4. Bronson
Before there was Bane there was Bronson, and to be honest, its hard to call which one would be worse to be left alone with. For while Tom Hardy broke the Bat in The Dark Knight Rises, three years before he scared us all with a terrifyingly visceral performance as Britains most dangerous convict, Michael Peterson, otherwise known as Charles Bronson. Nicholas Winding-Refns first fully Englush feature is expertly directed, putting us firmly in Bronsons fractured view of the world, but it is Hardys performance that is the films ace. With a chilling direct-to-audience narration and some intense outbursts, you may not feel for him, but you can certainly begin to understand. Bronson bares all multiple times in the film, most notably at the end, where it has become a totally unfussy affair. Painted black all over with an art teacher tied up and painted, Bronson stands fully naked, but theres no hint of gawping; the film has shown us his naked mind already, making this just the natural next step.