Alfred Hitchcockgets praised for many things. Among them is his ability to ensure proper character development for his antagonists. In François Truffaut’s 1966 biographical book,Le Cinéma selon Alfred Hitchcock,he talks to the French director about several things, and one particular conversation stands out. When asked about the failure ofStage Fright,Hitchcock confidently states that the film had a bad villain. He then declares “the better the villain, the more successful the picture.”
The director’s assessment is spot-on. Hitchcock’s movies with the best villains are also his highest-grossing and critically acclaimed ones. Somehow, audiences enjoy seeing someone causing havoc before someone else comes to stop them. The memorable Hitchcock villains weren’t exactly frightening. They gained their iconic status by being cunning, sinister, and odd. Their motivations made sense too, partially giving audiences a reason to root for them.
10Brandon Shaw
Rope (1948)
Brandon Shaw (John Dall), from Hitchcock’s first-ever technicolor film,Rope,believes himself to be intellectually superior to others. Such ideas became embedded in his brain after reading the works of controversial philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. To prove that he is indeed smarter, he vows to commit the perfect murder.
He lures his friend, David, into his Manhattan penthouse, kills him, and hides his body. Afterward, he invites several friends to a party, certain that because he is so meticulous, no one will realize there is a dead body in the apartment.
In Over His Head
To Brandon, crime is synonymous with artistry. Of all the things he could have done to prove he was smart, he opts for murder, and while putting his Nietzschean theories into practice, he makes some shocking choices. For example, he insists on serving meals from the chest in which Charles’ body lies. His overconfidence also influences him to invite his former teacher to the party, a move that proves costly.
Brandon strongly feels that an intelligent person can flirt with danger without consequences, and that proves to be the case for a huge portion of the film. Though he eventually gets caught, his comeuppance doesn’t come too quickly/
9Mrs. Danvers
Rebecca (1940)
Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) fromRebeccais a housekeeper who is concerned with matters beyond her job description. When Rebecca, the wife of her employer, the wealthy French aristocrat Maxim de Winter, dies, he remarries, but Mrs. Danvers refuses to warm up to the current woman of the house. She believes the former Mrs. de Winter was too good to be replaced, so she becomes a saboteur.
A Cold Manipulator
Emotional abuse is often just as bad as physical abuse, and Mrs. Danvers specializes in the former. She gets into the new Mrs de Winter’s ear so much that she begins doubting if her husband truly loves her, yet he does.
From tricking her mistress into wearing dresses that trigger her husband’s bad memories to openly berating her, Mrs. Danvers keeps outdoing herself in an effort to get rid of the new woman in the house. In one of the movie’s chilling scenes, she tries to goad her into committing suicide. And when she realizes she will never have her way, she burns the house down.
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8Bruno Antony
Strangers on a Train (1951)
“Your wife. My father. Criss-cross.” That’s how bluntly the playboy Bruno (Robert Walker) puts his proposal to famous tennis player Guy Haines, while suggesting they commit murders for each other.
After reading the papers, theStrangers on a Trainvillain finds out that Haines is having problems with his wife, stemming from both of their infidelities. He offers to kill her in exchange for Haines killing his father. Obviously, Haines declines, but Bruno does his part anyway and tries to force the tennis player into keeping his ‘end of the bargain.’
Strangers on a Train
“No” Is Not an Option
Bruno is undoubtedly the main reason whyStrangers on a Trainis one ofHitchock’s most critically acclaimed movies. He impresses audiences by how he goes to great lengths to make sure Haines does his part. Additionally, he is smart enough to foresee all outcomes that might sprout from Haines’ hesitation.
When the tennis player tries to meet Bruno’s father to warn him, he finds Bruno right there waiting for him. Audiences are unlikely to forget the tennis match scene where all the fans are shown to be enjoying the game while Bruno’s eyes remain trained on Haines throughout the entire session.
7Phillip Vandamm
North by Northwest (1959)
North by Northwest’s Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) is thetypical spy movie villain, only that he is a lot more sophisticated and menacing. As a Soviet Cold War spy posing as an American tycoon, he is always alert to any potential danger. Unfortunately, his paranoia causes him to mistake advertising executive Roger Thornhill for a mysterious spy that has been allegedly sent to capture him. He captures the exec and tries to kill him, only for things to take a dark turn.
North By Northwest
Riding on Flair
Vandamm could easily switch places with Bond movie villains. He has more money than he needs, enjoys tormenting the protagonist, has an army of goons, and speaks using flowery terms. “This matter is best disposed of from a great height, over water,” he says, regarding his idea of a perfect death for Thornhill. For the most part, Vandamm manages to insulate himself from any danger. It isn’t until the film’s final moments that he is eventually caught.
6Tony Wendice
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Most people with murder on their minds would rather just hire a hitman, or do the job themselves, but struggling tennis player, Tony (Ray Milland), fromDial M for Murderdoes things differently. When he discovers that his wife Margot (a wealthy heiress) is having an affair, he blackmails a former schoolmate into killing her, so that he can inherit her wealth.
During the attack, Margot kills the would-be murderer in self-defense, so Tony opts for Plan B: tampering with evidence to frame his wife for first-degree murder.
