At least when it comes to entertainment, we're all taught to believe that being kind will take you far and that the good guy always wins over the villain.
But even in movies and TV shows, sometimes that isn't true anymore, and that can make a far more compelling story.
Note: there are massive spoilers below. You have been warned.
Redditor careater asked:
"What is a good 'the bad guy wins' movie?"
Man on Fire
"Man on Fire."
- Sapphic_Butterfly
Nightcrawler
"'Nightcrawler,' definitely. Only a few people mentioned it in this thread, which I find surprising. It fits the definition of the 'bad guy winning' perfectly and it is also a really good movie."
- belshezzar
Valkyrie
"'Valkyrie.' Crazy to think that Hollywood didn’t have to embellish much because those events actually happened in real life."
- lawontheside
Unforgiven
"'Unforgiven.'"
"Eastwood's character is the bad guy. He killed women and children and everything that walked or crawled. He was a hired vigilante."
"Little Bill was the law. But he was also a belligerent a-hole who beat a man to death and let another get away with cutting up a woman’s face because she was a w**re. He got what was coming whether he deserved it or not."
- PoorPauly
Starship Troopers
"'Starship Troopers.'"
- B3taWats0n
"It still baffles me that some people don't get that the humans are the bad guys. Neil Patrick Harris becomes more and more Nazified over the course of the movie until he's just wearing an SS uniform in the last scene."
- SergeantChic
"Consider:"
"At no point is there any evidence to the audience (unless presented by a newscast of a fascist regime) that the bugs are the aggressors."
"No fighting takes place on human territory."
"There is no clear cause for the bugs to throw a rock at the earth."
"The bugs did nothing wrong."
- couchsurfingpotato
Infinity War
"'Infinity War.'"
- O5CR
"Serious question for anyone who's seen that movie more recently: did Thanos have a 50% chance of wiping himself out of existence when he did the snap?"
- Discuffalo
"Yes, and this was confirmed by the Russo Brothers in a Q&A as well. That's why he seems surprised and gives a little smirk before teleporting away after the snap; he sees himself being exempted as proof that he was doing the right thing."
- fredagsfisk
"Titan Roulette."
- WayneAndWax
Halloween
"Basically ALL the 'Halloween' movies. Michael wins every single time except for 'Halloween Ends,' which is a real absolute first, to be honest."
"First runner-up: 'The Collector.'"
"Second runner-up: every single 'Saw' movie."
- whitehack
Midsommar
"'Midsommar' if you treat the cult as the bad guy."
- tkdyo
"The cult is definitely the villain of the story."
- A**_a**_in99
X-Men: First Class
"X-men: First Class (2011)."
"'I prefer... Magneto" what follows is the most bada** villain theme since imperial march."
- TeamAlphaSquad
"'I've been at the mercy of men just following orders. NEVER AGAIN.'"
- killingjoke96
"Magneto is the deuteragonist of the film."
"Shaw is the Bad Guy. And he gets a penny for his thoughts (a coin through his head)."
- streakermaximus
Lad Abiding Citizen
"Depending on your perspective, 'Law Abiding Citizen.'"
- lyzaros
"I can’t stand watching that movie. Every time I hope Gerard Butler will win, and Jamie Foxx catches him every d**n time…"
- KidAndrogynous
"Such a bulls**t ending. It's like they passed out of having Gerard Butler's character win, like they couldn't show a man with 10 years of planning pull off his vengeance plan against the justice system in case the audience got ideas."
"It seemed like a case of Jamie Foxx wouldn't allow them to make his character 'lose', but this is a myth apparently. It's still s**t, though."
- vaguebiscuits
"Yeah, it p**ses me off that Butler's character loses."
"The 'good guys' only won because they broke the law. The cop and the lawyer didn't get a warrant, and it was literally shrugged away as they broke into and entered the garage. If they were actually sticking to the rules they espoused, as they should have, Butler's character would have gotten away with it."
"I know, I know... The good guys have to win, Butler's character was a murderous psychopath, ends justify the means, etc. But I think the ending was a copout."
