Not all monsters hide under our beds or behind closed doors. Some hide in plain site, taking the form of a ruthless SS officer or a psychopathic assassin who’s thirsty for blood. The scary bit about these people is that they hide an extraordinary evil behind ordinary appearances.
Such characters inhabit our everyday existence, and bring to the surface a range of creepy emotions, from manic bullying to psychopathic killing. Unlike monsters who are terrifying by appearance, these non-horror characters are terrifying by deeds, for they propagate a sinister sense of evil under the pretense of normalcy which, at times, may even be scarier than the monsters that lurk in dark spaces. Here are some of the scariest non-horror movies characters, ranked.
10Alex DeLarge - A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Based on George Orwell’s dystopian novel of the same name, Stanley Kubrick’s film leaves no room for the audience to empathize with its protagonist, Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell). Kubrick portrays DeLarge for the crazy psychopath that he is, as he is shown beating the weak and the elderly and vandalizing people’s homes.
Revenge and retribution come swiftly, as DeLarge is arrested and subject to a weird and psychological sense of torture, stripping him of all individuality and giving him a taste of his own medicine.
9Noah Cross - Chinatown (1974)
What makesChinatown’sNoah Cross (John Huston) really scary is the immunity he enjoys in a city festering with corruption and crime. He is above and beyond the law, bending and molding the system to his will. On the surface, Cross seems pleasant and good-natured, but underneath the facade of age and endearment lie venomous fangs.
8Amon Göth - Schindler’s List (1993)
Before he played Lord Voldemort in theHarry Pottermovies, Ralph Fiennes starred as the terrifying Nazi officer, Amon Göth. Fiennes embodied Göth with such creepy finessethat Spielberg said, “I saw sexual evil. It is all about subtlety: there were moments of kindness that would move across his eyes and then instantly run cold.” In another interesting anecdote, when Spielberg introduced Fiennes as Göth to Mile Pfefferberg (a Schindler survivor), the old lady trembled and her knees began to give out from under her.
7Norman Stansfield - Léon the Professional (1994)
Gary Oldman is one of the most criminally underrated actors. His versatility and range can see him play any role, from protagonist to antagonist and everything in between. In Luc Besson’s cult classic, Oldman plays the role of a corrupt DEA agent that’s fascinatingly scary, operating with an air of unpredictability. Despiteplaying a crooked copthat has no sets of rights and wrongs, it’s hard not to admire and be terrified of Oldman’s Stansfield whenever he appears on-screen.
Related:Gary Oldman’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
6Terence Fletcher - Whiplash (2014)
Terence Fletcher’s character presents an interesting dilemma to the world. Should teachers be strict to produce successful students, and where do you draw the line? Terence Fletcher’s case borders on bullying and sadism, as he pushes his students to despicable heights, regardless of the physical or emotional cost it comes at.
Whiplashalso features Miles Teller playing the role of an aspiring drummer, Andrew Neiman, that goes through hell and back as he endures Fletcher’s gruesome training methods before finally unlocking his full potential.
5Frank Booth - Blue Velvet (1986)
The protagonists in David Lynch’s cinematic universe are scary, making the antagonist even more terrifying and unsettling. But no character of Lynch’s comes close to surrealistic psychopath Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). Booth is a pimp by profession and a madman by vocation, having kidnapped Dorothy’s family, forcing her into a life of prostitution.
Rather than being an all-out alpha-male, Booth switches personalities, oscillating between his aggressive “daddy” persona and the infantile “baby” persona, making him even more haunting to watch.
Related:Exploring David Lynch’s Strange and Compelling World
4Lou Bloom - Nightcrawler (2004)
Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of a crazed journalist-turned-murderer is a masterclass in acting. Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom reeks of insanity hiding behind a thin layer of desperation, as he’s willing to go to any length to “get the job done”. What starts out as an obsession to be the first one to report the news, soon turns into a full-blown addiction and instigation, as Bloom’s present not only at the start of the crime but also at the heart of the crime.
3Anton Chigurh - No Country for Old Men (2007)
Javier Bardem deservedly received an Oscar for hisportrayal of killing machine Anton Chigurh,in the Coen Brothers’ cat-and-mouse thriller. Unlike conventional psychopaths that are twitchy and eccentric, Bardem plays Chigurh with immense depth and stillness, almost slowing everything down when he comes on screen. In that decisive moment, from the depths of his insanity, a fountain of violence breaks out. This streak of violence that Chigurh possesses isn’t human or natural, it’s almost demonic and otherworldly, making him one of the most unsettling characters in modern-day movies.
Related:These Are Javier Bardem’s Best Performances, Ranked
2Hans Landa - Inglorious Basterds (2009)
S.S. Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) is a psychopath by nature and a sadist at heart. What makes Landa creepier than the other Nazi officers is that he has childlike insanity within him, which sees him carry out unthinkable atrocities with a smile on his face.
In one of the best movie opening sequences of all time, Landa goes to a French farmer’s farm on the suspicion that he’s hiding Jews, and carries out a mass execution, making a creepily lasting impression for the rest of the movie.
1Joker - The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath Ledger’s Joker is scary and sad in equal parts. A product of societal insanity, Joker is the poster boy of crime, as he perfectly embodies the spirit of Gotham’s crime-filled underbelly. Not only did Ledger’s performance as Joker terrify the audience,he also spooked co-star Maggie Gyllenhaal on set, despite not having much screen time with her.
