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

From the get-go, it's apparent Nightmare Alley's protagonist Stan Carlisle is a manipulator. 

Carlisle is a huckster who pretends to be psychic to worm his way into people's hearts and wallets, although he doesn't come across as a typical "bad guy," since he starts off as a down-on-his-luck bumpkin who's just trying to make ends meet. When he rebrands himself into a suave psychic for aristocrats, it's hard not to be impressed by his transformation. But he goes too far.

A powerful industrialist named Grindle asks Stan to speak to a dead woman, Dorrie. Since Grindle blames himself for her death, Stan realises he can milk the deal, so instead of giving Grindle a straightforward cold-reading, Carlisle offers multiple spirit sessions, bleeding his client dry.

Rather than leaving it there, Stan convinces his partner to meet Grindle while impersonating Dorrie's spirit. By making this decision, Stan is no longer just telling his customers what they want to hear but giving them false hope, and when Ezra sees through the ruse, Stan murders him and his bodyguard.

Somehow, it gets worse, as a flashback reveals Carlisle lived with his bedridden father before pursuing his deceptive lifestyle. Tired of caring for his old man, Stan killed him so he could start his life anew.

So, not only is Stan Carlisle now a cold-blooded killer, he always has been.