- cstretten
Gone Girl
"'Gone Girl.'"
- solitamaxx
"Well done movie, absolutely hated it and will never watch it again. Made me so d**n mad, but I understand it did exactly what it was meant to."
- Raccoonanity
Skeleton Key
"'Skeleton Key.'"
- nursesarahrn78
"A very interesting movie. The ending... whew!"
- Forsaken_Button_9387
"The scream I scrumpt when she said, 'Baby, you just trapped yourself!'"
- soljjr
Fallen
"'Fallen.' That movie was f**king awesome, great ending."
- TheRealOcsiban
"Did I ever tell you about the time I almost died?"
- crazym108
"Now remember, I told you I was going to tell you the story of the time I ALMOST died."
- whyisreplicainmyname
"Tiii-i-i-ime... is on my side. Yes, it is..."
- AKeeneyedguy
Cabin in the Woods
"'Cabin in the Woods.'"
"Well, the bad guys actually lose, but the world ends as a result."
- Jonny-Max
"It's one of my favorite twists on a horror movie ever."
- careater
"Are they really the bad guys though? Sure, they act like a**holes about killing people, but it’s kind of important that they do it."
- Freedom_7
"The gods they are trying to appease, it’s movie audiences like you and me. We are the actual bad guys."
"If what we expect to see doesn’t happen, like a virgin sacrificial ritual, we will destroy the movie at the box office. That’s the big hand you see at the end."
- Initial_E
"So ... our nostalgia and need for cliches is the bad guy? We're the reason Hollywood only does remakes now?"
"F**k... that's darker than I realized."
- konsf_ksd
Arlington Road
"'Arlington Road.'"
- Dapper_Interest_8914
"This should be top."
"'Infinity War' and 'Empire Strikes Back' are not the ending of the story, and as we know, the bad guy eventually loses."
"This is one of the only movies where the bad guy wins, and that's it, the end. He doesn't die and win like in 'Se7en.' There's no sequel to make right the wrong. The baddies just f**king trick the protagonist big time and win."
"Leaves you feeling almost angry, stunned even."
- 8blackJack8black
Everyone can appreciate a happy ending, but these movies go to show that a movie can still be great without the good guy coming out on top.
In fact, it might even make these movies all the move impactful and memorable.
In the golden age of entertainment, there are hundreds and thousands of amazing movies to choose from, with more coming out all the time.
But there always seem to be some that become popular with the masses for no particular reason...
Redditor shirorentz23 asked:
"What's the worst movie that everyone seems to love?"
'Fast and Furious'
"The 'Fast and Furious' movies."
- TruthYeller54
"I remember one time someone told me they went to space in one of the movies as a funny joke, but then I learned it wasn't a joke."
- zzzzz94
The Greatest Showman
"I will admit 'The Greatest Showman' soundtrack slaps, but I thought it was a mediocre movie. And that's being pretty generous."
- shirorentz23
"Agreed. Why bother making a movie 'based on' the life of someone pretty horrid in real life only to then completely rewrite his story?"
"It should have been an original story about Zac Efron and Zendaya’s characters, with some nods to PT Barnum for historical context and Easter eggs."
"Plus the 'main' song isn’t even the best one."
- Jonbob24
"Someone described it as a movie that PT Barnum would have written about himself, and that made it more palatable for me. It's kind of like how '300' is being told by a Spartian who exaggerates."
- The_Perfect_Fart
'Sharknado'
"'Sharknado.'"
"But we love it BECAUSE it’s a bad movie."
- Mini_Maniac10
DC Films in General
"DC movies, they just seem so bland. I just can't follow it at all."
- Efficient_Stress2181
"With a few exceptions (most of which are Batman movies), DC has this ongoing issue where most of their live-action adaptions are s**t and you're better off with the animated movies."
- CyptidProductions
"I'll never understand the diehard DC / Snyder zealots."
"I love DC comics and DC characters. I even like some Snyder movies ('Dawn of the Dead,' '300,' and I'll even defend 'Watchmen')."
"But his DC movies are so, so bad. How people violently defend them makes me feel like I'm from an alternate universe."
