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Anti-heroes are cool, modern pop culture would certainly lead many to take this as fact. It’s hard to argue against, given the incredible amount of merchandise the likes of Breaking Bad’s Walter White can shift in a year. Filmmakers desperately need viewers to care about these fictional personas, but the actor’s portrayals can often be so captivating that audiences overlook the flaws, and then wrongly idolize the characters.
Some of these characters completely disregard their moral compass along their journey to greatness, and with the journey itself being so fascinating, it’s easy for fans to forgive any mistakes they make along the way, no matter how deplorable they may be.
10 Tony Montana’s Violent Pursuit Of Money, Power, & Women Could Only Really Have One Ending
To many, the story of Cuban immigrant Tony Montana is the ultimate tale of rags to riches. Brian De Palma’s Scarface showed a downtrodden man earn the glitz and glamour through extraordinary levels of violence, and thanks to Al Pacino’s iconic performance, Tony’s famous scarred face can be seen on everything from t-shirts to bath towels the world over.
It’s almost as if some viewers tuned out before the movie’s finale, as Montana’s tale doesn’t end with the riches, nor a return to rags, the titular character meets a painful death before the credits roll. Perhaps there is some truth to “crime doesn’t pay.”
9 Gordon Gekko Is The Poster Boy For Corporate Greed
“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”—The immortal words of Gordon Gecko in 1987’s Wall Street are etched in stone in modern pop culture. Michael Douglas won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as Gekko, and that aspect of the character is certainly worthy of admiration.
Gordon Gekko is a perfect example of the corporate psychopath, and while fans may idolize him and his riches, rest assured, they wouldn’t want him as a work colleague or boss.
8 When Dealing With Trials & Tribulations, Don’t Take Notes From Dani Ardor
Perhaps it’s the beautiful flower headpiece, or her resilience through times of great discomfort, or maybe it’s simply because she takes on the patriarchy, Midsommar’s Dani Ardor is fiercely idolized. Midsommar is two and a half hours of unmissable terror, and as disturbing as the film is, there are few moments quite as chilling as Dani’s final grin.
Her mental state is all over the place throughout the film, but her smile as her ex-boyfriend burns to death is not one of a girl recovering from severe trauma, it screams that her sanity has completely left her. Midsommar is essentially a horrifying lesson in how not to deal with grief.
7 Tyler Durden Is One Toxic Single Serving Of Masculinity
Toxic masculinity is a term thrown around often these days, but if you’re looking for a movie character that best embodies the traits, look no further than Fight Club’s Tyler Durden. The movie is a slick takedown of consumerism, sexuality, and what it means to be a “man.”
The message seemingly went over many’s heads, evidenced by the disturbing number of real-life fight clubs that sprouted up after the film’s release. Imitation may be the most sincere form of flattery, but fans clearly forgot the first rule of Fight Club.
6 John Rambo Was A Critique Of War, Not A Celebration Of It
Before he became an unstoppable action hero mowing down bullet sponge enemies in Rambo: First Blood Part II, John Rambo was a quiet, subdued, and deeply traumatized veteran of the Vietnam War.
Sylvester Stallone’s performance as the tortured soul is one of the best of his entire career, the actor perfectly embodied the loneliness and despair that is seen in the eyes of so many forgotten combat veterans. Perhaps it’s the filmmakers of First Blood’s sequels that missed the point of the character, after all, as the nuance and emotional weight dropped, the body count drastically rose.
5 Travis Bickle Is Hardly A Hero
One of cinema’s most iconic characters is also an incredibly problematic one. Travis Bickle is at worst a terrorist, and his fascination with a 13-year-old girl is enough to turn the most hardened stomachs.
Robert De Niro’s irresistible portrayal admittedly makes the character’s flaws somewhat easier to look past, but Bickle is simply unhinged. No matter how cool his mohawk may look, Travis Bickle’s behavior in Taxi Driver is not to be emulated.
4 Nino Brown Is Hip Hop’s False God
As an actor, Wesley Snipes oozes a level of cool that most actors can only dream of, but even if you’ve never seen him in New Jack City, if you listened to hip-hop in the ’90s you’re likely familiar with the name of Nino Brown. The drug-dealing kingpin was held up as a role model for many rappers, despite, or perhaps due to his murderous tendencies.
Snipes made the character irresistible, but in New Jack City, Nino Brown goes from his brother’s keeper to his brother’s killer.
3 Arthur Fleck’s Antics Are Far From A Laughing Matter
Batman’s nemesis has always been a controversial figure when it concerns adoration from fans, the character itself has been cited as the inspiration for many real-life incidents involving violence, murder, and mass shootings.
In 2019, Joaquin Phoenix gave the world a new take on The Joker, a more realistic, grounded version, and one that took a serious look at mental illness. Joker was a massive success, and it has seemingly resulted in even more unhealthy levels of worship from fans.
2 Characters Don’t Come More Charming, Or More Despicable Than Alex DeLarge
Every year when October rolls around, there are more than a couple of sights you can bet on seeing—jack o’lanterns, trick or treaters, and people in outfits inspired by A Clockwork Orange’s infamous droogs. The leader of the group, Alex DeLarge was brought to life in chilling fashion by Malcolm McDowell back in 1971.
Alex says no to authority, but he also says no to the rules of society, with his hobbies including violently attacking the homeless, and instigating gang rape. Surely not a role model in anyone’s book.
1 Patrick Bateman Just Wants To Fit In, But He Stands Out For All The Wrong Reasons
In 2000, Leonardo DiCaprio, a teen heartthrob at the time, sidestepped the alleged career suicide of appearing in American Psycho. Luckily for movie lovers everywhere, the man who took on the lead role went on to accomplish great things himself, as Christian Bale now stands alongside DiCaprio as one of the finest and most accomplished actors of his generation.
American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman is Bale at his best, but the character’s insanity is often overlooked thanks to his sharp outfits, womanizing escapades, and his rather exceptional taste in music. Perhaps Christian Bale was just too cool as the man most likely to win best dressed serial killer, Patrick Bateman.
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