why I like your work.
8:45 I felt like Cruella was an alternate universe where 101 Dalmatians isn't going to happen to be honest... I guess if we ever get Cruella 2 we'll find out for sure, but I just feel like she didn't actually blame the dogs in the end and even loved them when she gave the freakin' puppies to the two families.
What about Carlito in Carlito's Way?
I know he is more like the protagonist, but still a criminal, who deserved going to jail or something, but getting shot by Benny was like too much.
Maybe for the category where the protagonists are actually villains.
Thanos didn't go far enough
Training Day was brilliant, but in what world would u want Denzel Washingtons character to survive granted its an outstanding performance by the actor but my opinion when it came to the climax and you find out what kind of man he is I was relieved that he was gunned down because a character as corrupt as his surviving would have pissed off a lot of people.
'The entire state of Baltimore' lmfao
What about Clyde from Law Abiding Citizen?! I wanted him to win.....mostly
loving you too, Jules! and Denzel Washington.🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
I kinda like when the villain wins, in movies like Fallen.
As for Thanos, he had the right idea. I think the world would flourish if half the population disappeared.
@Shaun McKee except there is no reason to think that would work. Removing is different to creating, in literally every way. There is no reason to believe that the planets would be able to sustain the resources. You can’t create more water on a planet because it would flood, you can’t create more land space on a planet because it would change the size and therefore the gravitational pull of the planet, which could destroy it an all planets around it. Without the space for the extra flora for the oxygen, that doesn’t exist. Your idea is cute but there’s no reason to think it would be possible.
@Shaun McKee if Thanos was committed to saving the universe through the gauntlet, yes he could just use his army to travel the universe and help. Planet to planet by givi g them what the need. The dispassionate idea of the snap is what makes it reckless. Almost guaranteed to fail that way
Jules message at the end always hits on a day I need it most. Thank you!
All 3 seasons of Hannibal are phenomenal, but okay Jules lol
I watch Jules' videos till the end for the positive encouragements.
Makes a top 10 video on villains we want to win but doesn’t place Law Abiding Citizen in it.
Multiverse of Madness had the most sympathetic Marvel villain IMO. I don’t want to spoil it, but I wanted this villain to be able to succeed in some way. It broke my heart when they lost
Law Abiding Citizen! Clyde should've took the system down so it could be (hopefully) built up the right way.
People supporting Thanos need to go outside? That's why most people would agree with what he was doing lol
Glad to see The Third Man here, one of my favourites
Three quick things;
1. "rarely put a foot wrong in his entire career" is that a cheeky My Left Foot reference or am I reading into it too much? 😅
2. I think the protagonist in Inside Man, Killmonger in Black Panther and Tyler Durder in Fight Club would be good additions to the next list as well ☺️
3. As always, thank you Jules for your content I don't think anyone else could have presented this list as you did! Big Love my friend 😊
You think the protagonist of Inside Man is a villain?
Ditto for Tyler in Fight Club! Excellent call!
@@redfive5856 Well, he is trying to rob a bank and 'allegedly' killing hostages within it. Everyone in that movie kinda wins besides 'Arthur' (the banker guy)
@@rogeebear10023 Dalton is no villain.
Why Killmonger? Didn't the dude want world domination by his "race" of people? Basically a Wakandan Hitker
Great outro by Jules as always he's the hero of this vid!