9 Unfairly Underrated Movie Villains From The 21st Century

Released to near-universal acclaim in 2017, Logan was commended for almost every aspect of its production. That being said, there was one area that came under heavy fire across the otherwise gushing reviews. Namely, the antagonists.

You see, if you were to believe the popular consensus, then Logan was just another victim of the dreaded ''villain problem'', an issue that routinely afflicts comic-book adaptions. On one hand, there is some truth to this, as the film's primary big bad, Zander Rice, is indeed exceedingly dull. At the same time however, the film more-than-compensates for this shortcoming by providing a gloriously slimy henchman, in the form of Donald Pierce.

Although he is admittedly underused, practically disappearing for the entire second half, this cybernetically enhanced goon is still an absolute blast whenever the filmmakers can be bothered to use him.

On paper, he's a fairly bog- standard hired gun, operating without scruples or a conscience. But Boyd Holbrook (known to many for his turns in Narcos and Gone Girl) injects the scoundrel with a breezy swagger and a welcome sense of fun. In the process, he elevates what could have been a perfectly serviceable, albeit placeholder, villain into something far more engaging.

His central appeal stems from just how much he visibly enjoys being the bad guy. Whether he's grinning his way through a torture scene, geeking out over the prospect of battling Wolverine, or just spewing out snide one-liners, this creep is always entertaining himself and by extension, the audience.

In a film where everyone else is so aggressively morose, Pierce stands out as a bright ray of sadistic sunshine.