There’s no shortage of memorable villains in the history of film — but the ones who really stick with us are those capable of sending shivers down our spines. While any garden variety baddie can go on a homicidal spree or blow an entire city sky-high, it takes a truly special menace to instill genuine fear in the hearts of moviegoers.
Intriguingly, it’s rare that anything overt makes these big screen antagonists so terrifying, but rather one or more small tics that exude sinister vibes. From eerily unwavering gazes to strange modes of speech, we’ve rounded up the creepiest quirks displayed by some of cinema’s most iconic villains.
Hannibal Lecter – (Almost) Never Blinking
Anthony Hopkins is only on screen for just over 16 minutes in The Silence of the Lambs, yet the acclaimed thespian’s turn as Hannibal Lecter dominates the film and nabbed him an Oscar. At once charismatic and chilling, Hopkins' performance as cultured cannibal Lecter radiates such malevolent energy, it borders on the supernatural.
That’s probably why a legend has sprung up since Lambs was released in 1991 that Lecter never blinks — a myth Brian Cronin recently dispelled over on CBR. That said, through a combination of Hopkins’ talents and clever cutting by director Jonathan Demme and editor Craig McKay, Lecter does blink considerably less than a normal human being, lending the character an unmistakably ominous air.
The Joker – Lip-licking
There’s a lot about Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight that’s undeniably disturbing, from his cracked clown make-up to his horrific facial scars and malevolent drawl. But even a villain as flamboyant as the Clown Prince of Crime has his less pronounced character traits, which nevertheless add to his overall level of creepiness.
Take Joker’s habit of wetting his lips. Although it’s not a major mannerism, it adds an extra unsavory layer to Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance, reinforcing the Joker’s unpleasant presence. What’s more, this perpetual lip-licking draws attention to Joker’s disfigured cheeks, which is enough to induce queasiness in sensitive viewers.
Sauron – Distorted Speech
Although Sauron’s voice is heard briefly throughout Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Dark Lord’s biggest speaking role comes in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies. A largely shadowy figure (literally) in both outings, Sauron still manages to make our skin crawl, thanks in large part to star Benedict Cumberbatch’s demonic vocals.
Indeed, perceptive viewers will immediately clock that something about Sauron’s voice doesn’t sound quite right — and there’s a reason for that. As revealed in a behind-the-scenes featurette included in Desolation of Smaug’s home media release, Cumberbatch recorded his lines backwards — not exactly a picnic, given they were all in Black Speech. The dialogue was then reversed before being added to the finished audio track, resulting in a peculiar intonation that gives off a sinister undertones.
Freddy Krueger – Sweater Selection
After a quick look at the title of this entry, you’d be forgiven for thinking we’ve slipped in a gag listing. But we’re being totally serious: Freddy Krueger’s penchant for red and green sweaters is scientifically guaranteed to creep audiences out — which explains why the Nightmare on Elm Street meanie typically manifests wearing them.
See, the exact shades of red and green woven into Freddy’s iconic knitwear present a challenge for the human eye to “read” properly when they’re placed side-by-side. The offshoot of this is that our brains unconsciously register that something is wrong with what we’re seeing, which translates into a sense of unease, which in turn feeds the overall feeling of dread Krueger inspires.
Darth Maul – Never Blinking (For Real)
Hannibal Lecter may occupy the number one spot on the AFI’s “100 Years…100 Villains” list, but there’s at least one area in which unranked bad guy Darth Maul outdoes him: blinking. Or rather, not blinking; indeed, unless you count the moment when the Sith Lord is sliced in half by Obi-Wan Kenobi (and we don’t), Maul doesn’t shut his eyes for a second in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
For an example of just how unnerving this is, rewatch the moment when the duel between Maul, Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn is interrupted by energy barriers that separate the three combatants. As Maul prowls back and forth without breaking eye contact with his opponents for even a second, you’ll be steadily overcome by the jitters.
Michael Myers – Head Tilting
The most outwardly creepy quality about Halloween’s Michael Myers is his white face mask, which doesn’t betray a hint of emotion as the hulking lunatic commits his depraved deeds. But while the sight of Myers’ infamous headgear is enough to freeze one’s blood, we’d argue that another, less obvious characteristic of his is twice as haunting.
We’re talking about the slight movement of Myers’ head —cocking his head ever-so-slightly to the side — whenever he fatally wounds someone in the first Halloween. Co-writer and director John Carpenter instructed performer Nick Castle to tilt his neck like this, reasoning that it evoked the sense of somebody inspecting a corpse. We’re not sure if that’s necessarily true — but we do know that it makes us very uncomfortable.
The Terminator – Blind Reloading
Part of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s preparation for The Terminator involved learning how to reload firearms while blindfolded. This meant that when the Austrian Oak eventually removed his blindfold to shoot his scenes, he was able to perform this same action without ever needing to glance down at the weapon in his hands.
So next time you’re watching The Terminator, pay attention whenever the titular cybernetic assassin swaps out his expired clip for a fresh one, and you’ll notice he continues to look straight ahead the whole time. It might not seem that impressive, but it subtly emphasizes that this is an unstoppable machine and not a vulnerable human we’re dealing with.
Pennywise – Off-Kilter Eyes
A recurring theme on this list is eyeball-related creepiness — and we’re hardly surprised. Eyes are supposed to be windows to the soul, and these guys’ souls are rotten. But philosophical observations aside, we’d just like to get it on the record that Pennywise’s eyes just ain’t right — in fact, they give us the heebie-jeebies.
What is it about the IT shapeshifter’s peepers that bug us out? Well, occasionally his pupils move in opposite directions ever-so-slightly — and this off-kilter aesthetic is beyond weird. Amazingly, this effect was achieved without resorting to digital trickery: actor Bill Skarsgård arrived on set capable of performing Pennywise’s (literal) sight gag unaided.
Annie Wilkes – Profanity Aversion
The sadistic acts of violence carried out by psychotic ex-nurse Annie Wilkes in Stephen King adaptation Misery are undeniably gut-wrenching. Yet inexplicably, that’s not the aspect of Annie’s personality we’re most uncomfortable about — instead, it’s her pathological distaste for profanity that gets under our skin.
Think about it: there’s something plain wrong about a deranged serial killer like Annie being so ardently opposed to cursing, but more than content to hobble poor bed-ridden Paul Sheldon with a sledgehammer. The same vicious behavior would be bad enough as it is — but add Annie’s Ned Flanders-esque nonsense words into the equation, and things get decidedly creepier.
Agent Smith – Bizarre Cadence
Agent Smith (like all of the Agents in the Matrix universe) is it at least partly modeled on the “G-Man” archetype from American urban folklore. Not only does this inspiration manifest itself in Smith’s dark shades/suit combo and earpiece, it also explains his idiosyncratic way of talking.
These unique, unnatural speaking rhythms don’t just expose Smith for what he really is – a sophisticated sentient computer program – but contribute greatly to the disconcerting atmosphere he cultivates too. No matter how human he appears, Smith is a ruthless AI that only masquerades as one of us, and his bizarre cadence means audiences will never forget it.