Horror movies weren’t as commonplace back in the 1970s as they are now, but you can consider parts of The Godfather movies to come straight out of a horror film where Michael Corleone was concerned. During his descent into becoming a crime boss, Michael proved why he was the scariest character in the series.
His power and influence through the Corleone crime family aside, Michael could intimidate and break apart a person on his own due to his commanding presence. Nobody was safe from his wrath, and these 10 times in the Godfather series proved how Michael Corleone could be the stuff of nightmares.
Telling Kay About Luca Brasi
Even when Michael wasn’t involved in the family business, he sure had an uncomfortable level of casualness about their dealings. When informing Kay of the truth behind the Corleone family, Michael told her how Vito had Luca place a gun to someone’s head and threaten them.
Rather than look just as appalled as Kay did, Michael instead had an air of nonchalance to him, as if he himself had conducted such dealings before. The way he told the story was the same as someone who tells stories from work, and it should’ve been indication for Kay to run far away from him.
Turning Down Geary's Offer
In one of the best examples of Michael’s death stare, he handed one out for Senator Geary when the latter tried to extort him. Telling Michael that he would charge him ten times more to get a gaming licence, Geary also insulted Michael’s family.
It was here that Michael quietly responded by telling Geary that, not only would he procure the licence, Geary would pay for it himself to Michael. He said all this without breaking eye contact once, and in his mind he had already worked out a way to corner Geary. As we know, the Senator did end up doing exactly what Michael wanted.
Revealing His Plan To Kill Sollozzo And McCluskey
Sonny told Michael that McCluskey’s attack on the latter wasn’t personal, but it most certainly was just that for Michael. While no-one else could come up with a plan to take McCluskey and Sollozzo out, Michael brought up his own.
Mind you, this was a time where Michael had no experience in the matters of murder, but he solemnly informed everyone around him of how he intended to fire a gun straight into his targets’ heads. And it was here when we saw how Michael reveled in the idea of gaining revenge.
Warning Fredo Not To Go Against The Family
The first indication that Michael would easily turn on his own family if his position was threatened was when he had the guts to warn his own older brother. After learning that Fredo wanted to side with Moe Greene over him, Michael had a simple statement.
Looking at his elder sibling in the eye, Michael unflinchingly told Fredo that, while he loved him, there would be no second chances for the latter if he ever went against the family again. Fredo would’ve been forgiven for confusing Michael’s warning with words from the devil himself.
His Calmness During The Baptism
Sure, the ones getting killed at the end of The Godfather were mobsters themselves, but ordering the attack on multiple people at the same time would at least make one feel a little uneasy. However, Michael only anticipated these men getting whacked.
Standing pretty in his secure position in church, he swore that he renounced all the devil’s wicked ways, which paralleled how his henchmen were doing Satan's dirty work at the very second he was making these promises. You get a firsthand account of these killings if you check out the game based on the movie, and it sure as heck ain't pretty.
Admonishing Moe Greene For Straightening Out Fredo
Messing with Michael’s family was the worst move anyone could make, as even his allies would turn into enemies because of it. After establishing his dominance as the new head of the family, Michael informed Moe Greene he would be buying the latter’s business whether he liked it or not.
Greene’s attempt at intimidating Michael hopelessly failed when Michael learned that the former had whacked Fredo around. Giving him his patented death stare, Michael ignored all of Greene’s arguments and simply asked him how he had the audacity to put hands on his brother. Moe’s eventual death was confirmation that Michael had signed his death warrant right then and there.
Screaming At Frank Pentangeli
Michael had come to realize the power he had over people, meaning he could unload his anger on anyone and have them take it without argument. For this reason, during his visit to Frank Pentangeli, he exploded on Frank when recounting the assassination attempt on him.
Although Frank had nothing to do with it, Michael still unleashed his fury on the man as he couldn’t contain his anger with Hyman Roth’s actions against him. This scene confirmed that, when Michael bellowed, all one could do was endure the humiliation and hope there wasn’t anything worse in store.
Interrogating Carlo Rizzi
While it made for some memorable quotes to come from Michael, his interrogation of Carlo was one of the most intense scenes in film history. Even though he knew Carlo had masterminded the killing of Sonny, Michael put him on the spot to make the confession.
Michael’s anger was apparent as he looked down on Carlo, barely speaking above a whisper, but controlling it in such a way that it appeared as if he was about to throttle Carlo himself. His words cut harder, though, as Carlo was reduced to a whimpering mess next to Michael’s dominance.
Unleashing His Fury On Kay
The one place where Michael seemed to be caring was in the matter of his family, and he always had a softer demeanor when around Kay. However, he completed his turn into being a monster when he struck down his own wife.
Yet, it was the moment preceding the hit that was the scariest, as we saw Michael’s face contort gradually with fury when he learned that Kay had aborted their child to avoid having another mobster grow up in the family. Unlike his usual cold stare, Michael’s eyes looked like they could’ve set Kay ablaze before he lashed onto her.
His Lack Of Reaction Toward Fredo's Death
You’d think one would draw the line when it came to family, yet Michael crossed it and then some by ordering the hit on his brother. The scary part, though, is the fact that he had absolutely zero reaction toward the event.
Watching from afar as Fredo got shot right in the head, the only reaction from Michael was him looking at his shoes. He didn’t have to witness the murder either, so it went a long in establishing that Michael’s fall from grace was truly complete. Following this act, being in the company of Michael would’ve scared the living daylights out of anyone.