- BeeCJohnson
Poor Dwayne
"Anything starring the Rock."
- Life_Entrepreneur_18
"I swear, I think the only two movies I actually enjoyed him in was 'The Rundown' and 'Walking Tall.'"
- duhcisive
'The Notebook'
"'The Notebook.'"
- StephanieSin
"It does a terrible job at portraying romance or relationships. Bad decisions were made and it wasn't even an emotional movie. The actors were great, though."
- trippy_goth_biscuit
'The Blind Side'
"'The Blind Side.' It’s just a lifetime movie with a budget."
- Seer78877
"Not to mention the guy it’s about hated the movie."
- traws06
Marvel Movies, Too
"I just don’t get what’s so great about the Marvel movies. Every one I’ve seen was a formulaic CGI s**tfest with a bland and predictable plot and boring jokes."
- gyokuro8882
No Will, Either
"Most Will Ferrel movies. I don't hate Will Ferrel, I just don't find the humor in most of his films that funny."
- the_human_dirigible
"90% of the time he plays a manchild."
"The other 10% are 'The Other Guys,' 'Megamind,' and 'The Lego Movie.'"
- eddmario
'Avatar'
"'Avatar.'"
- BatonVerte
"Seriously, I’m on this train with you. I never understood the hype. I didn’t watch it when it came out only to watch it years later and have none of it be memorable at all."
- Germangunman
"The first 'Avatar' movie is truly uninspiring and formulaic to the point that before watching it in anticipation of the second, I could not come up with a single quote from the movie despite having seen it obsessively when it first came out."
- dentastic
'Pretty Woman'
"'Pretty Woman'... A young sex worker falling in love with an old man's (money), and the film portrays it as a romantic love affair..."
- roseotte
'Transformers'
"The 'Transformers' movies are hot-a** garbage."
- shyjuan
"The first one was great because the technology was very new, and it took itself seriously."
"It then went off a cliff very quickly."
- Garfie489
'Twilight'
"'Twilight.'"
- Ali8ly
"Even fans of 'Twilight' know it’s bad. I think it’s sort of a guilty pleasure even for fans of the books."
- hampig
"It’s very much like a soap opera. You don’t want to watch one, you never intend to, but if the TV is left on the channel and you catch TWO SECONDS of an episode, suddenly it’s two hours later and you’re wondering if that person’s twin will wake up from a coma."
- LadyBirdGerhl
'Unbreakable'
"'Unbreakable.'"
"When Samuel L. Jackson says, 'They called me… Mister Glaaaaassssss,' I laughed so godd**n hard. It was ridiculous."
- KieshaK
'The Polar Express'
"'The Polar Express'!"
- dontmindmeimjust1cat
"God, I can't stand that movie. It's boring and the animation is creepy."
- just-doing-a-job
Though there's a lot to choose from in the entertainment world, it's obvious that there are bound to be some films that simply go wrong.
But this is also a reminder that everyone likes different things, and what might be popular for one will be a flop for the next.
People Explain Which Actors Nailed Their Roles So Hard No One Will Ever Live Up To Their Performance
Anyone who loves watching movies or television shows undoubtedly has a favorite actor and film.
Most will also be able to answer a very important question: which performance was so good that it's truly irreplaceable?
A Redditor, who has since deleted their account, asked:
"Which actor or actress nailed their role so well that no one else will be able to live up to their performance?"
That's 'Captain'... Jack Sparrow.
"Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow."
- Civil-Ad-6365
"Especially since, if I remember correctly, Depp himself just up and decided to make Jack Sparrow so... Jack Sparrow. None of that flair was written into the character. Or so I've heard..."
- Equality-Slifer
"This is true, and in fact, the director had to defend him from Disney's attempts at studio interference and firing."
- Iwasthewalrus
1 Actress, 17 Roles
"Tatiana Maslany in 'Orphan Black.'"
"She played 17 different characters and nailed them all."
- cashew996
The Legends of 'Harry Potter'
"Alan Rickman as Severus Snape and Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid. No one will ever bring those characters to life as they could."
