10 Awesome Movies Where The Bad Guy Wins

4. The Really Big Fish Swims Away - The Silence Of The Lambs

Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is unquestionably a bad guy, being a cannibal and all, but it's often easy to forget this, given how he helps the FBI to catch Buffalo Bill throughout the film, and due to Hopkins' Oscar-winning performance, is also an insidiously charming fellow.

Him and FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) develop an uneasy rapport and mutual respect, but every so often, director Jonathan Demme reminds us of Lecter's savagery, particularly during his thrilling escape from prison, in which he ends up posing as a police officer by, yes, wearing his face.

Lecter is home free, but can't resist calling Clarice one last time from the Bahamas, before declaring that he must dash as he is "having an old friend for dinner". Its hilarity somewhat offsets just how disturbing this might otherwise seem, and though Clarice ended up catching and killing Buffalo Bill, the bigger, smarter fish got away at the end of the day (even if this was somewhat undermined by the inconsistent sequels).