Movies considered the greatest of all time, including Scarface and Fight Club, have iconic characters like Tony Montana and Tyler Durden who are wildly complex. Fans of the movies can easily fall into the trap of idolizing and glorifying these characters and their way of life due to how the movie portrays it.
Unfortunately, many are not all that they're chalked up to be, and those who are extravagantly wealthy or particularly powerful are used rather as a cautionary tale of what not to be. Users on Reddit analyze these characters and discuss how society has warped their narrative away from what they were meant to be.
Bonnie And Clyde (Bonnie And Clyde)
Bonnie and Clyde were criminals glorified by the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. They were depicted as this cool "ride or die" couple that did everything together and lived a life of crime. But, in reality, Bonnie and Clyde were murderers who shot real people in cold blood.
Redditor MGD109 says, "I blame that film from the sixties...In real life they were nightmarish". Many other users agree, describing how Bonnie and Clyde were seen as heroes but were truly horrible people. Bonnie and Clyde's relationship is not one to be romanticized in any way. Reddit user sosaidtheliar words it perfectly: "Cool if you wanna have an adventure with your ride or die, just don't kill 13 people while doing it".
Tom (500 Days Of Summer)
500 Days of Summer is an unconventional rom-com with important lessons about love. It showcases a whirlwind romance from the perspective of Tom, who thinks he has found his soulmate Summer. But as viewers watch the movie, they witness how this narrative becomes twisted and perhaps Summer is not the villain she is made out to be.
Fan tobybells says that after a rewatch, they "can clearly see the actual dynamic where Summer was pretty openly noncommittal all along, and Tom just kept projecting his own hopes into their casual relationship". Many others agree, describing how Tom built up this version of Summer in his head and when she couldn't deliver, he made himself the victim.
Amy Dunne (Gone Girl)
In Gone Girl, Amy Dunne discovers her husband is cheating on her and creates this elaborate scheme to get revenge. She's an interesting character in the way that she is highly flawed, yet watchers of the film still end up rooting for her in the end.
Many identify with Amy's anger and due to this, she has become the "embodiment of female rage", as Redditor shootingstars23678 puts it. They continue to explain that "even though she's right in certain regards she [is] morally disgusting and none of her actions have any justification". Amy does have the right to be angry and express her emotions, but it can be easy to forget that she's an imperfect character who manipulated and killed people.
P.T. Barnum (The Greatest Showman)
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The Greatest Showman is a musical that shows the life of P.T. Barnum and the circus he created. In the movie, Hugh Jackman beautifully portrays Barnum's ambition and drive, so much so that viewers end up rooting for him. But, the P.T. Barnum in real life was not the all-around great guy depicted in the movies and rather had a much more complex and morally ambiguous character.
Redditor ShepherdessAnne describes how the movie "portrays him as being so good at what he does [that] people...forget that what he's doing...was still as a whole not entirely great". Many Reddit users say that they love the musical, but the actual history of P.T. Barnum is very different.
Vito Corleone (The Godfather)
The Godfather is an iconic trilogy depicting the world of crime and the mafia. With one of the greatest movie quotes of all time "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse", audiences can't help but be entranced by this influential family. It's easy to forget that this story is about the dangers of power and how it can corrupt even men with the best motives.
Redditor fangirlandproudofit words it perfectly, saying "[Vito] became a powerful mafia Don and it destroyed his family. He's not a hero. He's tragic, but absolutely is not a hero". Despite Vito joining the life of crime in order to protect his family, it's indisputable that he has done some horrible things and is not someone to admire.
Tony Montana (Scarface)
Scarface is a cult classic crime drama on Tony Montana and his path to becoming a wealthy and vicious drug lord. Many viewers root for Tony as they follow along his rag-to-riches story. Although his life eventually becomes cool and glamorous, it takes a sharp turn that leaves Tony and everyone he loves dead.
UnderAboveAverage says "I think most kids who idolize Tony Montana are naive enough to believe that there's a romantic life to be had in living tragically fast, risking everything you have to get everything you want". Although Tony's story has been glorified throughout time, it's important to keep in mind that it's a cautionary tale and his life is not one people should wish to live.
Tyler Durden (Fight Club)
Fight Club is an iconic film that has a ton of deep, insightful, and almost terrifying ideas. The main character Tyler Durden has many sides to him, represented separately by Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Brad Pitt's version of Tyler in the movie, as many Redditors describe, is presented as a cool and handsome "alpha male" to who everyone listens to.
User AlsoIHaveAGroupon talks about how "there are legions of Tyler Durden fans who miss the point. Who see him as a hero...and are seduced by the idea of violence as an outlet for emotion". It's easy for audiences to get reeled in by Tyler's magnetic and radical character, but all in all, he is essentially a cult leader.
Erik Killmonger (Black Panther)
Killmonger is the main antagonist in Black Panther, though his character is quite complex. There is much debate between Marvel fans on whether he can be considered a true villain, since his ideas mean well, but he takes everything too far. Watchers understand his feelings and motivations, though that should not make them overlook the fact that he remains a bad guy.
As Redditor viv-heart says, "[Killmonger's] way is not a good way of solving the situation. Crazy radicals can sometimes have a point even when their methods are wrong on so many levels". This user brings up an important point on how he had good reasons for what he did, but in the end, Killmonger's still a MCU villain who should be stopped.
Regina George (Mean Girls)
Regina George from Mean Girls can be considered the blueprint for all the mean, popular girl characters in teen films. She is beautiful, conniving, and iconic with a litany of quotable lines.
Although she is widely recognized for her cruelty, it can be easy to forget that she is not a character people should want to be. Even Redditor whoimii says, "While I find her character funny, I admit that she would be [horrible] to be around in real life...she is a confused kid with a lot of anger, confusion and enabling parents who don't guide her". Regina is a greatly flawed character who, despite being a pop culture icon for many early 2000s teens, should not be viewed as a role model.
Jordan Belfort (The Wolf Of Wall Street)
The Wolf of Wall Street follows Jordan Belfort's rise in his Wall Street brokerage firm and his encounters with drugs, sex, and more. It has gained an almost cult following as many viewers are enraptured by its wild tales.
This movie, which is meant to be a cautionary tale, is easily glorified for its depictions of extravagant wealth and power. As Redditor Imaginary-Quiet-7465 says, the movie is "capitalism at [its] very worst" and "the people portrayed in the film are meant to be unlikable". Belfort is a very morally gray character who makes money by taking advantage of those who don't know better, and people who continue to look up to him just show they did not fully understand the meaning of the film.