12 Movies Where The Villain Turns Good
2. The Grinch (The Grinch)
A fine showcase of Jim Carrey’s talents, Ron Howard’s Grinch grows from the ultimate Scrooge to a redeemed fan of the ancient holiday tradition. Haunted by a spate of childhood bullying regarding his facial hair and shaving cuts, The Grinch has hated Christmas for 53 years when we first meet him.
Still at odds with his old bully-turned-town-mayor, The Grinch hatches the ultimate plan to forever kill the Christmas Spirit. Stealing all the gifts in Whoville, The Grinch’s plan simply helps everyone see that Christmas should be about family and friends. Moved by everyone’s carol singing, The Grinch’s heart swells with emotion and he returns to town to make things right.
Seemingly born to play this role, Carrey infuses The Grinch with a surprisingly heavy amount of intensity. Adding aggression to the character’s darker moments, Carrey’s wild performance packs a solid emotional punch when his green and grumpy character comes good. With a considerably more expanded story than Dr Seuss’ children’s classic, The Grinch still arrives at the same uplifting endpoint of its source material.