10 Best Horror Movie Villains With Absolutely No Motive

No discussion on motiveless villains would be complete without including Michael Haneke's Funny Games, a shot-for-shot English-language remake of his film of the same name from 1997.

The film begins as the exceedingly wealthy Farber family arrive at their lavish lakeside holiday home. While George (Tim Roth) and his son Georgie (Devon Gearthart) are tending the boat, Ann (Naomi Watts) is visited by well-mannered men in golf attire who just want some eggs. They are Peter (Brady Corbet) and Paul (Michael Pitt), and they’re intentions are far less innocent than their demeaner would suggest.

They kill the family dog and assault George before telling the family their plan. They want to bet that none of them will be alive by the next morning.

Designed as a commentary on violence in media, Haneke emphasises the brutality and pointlessness of the men’s actions alongside the futility of the family’s plight. They simply cannot succeed, with the intruders going as far as to rewind the film to stop them from gaining the upper hand.

The reasoning for their actions changes throughout the film. It’s just one big game to them, and they’re going to ensure they enjoy every second of it.