10 Recent Movie Villains Who Became Instant Fan Favourites

There's a saying that "A hero is only as good as their villain." And you'd have to say that is pretty damn accurate. Fortunately, moviegoers in the last few years have been blessed with some truly great villains, some of which became fan-favourite characters instantly - oftentimes more-so than their heroic counterparts.

Heroes are good, but if we're being truthful, villains are great. There would be no heroes, and vice versa, if there were no villains. They need each other for better or worse, as both parties bring out the best and worst in each other, and this is especially evident when it comes to the bad guys.

So, to put it simply, we need them. Luckily for us, more and more formidable foes are hitting the silver screen and feeling the love from audiences and critics alike. And as dastardly as the following names may be, their prominence is only possible due to the commanding performances produced by truly incredible actors and masters of their craft.

Monsters come in many forms, shapes and sizes, and this list shows just that. Whether it's otherworldly species, mythical creatures or even humans ourselves, these 10 recent movie evildoers won't be forgotten for a long, long time. 

Longlegs was undoubtedly one of the best horror films of 2024, and that's saying something considering the calibre of opposition it faced. 

Although audiences and critics alike were torn as to whether the film was as scary as the marketing suggested, horror itself is subjective, so for many, Longlegs would have been downright horrifying, and for others, it would have been a terrific thriller. 

In whichever camp you reside in, one thing is for certain - and that is that Nicolas Cage delivered his best performance in years. There is no actor past or present like him.

For better or worse, his trademark acting approach is hypnotic, and it's no real surprise that Osgood Perkins chose Cage to play this particular character. 

Dale Kobble, better known as the titular Longlegs, is a glam-rock-obsessed and sadistic serial killer who has haunted the FBI for decades. He's elusive yet ever-present, especially in the case of Maika Monroe's Lee Harker, who is tasked with tracking him down.

Perkins conceals Cage's true identity under pale makeup, weathered wrinkles and a wiry wig, but Kobble's off-the-wall behaviour is classic Cage. There are mannerisms and motives familiar with real-life serial killers sprinkled in Kobble, and the film's obvious inspiration from Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs only works in its favour. 

Whether you loved or loathed it, you won't be forgetting Longlegs and Cage's performance anytime soon.