10 Most Terrifying Villains In Non-Horror Movies

How was this lot allowed in a "kids movie"?

Anjelica Huston The Witches
Warner Bros.

For the most part, the most terrifying villains to ever grace the movie screen belong to the realm of horror. Dracula. Pennywise. The Predator. That frickin' bear-thing from Annihilation. (Still not over that.)

Of course, not everybody is a fan of the horror genre. For this reason, some people do everything in their power to avoid watching anything centred around serial killers, demons, or monsters. Instead, they'll kick back with a relaxing comedy or a light-hearted animated feature.

But every once in a while, a horror-worthy villain will creep its way into another genre altogether. Interestingly, characters like this can be more frightening than a traditional horror antagonist, since moviegoers are completely unprepared for it. After all, nobody should be expecting a bloodcurdling adversary in a Disney property or a whimsical musical.

As a result, plenty of viewers watched the likes of Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, or even The NeverEnding Story, oblivious to the fact that this experience might cause them to sleep with the lights on for the foreseeable future.

Even though the following ten villains are from so-called "family-friendly movies," they are responsible for emotionally scarring entire generations.

10. Colonel Oats, The Easter Bunny & Granny Preston - Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey

Anjelica Huston The Witches
Columbia Pictures

In Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, the air guitar-loving duo must once again secure humanity's future. This time, rather than travelling through time, the Two Great Ones must venture into the afterlife. And as hard as it is to believe, this wacky comedy has one of the most disturbing depictions of Hell.

After Bill and Ted are banished to the underworld, they are forced to experience nightmarish scenarios. In the first scenario, an army colonel orders the pair to perform infinity push-ups. Then, when they escape, the two find themselves reliving a warped version of their most traumatic memories. In Bill's memory, his great-grandmother tries kissing him while flashing her rotten teeth, while in Ted's memory, he's chastised by the Easter Bunny after stealing his brother's Easter eggs.

It sounds silly out of context, but these sequences prey on childlike fears, making them far creepier. The wonky camera angles, disproportionate backdrops, and strategically placed cameras make the antagonists look more formidable than they are. The fact that Bill and Ted revert to children in these scenes intensifies the danger, since they're too helpless to defend themselves.

Even though Bill and Ted encounter the Devil himself during their hellish jaunt, this trio of horrors is more ghastly.

 
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James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85