Cinema's best psychopaths

[Blinder Data]

Tommy, Goodfellas



The daddy. The first time I watched Goodfellas, my stomach was in knots every moment he was on screen. People remember the 'funny how?' scene fondly because it's funny. But the moments that stayed with me are his violent overreactions, like the brutal way he kills poor Spider for daring to give as good as he got. And the way he interacts with his ma, spinning a yarn about knifing the deer, as if butter wouldn't melt. Terrifying.

Bats, Baby Driver



A recent but respectable entry into the canon of on-screen nutcases. I like the way they didn't actually show his penchant for violent much, preferring to leave it off screen or for Bats to suggest it himself in his own uniquely intense way.  Foxx is so charismatic that the film drags when he's not on screen. You get the impression he's only seconds away from raging, shooting or guffawing at something.

Bobby Peru, Wild at Heart



It's the teeth. And the moustache. But mostly the teeth that make it. In Lynch films you feel anything could happen next, and then Bobby pops up. His back story's a mystery and he's only in a few scenes, but he lives long in the memory. A very sleazy rapey funny murderous bastard. A wonderful exit too.

Now you go

[Blumf]

Frank Booth, Blue Velvet



Bobby Peru is a cunt, but Frank, fucking hell!

[Glebe]

Don Logan, Sexy Beast



"Do the facking job, Gal!"

[Blinder Data]

To my shame, I haven't seen Blue Velvet. From the little I've gleaned about it though, Frank easily beats Bobby in the psycho stakes.

[Bazooka]

Kakihara- Ichi The Killer

[Jerzy Bondov]

Rev. Harry Powell from Night of the Hunter. Not a very good representative of the church.

[Blumf]

To my shame, I haven't seen Blue Velvet.

Do, and come back and tell us.

Also, whilst we're talking about Wild at Heart

Juana Durango (and friends)

[Dr Rock]

Lou Bloom

[jobotic]

Not a great film, and the character is undercooked compared to the novels, but James Cromwell's Dudley Smith is perfect. Just as I imagined him when I read the novels that feature the character, before seeing the film. Lad. 

[Glebe]

Joker, Batman ('89), The Dark Knight

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

David Lynch's psychopathic characters win hands down. He has an unerring knack for creating truly frightening, violent maniacs.

[Hangthebuggers]

Anton Chigurh
'Call it...'

[Custard]

Not film, but Ralphie in The Sopranos

"What can I say? She's a clutz"

[mothman]

Another vote for Chigurh. Utterly terrifying.

[303]

Begbie

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

Joker, Batman ('89), The Dark Knight

Ultron: Age of Ultron



This is one mean dude armed to the teeth - this is the greatest threat team Avengers have ever had to face.

[Gulftastic]

Are you gonna bark all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?

[Dr Rock]

Arguably Mr Blonde might not be a textbook psychopath. He just might be a sadistic bastard.

[Dr Rock]

Lou Bloom however, from Nightcrawler, is not a scary murderer or someone takes great pleasure in violence like many movie psychos, but I think he is one of cinema's best depictions of a genuine sociopath/psychopath (there is some debate over whether they are the same thing as I understand).

[marquis_de_sad]

This guy:

[Hangthebuggers]

Lou Bloom however, from Nightcrawler, is not a scary murderer or someone takes great pleasure in violence like many movie psychos, but I think he is one of cinema's best depictions of a genuine sociopath/psychopath (there is some debate over whether they are the same thing as I understand).

God yeah, I watched this film last week -Was quite impressed with his performance. Very chilling.

[Sin Agog]

Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (so good I genuinely think he ruined hitchhiking for everyone)

[Serge]

[Dr Rock]

You know that will get an imaginary five karma points from me.

[mobias]

The best psychopath ever portrayed in the history of cinema is of course this man.

[Bazooka]

Rutger Hauer in The Hitcher (so good I genuinely think he ruined hitchhiking for everyone)

Supposedly, he improvised the knife to the inner thigh bit at the start, almost as if he knew this thread would occur.

[Dr Rock]

Again, not sure Begbie would score highly on the Hare test for psychopathy. He doesn't seem to have glib charm or a grandiose sense of self-worth... is he a pathological liar, or overly manipulative? I think he just might be a violent bastard, with obvious anti-social tendencies.... but not a psychopath.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/hare-psychopathy-checklist-test-will-tell-if-someone-sociopath-a7439616.html

[buzby]

Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox edition)

[Hangthebuggers]

'I realize that you are not a person in the strictest sense of the word'

[BlodwynPig]