A Master of Improvisation
Tony’s ability to improvise is commendable. His astuteness is seen right from the moment he realizes he is never going to be a great tennis player. He marries Margot to secure his future, and when he realizes there is the risk of her divorcing him for her new lover, he plots her murder so that he can get everything she owns.
Despite being a creation of the ‘50s where violence was the norm in cinema, Tony never harms anyone physically throughout the movie. He is graceful in defeat too. When he finally gets caught, he doesn’t opt for the cliche villain actions like taking his life or trying to escape. He simply pours Inspector Hubbard a glass of wine and congratulates him for a job well done.
5Alexander Sebastian
Notorious (1946)
“I want to take over the world and reignite the Nazi war machine,” Sebastian (Claude Rains) tells his mother early inNotorious.He is part of a group of senior Third Reich officials who fled to Brazil at the end of World War II.
Unwilling to accept defeat, they secretly plot to bring the Nazi Party back to its glory days. However, Sebastian faces a problem in the form of Alicia. She is the daughter of a convicted Nazi general, and he is deeply infatuated with her. After bumping into her in Brazil, he makes efforts to rekindle their romance, unaware that she is now working for the Americans.
A Hitler-Like Figure
Notorioushas a long list of intriguing characters that make it one ofthe best spy movies of the ‘40s. Still, it’s Sebastian who hooks the viewer’s attention and keeps it. He has mega plans which he articulates beautifully, and is shown to be untouchable. Even better is that he is more human than other spy movie villains.
Though he appears tough and ruthless, he cannot resist Alicia’s charms, so he goes as far as to marry her. And when he finds out who she truly is, he doesn’t hesitate to poison her.
4Professor Jordan
The 39 Steps (1939)
Professor Jordan (Godfrey Tearle) fromThe 39 Stepsis the leader of a spy organization known as “The 39 Steps.” Their goal is to steal military secrets, and everything goes smoothly until a daring protagonist emerges in the form of Richard Hannay. On the run after being falsely accused of murdering a female spy, Hannay remains focused on finding Jordan and exposing him as the true mastermind behind the murder.
The 39 Steps
Ambitious and Ruthless
Professor Jordan is another Bond-like villain who goes because of his ruthlessness. He never hesitates to kill anyone who might turn out to be a problem for him. In one of the movie’s most chilling scenes, he offers Hannay the opportunity to either kill himself or be killed. When the protagonist hesitates, Hannay shoots him instantly. Luckily, he survives. And like every great villain of his kind, there is something odd about him. He is missing the top joint of one finger.
3Uncle Charlie
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Alfred Hitchcock namedShadow of a Doubthis favorite movie in his filmography, and it’s easy to see why. It has an intriguing Hunter vs. Hunted dynamic involving Santa Rose, California, resident, Charlotte “Charlie” Newton and her visiting Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten). Shortly into his stay, Charlotte discovers that he is the mysterious “Merry Widow” widow killer being hunted by the police. Charlie, too, realizes that she knows, so the two attempt to outdo each other.
Shadow of a Doubt
Cinema’s Most Despicable Misogist
Uncle CharlieIs best remembered for his “Widows Speech” where he goes on a rant claiming that men work so hard only to die early and leave their money to their irresponsible, lazy wives. He dedicates his life to seducing widows only to strangle them and steal their money.
While his crimes alone make him a great villain, it’s his cat-and-mouse games with Charlotte that push him to iconic status. Rather than be directly violent with her, Uncle Charlie keeps playing games with her by pretending to embrace dialogue only to try and kill her later on.
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2Lars Thowarld
Rear Window (1954)
Rear Window’s villain Lars (Raymond Burr) isn’t exactly an evil person. He commits a crime of passion (killing his wife during an argument) then tries to cover it up. Unfortunately for him, one of his neighbors is the photographer, L. B. “Jeff” Jefferies, who stays at home recovering from a broken leg. Jeff spends his days spying on his neighbors with his camera via the window, and it doesn’t take him long to find out what Lars did.
Rear Window
A Scarce Villain
Thowarld rarely speaks in the movie, yet he has such a huge impact. His activities are mostly seen from afar, as Jeff watches him trying to either get rid of body parts or move suspiciously inside his house. It’s only when Thowarld realizes someone is onto him that he makes an up-close appearance. Though he starts out as just an ordinary person, he keeps getting worse by the minute. He tries to kill Jeff the same way he killed a dog that nearly dug up his wife’s ring.
1Norman Bates
Psycho (1960)
Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is introduced as the kind proprietor of the Bates Motel in the early moments ofPsycho,but it is soon revealed that he has a murderous bone. Soon, real estate secretary Marion Crane stops by the motel while on the run after stealing $40,000 from her boss. Bates welcomes her warmly only to later stab her to death inan iconic shower scenethat would be discussed for years.
Hiding Behind the “Mother” Personality
Bates is a great villain because of how he conceals his psychopathy with shyness and courtesy. Because he suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, he keeps dressing up like his dead overbearing mother before killing his victims. It takes other characters a long time to realize that this is what has been happening.
Even to the brightest minds, it feels like there is an actual “Mother” who is slaughtering people, yet Bates’ mom hasn’t been alive for years, having been murdered by her own son. Most importantly, great villains need memorable scenes, and the shower murder alone is enough to make Bates a Hall-of-Shame baddie.
