Five iconic movie characters you weren’t supposed to love
It’s often the case that you’ll find yourself in a heated discussion with another film fan about a certain character, perhaps defending their actions or criticising anyone who possibly thinks they’re worth sticking up for. A complex character can polarise viewers, but in certain circumstances, those who we’re meant to dislike become unexpected fan favourites.
It often comes down to the actor doing a fantastic job of portraying their character, making us empathise with them despite their innate flaws as a human being. This is the skill of being a great performer, manipulating audiences into siding with them in spite of questionable characteristics, such as being a bully, a criminal, or a cold-blooded murderer.
We’ve selected a diverse range of characters that audiences weren’t supposed to love half as much as they do, and it’s probably one of the only times you’ll find a list that features both Regina George and Leatherface.
Yet, sometimes, a villain becomes an unlikely favourite among viewers, perhaps standing as endlessly more watchable than the ‘good’ characters that surround them. So, from horror antagonists to misunderstood villains, here are five iconic characters you weren’t supposed to love, but probably do.
Five movie characters you shouldn’t love:
Regina George – ‘Mean Girls’ (Mark Waters, 2004)
If anyone ever tries to tell you that 2004’s Mean Girls isn’t pure cinematic excellence, I think you have every right to suspect them of being a misogynist. The film is actually a scathing satire of popularity and hierarchy, something that extends far beyond the confines of high school. It’s well-written and genuinely hilarious, but as the years have passed, many fans have pointed out that Regina George, played by Rachel McAdams, isn’t the villain she’s made out to be.
While, yes, she’s a pretty horrible person and she makes for a great mean girl, it’s Janis Ian, Regina’s former friend, who is the real villain of the story, revelling in revenge to an unnatural degree. We’re meant to dislike Regina and root for Cady and her new outsider friends, but it’s hard not to love Regina’s shamelessly bitchy and over-the-top personality, played to perfection by McAdams.
Leatherface – ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Now, I can’t excuse Leatherface’s actions as a ruthless chainsaw-wielding murderer, but it’s not hard to see why so many horror fans love the villain from Tobe Hooper’s classic slasher The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. When you meet the rest of Leatherface’s demented family – an inbred collection of cannibals – you realise that he’s actually the one you should probably fear the least (unless he’s actually got the chainsaw in his hands).
Otherwise, you can tell that Leatherface has endured a very unusual upbringing that has shaped him into an animalistic, voiceless victim of his environment. Poor Leatherface never had a chance, and you can tell that if he wasn’t raised by a family of murderers, he probably wouldn’t be one. He’d probably work in a local shop or perhaps on a farm, collecting antiques and lounging on his porch. Thus, many fans feel a certain level of empathy for the character, who has returned for various sequels, much to their delight.
Babs Johnson – ‘Pink Flamingos’ (John Waters, 1972)
Grotesque, stomach-turning, vile, camp, shocking, disgusting. That’s Pink Flamingos, the eccentric creation conjured up by John Waters, which has since become a beloved cult classic. At the centre of the film is Babs Johnson, played by Divine, who vows to maintain their position as the filthiest person alive. Filth is her politics, after all. Battling it out against the Marbles, a couple who run an illegal baby ring for lesbians, Babs does many terrible things in her quest to reign supreme, including murder and eating dog shit.
We’re not meant to be endeared by Babs exactly, because she condones the worst behaviours you can imagine – she even gives her own (adult) son a blowjob – but she’s so ridiculous that you just want more. With her tight, bright dress, exaggerated makeup, and yellow hair, Babs is simply iconic, even if she doesn’t hesitate to eat human flesh straight off the bone.
Walter White – ‘Breaking Bad’ (Vince Gilligan, 2008-13)
We might be cheating here by selecting Walter White from Breaking Bad, but the show is much more cinematic than many movies currently being released. Besides, who else has polarised audiences as much as Bryan Cranston’s family-man-turned-drug-lord? As the main character of the show, we immediately side with him as he attempts to make money (albeit unconventionally) to leave for his family following his terminal cancer diagnosis.
Yet, as the series progresses, he tests audiences by committing some truly unforgivable acts, like killing various people and poisoning a child, among many other terrible things. At the same time, many fans still like Walter after everything, crowning him one of the ultimate anti-heroes. When he dies in the final episode, it’s hard not to feel a little sad to see him go, even if he did turn into a truly abhorrent human being.
Hannibal Lecter – ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
Like Leatherface, Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs is one of those characters you just can’t ‘hate’ because they’re so brilliant. Sure, he’s a cannibalistic murderer, but he’s also a suave and intelligent man who Anthony Hopkins brings to life with stunning precision. Winning an Oscar for the role, Hopkins delivered a performance that was utterly unforgettable, and Hannibal easily stands as one of the most beloved horror villains of all time.
We’re not meant to enjoy his on-screen presence as much as many of us do, but when someone as compelling as Hannibal Lecter is on your screen, you’re going to have a hard time looking away. The character is so popular that he has even returned for several spin-off films, while Mads Mikkelsen played him in the acclaimed television series Hannibal.
