Why Movie Villains Aren't What They Used To Be

So how has the villain changed in the past few years? It could be just a fluctuation in taste, but it might be better to say how we’ve changed as a civilization in the past few years. While there have been plenty of terrible people peppered throughout society, the idea between what is supposed to be done and what isn’t can be a bit fuzzier nowadays.

Whereas some may have been closed off to the notion of a grey area in the past, these movies have reflected a move towards misunderstandings because we are not as comfortable with making bold assumptions anymore. There might be people who seem deplorable, but like these characters on screen, there might be some good we're not seeing.

Does that mean the classic villains are dead? No... but they might be in a different context now.

There may be some actors who love to play up the more evil ways of their characters, but you often need to toe the line between over-the-top and serious if you want to be believable as an evil presence.