"RIP, Alan and Robbie."
- poposhaker
The Addams Family
"Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams (1991)… I’ve loved Jenna Ortega since 'You,' but nothing can beat the sheer feral nature of Ricci!!"
- jeanie-us
"Angelica Huston as Morticia Addams."
"I mean, CZJ did fine, but it’s just no comparison."
- Beholder_V
"The entire cast of 'Addams Family' is just absolutely pitch perfect:"
"Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester."
"Anjelica Huston as Morticia."
"Raul Julia as Gomez."
"Carel Struycken as Lurch."
- munificent
"Every Gomez ever will always be put against Raul's. It's nearly impossible to outperform."
- MNcuriosity
The Antics
"Literally no one else in the world could play Mr. Bean except Rowan Atkinson."
- TheZestyJester09
Love You 3000
"Robert Downey Jr. as 'Iron Man.'"
- benwkakkn
"When your life pretty much, in its own way, parallels the character you’re playing, with the fall from grace, reinvention/rebirth, and then the second act… yeah, I don’t think anyone can ever take the place of RDJ as Stark."
"Also, I had to scroll down waaay too far to find his name."
- rubicon_duck
"Kevin!"
"Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose."
- leebeemi
"Catherine O'Hara in everything, frankly. She's the best."
- BranWafr
The Epitome of the Super Fan
"Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in 'Misery.'"
- karma_dumpster
"I don't think I've ever not felt a minor shudder whenever that role comes up. That's how good/perfect she was."
- tacknosaddle
The Undeniable Villain
"Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall and Imelda Staunton as Umbridge."
- highlandcow75
"Anyone else having problems watching 'The Crown' since Imelda Staunton took over? I keep expecting her to torture Princess Diana into saying, 'I must not tell lies...'"
- Evil_Athena
Tim Curry for Everyone!
"Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter."
- Active_Policy_957
"Tim Curry as Primeminister Chardenko in Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3."
"You can see him trying to not laugh when he delivers his most memorable line from that game too."
"'I'm going to the one place not touched by Capitalism... SPACE!'"
- RolyPoly1320
"Tim Curry in ANY of his roles if we're being honest."
"Even when I was young, I recognized how stand-out he was as Long John Silver in 'Muppet Treasure Island'!"
- astermorii
"An entire Tim Curry thread and no mention of the 90s “It”? He was downright unsettling as Pennywise and was absolutely the best part of that movie."
- chrobbin
"Nigel Thorneberry."
- Tiny_Parfait
"Had to scroll wayyyyy too far to see Nigel Thornberry on here, my god."
"Tim Curry is iconic."
- SnoozleEnthusiast10
Robin Williams in Anything, Everything
"Robin Williams as the genie in 'Aladdin.'"
- Badit_911
"Robin Williams in just about every role he ever played."
- idrinkandsleepate
"Still miss the joy he brings to every movie."
- arootdesign
"Make It So."
"Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard."
- Striving_Stoic
"Or Charles Xavier, for that matter."
- Brvcx
So Justified
"Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley."
- SuvenPan
"Smart cat lady no one listens to. Everyone dies because no one listens to the smart lady. She survives with her cat."
- darthlorgas
"I love her so much in 'Aliens.' She’s so mad and she’s godd**n right to be!"
- Iirima
Breaking... Compliments?
"Bryan Cranston as Walter White."
- DDKLondon
"After 'Breaking Bad' ended, Anthony Hopkins sent a message to Bryan Cranston, telling him that his portrayal as Walter White was some of the finest acting he had ever seen in his life."
"Coming from Anthony Hopkins, that is one h**luva compliment."
- 2donuts4elephants
An Unforgettable 'Cast Away' Performance
"The Wilson volleyball as Wilson."
- 9penguin9
While there are surely countless performances anyone could name as good, there are only some out there that could be deemed as irreplaceable.
How fortunate we are to live in an era when so many of those performances are available to watch at the same time.
Due to the nature of the discussion, this article contains movie spoilers.
There's nothing quite like sitting down to watch an incredibly good movie with equally great company and food.
