10 More Horror Movies That Tricked You Into Rooting For The Villain
I mean... these serial killers aren't THAT bad.
In terms of villains, the horror genre is rife with the absolute worst of the worst. Although we should naturally empathise with the hero, slashers and supernatural films usually make the baddie utterly despicable so we root for the protagonist even more. So, not only do we want the main character to survive, we cannot wait for the antagonist to get their comeuppance.
But there are some movies where you can't help egging the bad guy on. They might be a serial killer or a cannibal, and yet, you want to see them emerge victorious, even while they perform unspeakable acts of evil.
There are all sorts of reasons why we might find ourselves cheering on insidious scoundrels like this. Maybe they had such a bad life, you can understand why they became a criminal. Maybe their victims are so unlikeable, the evildoer in question feels like a good guy by comparison. Sometimes, the audience sympathises with the antagonist against the filmmaker's wishes, purely because of the actor's performance.
Whatever the reason, we couldn't stop ourselves from rooting for these vile villains.
10. Krampus - Krampus
In Eastern European mythology, Father Christmas isn't the only person who visits children during December. In certain folktales, Santa Claus' shadow, Krampus, visits villages during Christmas time to punish naughty children.
Krampus has become so popular recently, over ten films revolving around the dark satyr have been released over the past decade, including a 2015 horror drama, simply called Krampus. The story revolves around the dysfunctional Engel family who finds themselves being tormented by Saint Nicholas' wicked doppelgänger.
Because of Krampus' devilish horns, jagged teeth, forked tongue and matted fur, it's easy to see him as a malevolent force. But we mustn't forget the Golden Rule - Krampus only punishes bad people. All you have to do to avoid his wrath is to love your family and appreciate Christmas. That's it.
However, it's clear from the opening scene that the Engels are selfish, arrogant, and self-absorbed. When the grandmother tries to warn them about Krampus, she's dismissed... even when he's in the middle of attacking them! If the family members sang a few carols or stopped being jerks, they wouldn't have been murdered by Krampus' army of deranged gingerbread men and carnivorous toys.