15 Great Movie Villains Who Totally Stole The Show
5. Commodus - Gladiator
One of the most frequently used measurements of villainy is how much you love to hate the character. Its a surprisingly treacherous line to walk between being enjoyable to watch, yet making you want to punch them in right in their self-satisfied imaginary face. Fear not though, as there is a clear winner within this niche: Joaquin Phoenixs turn as Commodus in Ridley Scotts historical epic, Gladiator. A modern classic about one mans struggle to become popular by brutally killing so many people that hell never have to kill again, its no surprise that theres some melodrama thrown into the mix. Such a lofty tale of heroism needs a fitting villain. Glad to step up as the relish to this delicious plate of bastardry, Commodus' presence literally makes the audiences skin try to crawl off their body. He manages to hit every last creepy box by being a patricidal, incestuous and worst of all, unsportsmanlike tyrant. At one point Gladiator pretty much breaks the fourth wall in the most dramatic Q&A moment put to screen, Are you not entertained? asks the flamboyantly named protagonist Maximus Decimus Meridius after stabbing a mans dick off with a trident, which is a fair question all things considered. My answer to that would be that even in the midst of all the ultra-violence, magical gas canister chariots and tiger wrestling the most entertaining aspect was easily Phoenix channelling all the snivelling, insufferable mannerisms that he probably learned from the people in his entourage.