But the movie can become a particularly special experience if it's surprising in some way, like having a unique plot twist.
Redditor Gooderzk asked:
"Which movie has the best plot twist?"
The Prestige
"'The Prestige.' It seems so obvious when I rewatch it, but when I first saw it I was blown away. The ending was a big shock to me, as well."
- kee80
"I love how the movie tells you exactly what will happen in the opening scene, and you spend the whole movie letting yourself get fooled exactly like it said, but then the prestige happens."
- OldManHipsAt30
Inside Man
"'Inside Man' is a good movie like 'The Prestige.' It tells you what is going to happen at the start and there’s so much sh*t going on for the rest of the movie you absolutely forget they ever did that until you get to the end."
- ImmoralModerator
Frailty
"I would never call it my favorite, but I always thought its twist elevated a would-be schlock story into something memorable."
- ArthurBonesly
Primal Fear
"When I read the question, 'Primal Fear' is the first thing that popped into my head. Great movie with a great twist at the end."
- archie905
Saw
"Yeah, it's gross, but 'Saw' had a great plot twist."
- MlecznyHuxel99
"Not only is it a great twist, it’s not at the end, either. There’s one movie, the twist, and then allll the fallout afterward. It doesn’t just twist and fade to black."
- Randvek
"That plot twist redeemed it for me. I just wasn't enjoying it, and then bam, 'What the h**l did I just watch!?!'"
- jackfaire
Arrival
"'Arrival' has an incredible twist and is probably my favorite movie of the last 20 years."
"The twist holds up incredibly well on repeat viewings. That's the sign of a good twist in my opinion. The bad ones (including some mentioned here IMO) tend to invalidate a lot of the movie. Great twists add layers of depth to previous events."
- doktarr
Cabin in the Woods
"Well, the entire movie is one big twist; 'Cabin in the Woods.'"
"Not spoiling it. It must be watched blind, but, totally worth the watch."
- valeran46
Oldboy
"Hard to find the Korean version, but in my opinion, 'Oldboy' is a must-watch if you can find it. It’s English subtitled but nothing could prepare me, lol (laughing out loud). Don’t watch the remake, only the original version."
- Striball
The Sixth Sense
"'The Sixth Sense' was such a big deal that the director is still able to make big budget flops over and over again anytime he wants to."
- PMYourTiny
Gone Girl
"Am I the only person that wanted to jump into the screen and strangle that woman???"
- themissrebecca103
"Just from watching that movie I've had this hatred for the actor that played the chick, she did such an insane job of depicting her character that now I just cringe at her face in other movies."
- Crazy-visit-5078
Se7en
"'Se7en.' I was not expecting that ending and will never watch that movie again."
- FreshStarLiving
Parasite
"I went from, 'Hey, this is a really fun and entertaining movie, but why is it up for an Oscar,' to 'Holy f**king mother of God' in about five seconds flat, lol (laughing out loud)."
- MissPinkieB
Shutter Island
"'Shutter Island' is an obvious pick."
"Probably the greatest plot twist I've ever seen, at least on par with 'The Sixth Sense,' in my opinion."
"And it gets even crazier when you realize that Andrew Laeddis was faking his delirium at the end because he wanted to be lobotomized. He had fully 'come back' to his normal cognitive capacities but simply couldn't live with the guilt over what he had done."
- washington_breadstix
Crazy, Stupid Love
"I was taken by surprise during the twist in that movie."
- 0rangePolarBear
Book of Eli
"I wasn't expecting the twist. But if you rewatch the movie, you actually see it's shown since the beginning. D**n, Denzel Washington can act."
- Khaos_Gorvin
For those who love a movie with a solid twist, this list is a great place to start. In the meantime, for those of us who have seen these films, it might be time for a rewatch.
The Most Unrealistic Things That Happen In Movies According To Cinephiles
In real life, it’s basically impossible to get shot at 50 times and not get hit at least once. However, in movies, it happens all the time.
In real life, powerful criminals who are posing as good guys and have things to hide don’t use their pet’s name as their computer password. Again, in movies, it happens all the time.
