20 Greatest 90s Movie Villains

13. Matilda - Mrs. Trunchbull

1996's Matilda pits the lovable titular character (Mara Wilson) against some of the most despicable villains ever seen in a family film, and though her neglectful parents are pretty vile, even they can't quite compare to the Trunchbull, Matilda's wicked headmistress. If one were to take the story in a more literal way, this character should've been in prison for child abuse - well, that and murdering her own brother, which is what she's strongly implied to have done. 

A mountain of a woman, the Trunchbull (Pam Ferris) is like every strict teacher you've ever met rolled into one and turned up way past 11. She's an exaggerated, fantastical tyrant, a cruel, spiteful and sadistic bully who torments children just because she can. In other words, she's every frightened schoolchild's worst nightmare come to life, albeit with a safety net of pitch-black humour, which is typical in Roald Dahl's stories. 

So much of the credit must go to Pam Ferris, who is exceptional in the part and absolutely nails the mixture of terrifying malice and campiness this character needed. Crucially, Matilda establishes this monstrous character and then defeats her in the most satisfying of ways, reaffirming its status as one of the ultimate feel-good family movies no matter how messed-up it undeniably is. 

Oh, and here's another uplifting fact: off-camera, Pam Ferris was extremely nice with all the child actors and was as far from the Trunchbull as it gets. Well, it is called acting.