Movies where you rooted for the bad guy

[The Debts]

Come on, we've all had one. You can list as many as you like. For my personal favorites: The Hannibal Lecter series and Gone Girl.

[imsounoriginal]

"Jimmy was the kinda guy that rooted for the bad guys in the movies."

[surfdude12]

King Kong in King Kong (2005)

[P-Rock]

No One Lives
Payback

[Al_The_Strange]

• Alex in A Clockwork Orange
• Deadpool
• Godzilla in about half of all the Godzilla movies made
• Jason in Freddy vs Jason
• Magneto in various X-Men films (especially the last few)
• The Predator in Alien vs Predator
• Tonny Montanna in Scarface
• Wesley Gibson in Wanted

Not sure if considered villains, or just anti-heroes:

• Caesar from Conquest/Rise/Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
• Barbossa and Davey Jones in the POTC series
• Ralph in Wreck-It Ralph
• Riddick in all his movies

[MJD64]

Honestly, I root for the bad guys in 90% of the movies I watch.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

• Alex in A Clockwork Orange

Probably best answer for entire thread

[Captain Flint]

Most of the movies I watch, I root for the bad guy.

But above all, every horror movie ever made I root for the killer.

[Karmasux96]

Not sure if he's really the bad guy, but Chang in Only God Forgives.

[surfdude12]

Also add:

Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood
Michael Corleone in Godfather II
Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula

(not sure if they are "bad guys" , but in all 3 films, they engage in evil acts but do so as an expression of pain they've experienced, so the viewer can't help but feel bad for them while at the same time despising their acts)

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Probably best answer for entire thread

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Dracula in Bram Stoker's Dracula

I almost listed that one. I think I sympathized with the character, but wasn't really rooting for him over the other leads. That's just me though.

[P-Rock]

I don't think Dracula is a bad guy per sé. Just misunderstood.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Karmasux96

Not sure if he's really the bad guy, but Chang in Only God Forgives.

I think that's an interesting choice. Bad guy or not, he was wicked. Last time I saw the movie though, I kinda saw the dude's mom as the primary villain of the story. Not sure if that's the "correct" interpretation, but it made me wanna root for every other character.

Originally Posted by P-Rock

I don't think Dracula is a bad guy per sé. Just misunderstood.

True, at least with the Coppola movie. The novel and other films clearly villainize Dracula as more monster than man--the '92 movie complicates it by humanizing him more.

In that same respect though, would the Frankenstein monster be considered a villain, or just misunderstood? I personally root for him a lot stronger than other monsters (probably because the different stories naturally elicit sympathy for him in every case).

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Speaking again of Clockwork, people have often said (paraphrasing): "the mere fact that the viewer goes from utterly despising Alex in the first half to actively rooting for him in the second half of the film demonstrates the sheer genius of Kubrick"

[Rodney-2187]

Originally Posted by Karmasux96

Not sure if he's really the bad guy, but Chang in Only God Forgives.

He is definitely not the bad guy.

[Eusthenopteron]

Hans Gruber in Die Hard

[Patient-X]

I always feel sorry for Godzilla

[donzo29]

One movie where I do root for the bad guys would be Heat. I really want things to work out for the crooks in that one. Michael Mann really does a great job of helping the viewer sympathize with all of the main characters.

I am also pretty sure my wife roots for Loki in the Thor and Avengers movies. She does love her some Loki.

[DanTheMan]

Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon.

[Karmasux96]

Originally Posted by rodneyfaile

He is definitely not the bad guy.

Bad guy reads as antagonist to me.