Typically in Hollywood movies, no matter what kind of obstacles are thrown in the hero’s
way, they find a way to come out on top.
James Bond always lives to fight another day, Superman sends Lex Luthor to jail, and the
crew of the Starship Enterprise goes off on another mission through the Final Frontier.
As feel-good as this can be, it does run the risk of getting stale, and sometimes the filmmakers
have to mix things up.
Every once in a while, the villain gets the upper hand to make life truly miserable for
the protagonist and leave audiences feeling dire.
Here are 10 famous movies where the bad guy actually wins.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Just from the title, you knew things weren’t going to go well for the Rebel Alliance in
this Star Wars sequel.
Darth Vader and the Imperials rebounded strongly following their defeat in the Battle of Yavin,
wiping out the Rebel presence on Hoth, capturing Han Solo and freezing him in carbonite, and
besting Luke Skywalker in a lightsaber duel.
Just about everything went the villains’ way in this film, except for Luke joining
the Dark Side of the Force.
They say the second chapter in a trilogy is usually the darkest, and that tradition arguably
started with this movie.
When the credits rolled, many wondered how the heroes could ever come back.
The Dark Knight
The Joker’s goal in this critically acclaimed crime drama is to prove that deep down, everyone
is corruptible and can commit heinous acts like he does.
By the end of the film, it’s safe to say he was successful in those goals.
Through his intricate plan, the Clown Prince of Crime brought Harvey Dent down to his level,
transforming the district attorney into the evildoer Two-Face.
And when Dent goes on a homicidal spree following his transformation, Batman takes the fall
for the crimes, essentially lying so the people of Gotham can maintain their vision of hope.
Anyone who can make the Caped Crusader become a Gotham police target clearly didn’t lose.
No Country for Old Men
One of the most chilling villains in recent memory is Anton Chigurh, who became the film’s
most memorable character thanks to an unforgettable turn by Javier Bardem.
The hitman’s mission is to track down and recover a briefcase of money, and he becomes
a thorn in the side of Llewelyn Moss and Sherriff Ed Tom Bell.
In the end, he bests all the come through his path, killing Moss and leaving Bell to
face retirement having failed his last case.
It’s true that Chigurh is brutally wounded in a car accident near the film’s end, but
he got away alive – and nobody saw him.
The Silence of the Lambs
You know things have gotten dire when the authorities need the help of a serial killer
to track down another serial killer, and that’s what happens in this film.
Hannibal Lecter is an extremely cunning villain, and through a series of events, he’s able
to escape incarceration and makes his way back into the free world.
The cannibal promises to not pursue Clarice Sterling, but he cannot make that exception
for everyone involved with the FBI.
With the infamous line, “I’m having an old friend for dinner,” audiences know that
Hannibal got what he wanted and is ready to unleash his terror on the world again.
Gone Girl
A truly sadistic individual, Amy Dunne’s shocking master plan is one of the cruelest
we’ve seen in some time.
Faking her own murder and making her husband Nick appear responsible, she has a very unique
way of seeking revenge.
Yes, Nick was unfaithful, but he didn’t deserve to be put through this kind of hell.
To top it all off, Amy’s shocking revelation that she’s pregnant with what is most likely
Nick’s child all but forces the “happily” married couple to stay together despite their
multitude of problems.
Once Nick tearfully apologized on TV, that’s what Amy wanted, so she was getting her way
no matter what happened in the story.
The Usual Suspects
This twisty mystery film is fueled by one key question: Who is Keyser Soze?
The police attempt to learn the truth by interrogating the con man Verbal Kint, who tells his questioners
a complex story about how a band of criminals ended up working together under Soze’s command.
Once Verbal’s bail is posted, he leaves the station, and the cops learn that Kint
had fabricated everything he said, coming across as a naïve low-rate bad guy instead
of the mastermind that he really is.
Verbal is actually Keyser Soze, and he got off Scott free, riding away in a car as the
police scramble to bring him to justice.
Seven
Most serial killers have their own trademark, and John Doe models his murders after the
seven deadly sins, showing that humanity has become desolate and dark.
His actions draw the attention of Detectives Somerset and Mills, and their paths intertwine
in a truly tragic way.
Doe completes his masterpiece by killing Mills’ pregnant wife and placing her head in a box,
which sends Mills into a fit of wrath.
Doe realizes that he represents envy, since he is jealous of Mills’ life and begs to
be shot by the detective.
Mills obliges and will obviously never be the same again.
Doe may have been evil, but he had a point.
JFK
It’s not a typical tale of good vs. evil, but if there are villains in Oliver Stone’s
film, it’s the government officials that Jim Garrison tries to convict as he unravels
the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
To him, the evidence is clear and he makes an impassioned speech to the jury about how
there was a second shooter and Lee Harvey Oswald could not have acted alone.
There’s no denying he makes a compelling case, but in the end it was all for naught.
The judge rules that Clay Shaw is not guilty.
Even if the argument could be made for a conspiracy, there wasn’t enough there to tie Shaw to
it.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Even though Koba dies at the end of this sequel, it’s safe to say that he won in his battle
against Caesar.
The ape community had become divided as Koba and Caesar disagreed over how to handle the
surviving humans on Earth.
Koba, who was used frequently in lab experiments, believes violence is the answer, while Caesar
is a pacifist and wants peace.
Koba’s philosophy ultimately prevails as he attempts to assassinate Caesar, blames
the humans, and leads a destructive conflict that spawns a war.
Caesar now has to take part in something he never wanted, and it will be interesting to
see how his character evolves in the next film.
Captain America: Civil War
In a film with two teams of Avengers fighting each other, Zemo is the main antagonist pulling
all the strings.
Seeking vengeance for his deceased family, Zemo sets out to tear Earth’s Mightiest
apart by exposing one heartbreaking secret.
Through a careful plan, Tony Stark learns that Steve Rogers’ best friend Bucky was
the one who murdered his parents – which only worsens his guilt.
Though nobody was killed, Zemo was still successful in fracturing the team, and it won’t be
easy for them to get back together in Infinity War.
There are a lot of personal issues left to be worked out, and hopefully future films
explore this further.
Those are just some of the films where the villains ended up winning.
Are there any we missed?
Which ones are your favorites?
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