13. Umbridge Punishes Harry - Order Of The Phoenix
It's sort of funny, no matter how evil and monstrous Voldemort is, he can never hope to match the deep, visceral hatred that Umbridge receives from viewers. That's probably because Voldemort is Hitler, whereas Umbridge is your sadistic seventh grade math teacher who humiliated you in front of the class and made you cry in the bathroom. One is worthy of hate on an abstract level, the other invokes a fury with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns from deep within your soul. So when Harry has the nerve to speak the truth about Voldemort and is brutally punished for it, that sparks something with viewers. All it takes is that simpering voice saying, "Deep down, you know you deserve to be punished," and chills will run up your spine giving you a sudden desire to hit something. Any time a character can elicit that strong of a reaction, you know they're doing something right.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
