Generally, a movie protagonist is the main character and a hero, but those guidelines aren't exactly set in stone. There are so many films where the protagonists aren't remotely heroic and are sometimes exactly the opposite. This has been common ever since the popularity of noir movies in the 1940s.

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As movies have become broader ever since then, as there are biopics about real-life people and misadventures about fun but evil corrupt cops, the catalog of unlikeable protagonists has only ballooned annually. Between a real-life billionaire, a slimy gambling addict, and a Big Tobacco lobbyist, Reddit thinks these are the most unlikeable protagonists. But one thing's for certain, they're still endlessly entertaining to watch.

Mark Zuckerberg - The Social Network (2010)

Mark Zuckerberg in a deposition in The Social Network

Gogosfx can't stand Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) in The Social Network. They recall, "when the movie first came out, I remember reading headlines and people's opinions that the portrayal of Zuckerberg was unjustified, but given his recent behavior, I'd say it was spot on" Regardless of how accurate the depiction of Mark Zuckerberg is in the film, there's no doubt that he is a despicable movie character.

Between everything that has been revealed over the 12 years since the first movie, such as the Mueller Reports and the constant privacy issues that users face, fans want The Social Network 2. Unfortunately, even though writer Aaron Sorkin and Eisenberg have shown interest in the project, it's looking more unlikely with each passing year.

Lou Bloom - Nightcrawler (2014)

Lou sneaks around a crime scene in Nightcrawler

NoHandBananaNo points to Lou Bloom as being impossible to like. The Nightcrawler protagonist is a complete sociopath, and the Redditor posits that "We know what he's doing and we know why, but there's a core to him that is just so completely unrelatable."

Lou is a character that's impossible to root for, and everything he does with each consecutive scene makes audiences hate him more. The career-focused lunatic goes from stealing lead piping to breaking into houses to finally having his apprentice murdered, and he does so simply because it'll make a decent news story.

Bruce Robertson - Filth (2013)

Bruce screams into the camera in Filth

Aerowolf1994 has nothing positive to say about Bruce Robertson (James McAvoy), the protagonist of 2013's Filth. The Redditor succinctly sums up the movie's premise by saying that "James McAvoy's character is a horrible, racist, sexist, homophobic, egotistical, drug-addicted detective who will do anything to get a promotion in the Scottish police force."

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The 2013 movie is one of the most disgusting and hard-to-watch movies of the 2010s. It's completely nihilistic, draining, and it all stems from the soulless main character. The movie is based on the novel of the same name written by Irvine Welsh, the same writer behind Trainspotting, so it's no surprise that the movie is so dark.

Howard Ratner - Uncut Gems (2019)

Adam sandler holding up a ferbie necklace in Uncut Gems

In the Safdie Brothers-directed Uncut Gems, Howard makes audiences scream at the screen more than almost any other movie character, as every single choice he makes is so monumentally stupid. But he isn't completely impossible to sympathize with, as viewers will feel sorry for him when he gets what's inevitably coming to him in the very final shot.

However, Nhexum can't relate to the character at all, arguing that "Howard is a fiend of an addict, and you can debate about whether addicts are actually making these choices, but he's a complete dirtbag throughout the entire film." Howard doesn't totally deserve what's happening to him, but it's his downward spiral and the way it's portrayed so stressfully that Uncut Gems will be considered a classic in 20 years' time.

Connie Nikas - Good Time (2017)

Connie walks down a hallway in Good Time

Good Time is another movie directed by the Safdie brothers, and they're seemingly the masters of creating stress-inducing, frenetically-paced films that are led by impossibly unlikable characters. In Good Time, Connie is attempting to evade the police after a botched bank robbery while trying to look after his disabled brother at the same time.

Thorbranchthegoblin thinks that "Connie was an awful person but he did at least love his brother." However, an argument could be made that he was using his brother for his own malicious intent, making him another sociopath no better than Lou Bloom.

Nick Naylor - Thank You For Smoking (2005)

Aaron Eckhart addresses reporters in Thank You For Smoking

Thank You For Smoking is about a Big Tobacco lobbyist, Nick Naylor, who is introduced by campaigning on TV and even convincing a cancer patient to smoke. Knuc85 pins down the character perfectly, calling him "charismatic and cool, but a terrible person."

However, the Redditor might be being a little hard on the character. All throughout the movie, Nick is shown to be a very caring parent, and the film is all about the duality of him trying to be a good father while holding down this despicable career. And at the end of the movie, he quits his job and becomes a better parent.

Alex DeLarge - A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Alex stares into the camera in A Clockwork Orange

It's not possible for anybody to remotely sympathize with Alex, who is inherently evil in every way. A Clockwork Orange depicts Alex as a violent rapist and murderer, and PenneGesserit points out the weird way in which the character is "awful but entertaining."

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The funny way in which Alex speaks in Nadsat and his peculiar dress sense makes him a fascinating character to watch, but that doesn't make him any more likable. However, the movie interestingly forces audiences to wonder if what the government is doing to Alex with its aversion therapy is right, totally flipping viewers' perceptions mid-way through.

Daniel Hillard - Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Mrs- Doubtfire arrives at the Hillard's

Without thinking about it, Mrs. Doubtfire is a charming and sweet movie about a parent who wants to spend more time with his children. It's so endearing and beloved that it became one of the highest-grossing comedies of all time, but GregMadduxsGlasses will change the way people see the 1993 classic forever.

The Redditor posits that Daniel Hillard is "a sociopath and Pierce Brosnan's character was a sweetheart who was treated like an evil villain." In fairness, Stu (Brosnan) did absolutely nothing wrong, and Daniel berated him at every chance he got. Not to mention that Daniel essentially trespassed into his ex-wife's home dressed up as a woman.

Max - Home Sweet Home Alone (2021)

max wields a super soaker in home sweet home alone

Home Sweet Home Alone was lambasted by critics when it was released, but it does do something interesting with the franchise - it makes the child the bad guy. That's one of the ways the 2021 movie isn't as bad as people think, and Pichusine calls Max "a spoiled brat who genuinely will kill someone in a couple of years and get bailed out with mommy's money."

The Redditor clearly hates Max with a passion, but it's no different from how Kevin McAllister acted in the original Home Alone. However, Max is actively vindictive, way more spoiled, and he's a thief too, not to mention completely sociopathic.

Elizabeth Halsey - Bad Teacher (2011)

Elizabeth stands in front of a chalk board in Bad Teacher

Cincodecuatro4 makes one of the most fascinating observations regarding unlikable protagonists. The Redditor explains that Bad Teacher is "the story of a horrible, disgusting, lazy, talentless person who becomes a teacher, who frames another teacher and blackmails the principal."

Interestingly, Elizabeth Halsey in Bad Teacher might be the best example of the most unlikable protagonists. All of the above examples of unlikeable protagonists are meant to be unlikeable and it's the filmmakers' intention to make audiences hate their main characters. However, Elizabeth is supposed to be a lovable character and her actions are played off as cool and funny.

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