10 Awesome Movies With No Sympathetic Characters

2. Once Upon A Time In America

once upon a time in america
Warner Bros.

Sergio Leone's 1984 crime thriller is one of cinema's best-crafted epics, with jaw-dropping direction, engrossing writing and magnificent performances from a cast led by Robert De Niro and James Woods.

It is an epic, sweeping tale which shows how a group of young boys get drawn into a life of crime, yet the overall tone of the film is far harsher than, say, something like Goodfellas.

De Niro's protagonist Noodles might seem likeable for a time, but he loses all audience favour when he rapes a childhood friend (Elizabeth McGovern), who isn't exactly a bundle of charm herself, being a coldly standoffish liar.

Pretty much every significant character in the film kills, lies and has a problematic attitude to women, while the women don't do much to endear themselves to the audience either. It's a stone-cold masterpiece, and perhaps only more so because it dares to present such detestable people throughout.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.