Movies are great. They are a wonderful source of entertainment and a great way to bring talented people into the limelight. Watching a movie is a perfect activity for a date, a sleepover, or even a rainy day. However, movies are highly unrealistic.
I’m not just talking about fantasy movies, either. For example, Superman is invulnerable, so he gets a pass when he gets thrown into a building and gets right back up again. But how is it possible that the average Joe gets shot in the leg and just keeps moving? It’s not just unbelievable, but irritating too!
Redditors agree with this sentiment, as they were all too happy to share what they think are the most unrealistic -- and therefore annoying -- things that happen in movies.
The ball got rolling when a Redditor asked:
“What Unrealistic Things In Movies Annoys The Hell Out Of You?”
Bulletproof
"Car door? Bulletproof. Dude's sword? Bulletproof. Every part of the body that isn't skin and muscle? You guessed it."
– obscureferences
No Need To Be A Hacktivist
""We gotta crack this password.""
""Nope.""
""Nope.""
""I'm in!""
– xilog
"This is the worst. And they always guess it after seeing a picture of a pet or something near the desk."
– PilkyOhOne
"Did you try "guest"?"
– joeysober
"password"
"password1"
"Password1"
– Tudpool
I'm Okay!
"When the main character of an action movie can just crash a motorcycle or a car and be more or less fine to keep going."
"I’ve been in a moderate car crash and I’ve crashed off a longboard at around 45mph. The longboard crash nearly killed me and the car crash had me confused and hurting real bad."
"I know that not every crash or accident is the same and everyone gets hurt differently to an extent and adrenaline is one hell of a drug but damn, action movie protagonists are indestructible and sometimes it’s just really dumb to me"
– like5or6
Respect The Map
"Map stabbers. You know how in a fantasy or historical movie all the generals and lieutenants are in a tent hunched over a table looking at a map and making plans? Then some character makes a dramatic speech and punctuates it by stabbing his knife into the map. Like dude, that's a hand drawn map. Paper is rare in this world and that thing is expensive. Some monk who took a vow of celibacy spent months making that and you go and stab it just to make a dramatic point? D*ck move."
– alanmooresbarber
"I'd hesitate to use pins on a real map because of the damage, let alone a weapon designed to make a big hole."
– obscureferences
One Extreme Or The Other
"Action movies: car gets shot 100 time and still runs Horror movie: runs over a pebble and breaks down"
"No in-between"
– crockredit
An Accident Waiting To Happen
"In a car when the driver is looking at the passenger for way too long and there’s no consequence for not looking at the road."
– 5hrs4hrs3hrs2hrs1mor
"I always sit there screaming, "KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD!!! LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING!""
– cheesy-hot-rice
A Long Stretch Of Silence
"People holding their conversation until the next scene. As if they just stay silent all the way up to wherever they are going to be next"
– TassDingo
""There's only one person who can help us...""
"*Flies from LA to Paris *"
""...Pierre Delacourt, master thief.""
""Holy fu**k dude, I've been waiting for 24 hours for this. Your silence made the flight really awkward.""
– _Steven_Seagal_
Unrealistic Engines
"Do horror movies still use the trope of the killer chasing the victim and the victim rushing into their car, only having to crank the engine 10 times before it starts? It is the 21st century, the car looks relatively new and in otherwise good shape."
– Rainbear508
"Its even that they have time to crank the car 10 times when the killer is maybe 2 meters behind them. Slowmo only exists for the killer"
– CinematicGalaxy
The Jargon
"Every person working in a remotely technical job (IT, scientists, etc) speaks in ridiculous long-winded techno-babble instead of plain English."
– MisterMarcus
"Also every person working in science knows literally everything about every field of science - from anthropology to quantum physics."
– Berserker-Hamster
Bit Of A Time Waster
"There's always time for kisses and farewell speeches."
– wai2kit
That last one is especially annoying if one of them dies. If they hadn’t taken the time to do the farewell speech and kiss each other, they might’ve had the time to, I don’t know, ensure both their survival?
But I digress. Maybe it’s better to just enjoy the fantastical.