10 More Movies You Didn't Realise You Were Following The Villain

In this Muriel Spark adaptation, Jean Brodie (Maggie Smith) teaches at a strict all-girl school that's overseen by Miss Mackay. 

Unlike the other tutors, Jean is a passionate free-spirit who refuses to abide by the rules. Rather than just focusing on the curriculum, Jean pushes her doting pupils to break down barriers, explore their passions, and forge their own paths. When Mackay tries to fire her, it's hard not to cheer when Jean puts the stuffy headmistress in her place. 

Though Jean admires questionable figures like Benito Mussolini, such feelings appear to stem from naivety rather than malice. On the surface, our whimsical protagonist seems like the mentor every student dreams of having. But over time, it's unmistakable that Jean's demeanour is a calculated performance. Slowly but surely, the charismatic teacher is proven to be a delusional, hypocritical, deceitful bully. She doesn't just manipulate her students but grooms them, using her dogmatic views to encourage one student to venture into the war, which leads to her death. 

What's worse is Jean shows zero shame or regret, no matter how often her influence wrecks the lives around her. She often plays the victim, almost like she's oblivious to how destructive her actions are.

Unlike the other entries on this list, there isn't a specific moment when the penny drops. Due to Jean's subtle duplicity, different people pick up on her true character at different times, but once viewers recognise how staggeringly manipulative Jean is, they'll find it hard to believe they ever sided with her.