A GOOD VILLAIN
The bad guys are currently a trend and we come to empathize with them because they are full of nuances that trap us above a flat-line character who always seeks to do good. The big productions in recent years are very clear that every self-respecting movie or series must have a good villain that attracts us. Sometimes they stand as the real protagonists.
Are we then seduced by the dark side?…
Fiction simply provides us with a way to engage with the darker aspects of our personalities without making us question whether we are a good or bad person.
But no one is bad like that just because. There is always some justification behind their behavior that interests us.
Alfred Hitchcock said:
“The more accomplished the portrayal of the bad guy, the more accomplished the movie will be.”
If we want to convey a credible sense of danger, the villain must be as disturbing as their actions, they must be what they can imagine. For this reason, in Hitchcock’s cinema, these characters display above-average intelligence, cold intelligence, and elegant manners.
Here are a few examples like Walter White in “Breaking Bad”, Hannibal Lecter, Dexter, Voldemort, Darth Vader, Maleficent, Moriarty or the Joker.
And finally I will tell you that I like to think which actor or actress I would love to play a super evil bad guy for our delight.
