10 Most Terrifying Villains In Non-Horror Movies
8. Mola Ram - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
After the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark, it was no surprise to learn Indiana Jones would return in another adventure. (Technically, a previous adventure since The Temple of Doom is a prequel.)
This time around, Harrison Ford's character heads to an Indian village, where he learns the children have been forced into slave labour at a nearby temple. Upon investigation, Indy discovers the operation is run by Mola Ram, a high priest who hopes to unearth the sacred Sankara Stones from the temple and use their power to rule the world.
Temple of Doom has plenty of bone-chilling visuals, but the one that sticks out most is of Mola Ram ripping out his victim’s beating heart before incinerating him in lava. As the heart bursts into flame, Mola then lets out a maniacal cackle.
Even though Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers freaked out millions of moviegoers, Mola Ram has a greater distinction as this deranged cult leader was so scary that he’s partially responsible for movie censorship being tightened.
Since this PG-rated blockbuster was considered too violent (and potentially scarring) for children, it led to the creation of the PG-13/12A rating.