50 Greatest Movie Villains Of The 21st Century

By Matthew Murray /

14. Vincent €“ Collateral

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It€™s not often that I would put Tom Cruise on any kind of greatest characters list, but this one has to be acknowledged. In Collateral, he plays a manipulative hitman who forces himself into the life of our protagonist Max, a simple cab driver. Vincent proceeds to make Max€™s life a living hell from this point on, all in the pursuit of his elusive targets. He is violent, ruthless and has no regard for the impact of his actions on Max. He even goes as far as to taunt the protagonist by befriending his mother. That€™s pretty nasty.

13. Alonzo Harris €“ Training Day

Alonzo Harris is another villain that has to be addressed for uniqueness. He's also another Denzel Washington entry. This experienced cop is assigned the job of evaluating our protagonist Jake Hoyt, a rookie. What Hoyt quickly discovers is that Harris is a corrupt cop and will manipulate and endanger his colleagues in order to achieve his own goals. Harris is a cruel and unsympathetic villain. It isn€™t hard to sympathise with Hoyt as he is manipulated into taking drugs, withholding evidence of criminal activity and tainting a crime scene to allow Harris to get away with murder. Eventually, Hoyt gives in and turns on his corrupt partner, making for an exciting climax laden with strong conflict.

12. Loki €“ The Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Loki is a really fun villain and a clear fan favourite. He is also, by far, the most interesting villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far (Iron Man 3 included). His relationship with his enemy (and brother) Thor is unlike any we have seen in a superhero film to date. On one hand, the hero wants to kill him, and on the other hand loves him deeply. Tom Hiddleston made the character a camp delight to watch in The Avengers and served as an excellent villain to incite the team up. He is by far one of the most memorable superhero villains of the 21st century.