We tend to think of movie villains in terms of black and white. We view them as absolute evil, without a single decent bone in their bodies. But some of the best movie villains are complicated figures who occupy a morally gray area. They exhibit humanity rather than inherent wickedness, displaying both the light and the dark, the good and the bad, of their personalities.
And although they may commit atrocities and even involve their kids with their criminal activity, some of these villains are actually good parents. They show their children love and affection and protect them fiercely — even, sometimes, a little too much. Despite all their flaws and questionable acts, here are ten movie villains who have proven to be loving parents.
Jimmy Markum — Mystic River (2003)
Mystic River
- Release Date
- January 1, 2003
- Director
- Clint Eastwood
- Cast
- Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Crime
The Academy Award winner for Best Picture Mystic River follows three former friends, whose paths have diverged significantly since childhood. Jimmy (Sean Penn) has become a gangster, Sean (Kevin Bacon) has grown to be a detective, and Dave (Tim Robbins) is a blue-collar worker, who’s haunted by his traumatic past. After the murder of Jimmy’s daughter, the three men are brought back together in this masterful neo-noir tale from Clint Eastwood.
Jimmy is really more of the film’s anti-hero, though you could argue that he’s a villain based on what he does in the end. Jimmy and his first daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) have a close relationship. Although he doesn’t approve of her boyfriend, you can tell that Katie loves her father. In a famously powerful, heart-wrenching moment, Jimmy screams and sobs when he appears at the crime scene and learns of his daughter’s death. “Is that my daughter in there?!” he shouts over and over again. Distraught, Jimmy vows revenge on whoever killed Katie — but ends up making a grave mistake. Rent Mystic River on Prime Video.
Myron — Jingle All the Way (1996)
Jingle All the Way
- Release Date
- November 21, 1996
- Director
- Brian Levant
- Cast
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Robert Conrad, Martin Mull
- Rating
- PG
- Main Genre
- Comedy
Jingle All the Way is a classic holiday movie and a favorite among milennials. It focuses on the mad scramble of parents during the holiday season, searching for that one toy their kids really, really want. Absentee father Howard (Arnold Schwarzenegger) will do whatever it takes to get his son a Turbo Man, the hottest toy and action figure in stores — even if it means facing off with the local mail carrier, Myron (Sinbad).
Since this is a family-friendly comedy, Myron is relatively harmless as far as villains go. It wasn’t his fault that the package he left with the police department turned out to be a real bomb. Haunted by his childhood and driven by his own father’s mistakes, Myron is determined to find the Turbo Man doll for his son. Sure, he’s a little kooky and becomes an actual supervillain in the finale. But at the end of the day, Myron is a loving father who will do anything to ensure his son’s happiness. Stream Jingle All the Way on Disney+.
Sandman — Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Spider-Man 3
- Release Date
- May 1, 2007
- Director
- Sam Raimi
- Cast
- Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard
- Rating
- PG-13
- Main Genre
- Action
Once upon a time, long before Tom Holland and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there was Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise, with Spider-Man 3 was the final installment in the trilogy. Here, Peter Parker/Spider-Man takes on a new Green Goblin (James Franco), Venom (Topher Grace), and Spidey’s own inner demons. Unfortunately, struggling with too many villains and plotlines, Spider-Man 3 failed to live up to the massive hype and cut Raimi’s series short.
One of the many villains from Spider-Man 3 is Flint Marko, also known as Sandman (Thomas Haden Church). Marko was sent to prison for committing the robbery which resulted in the death of Peter’s Uncle Ben, and the creation of Spider-Man. After escaping from prison, one of the first things that Marko does is stop by his old apartment to see his sick daughter. “I’m not a bad person,” he tells her. “Just bad bad luck.” As it turns out, Uncle Ben’s murder was an accident. And Marko has only been stealing money so he could save his ill child. Stream Spider-Man 3 on Disney+.
The Armitage family — Get Out (2017)
Get Out
- Release Date
- February 24, 2017
- Director
- Jordan Peele
- Cast
- Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Marcus Henderson
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Horror
Known more for his comedic work, Jordan Peele shocked everyone in 2017 with his critically acclaimed psychological horror film Get Out. In this imaginative, creepy story that’s reminiscent of an episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, a young, African-American man becomes a psychological prisoner of his girlfriend’s affluent white family, the Armitages. And he’s not the only one.
It’s clear from the Armitage’s wealthy community that their children are well-provided for. Sure, they are racist, evil people. And sure, Mommy and Daddy get their kids involved with their depraved scheme, which includes pimping out their daughter to ensnare innocent black men. But some families just have a different way of showing their love and spending time together. Board games aren’t for everyone, after all. Stream Get Out on Netflix.
Frank D’Amico — Kick-Ass (2010)
Kick-Ass
- Release Date
- March 22, 2010
- Director
- Matthew Vaughn
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Action
Kick-Ass is a violent but comedic superhero film that’s grounded in reality, filled with costumed vigilantes who don’t have superpowers. Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) thinks that being a crime-fighter is all fun and games — until he gets entangled with the local mob and a revenge plot involving murderous masked heroes.
Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong) is the villain of Kick-Ass, a mob boss who runs an underground empire. Despite his criminal tendencies and tough guy personality, Frank has a fairly close relationship with his son Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). He allows him to become a part of his criminal organization and trusts Chris with helping him take down his enemies. It may not be the best parenting ever, but the love is still there. The film received stellar reviews, and its original director, Matthew Vaughn, is planning to reboot the series. Rent Kick-Ass on Amazon Prime Video.
Vulture — Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
spider-man homecoming
- Release Date
- July 5, 2017
- Director
- Jon Watts
- Cast
- Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow
- Rating
- PG-13
- Main Genre
- Action
Spider-Man: Homecoming was what every superhero fan had been waiting for: a solo Spider-Man movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Homecoming follows Peter Parker’s early high school heroics as Spider-Man (Tom Holland), pitting him against his first major adversary: Vulture.
Spider-Man: Homecoming brings Michael Keaton back to the mainstream superhero genre to play Adrian Toomes/Vulture. But in a shocking twist, Spider-Man and the audience learn that Toomes is also the father of the girl that Peter is romantically pursuing. It’s clear from their scenes together that Adrian and his daughter have a good relationship; he even has a pet name for her. And like any good dad, he drives the pair to their homecoming dance.
Toomes originally got involved in creating and selling advanced weapons in order to provide for his family, and he is determined to keep that truth from his daughter. “Nothing is more important than family,” he tells Peter — even though he says it while holding a gun and threatening Peter’s life. Stream Spider-Man: Homecoming on Disney+.
Jango Fett — Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
- Release Date
- May 15, 2002
- Director
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz
- Rating
- PG
- Main Genre
- Action
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is the polarizing but pivotal second film in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. All grown up, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) wrestles with his inner demons while developing a romantic relationship with Padmé (Natalie Portman). Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates a mystery that leads to the beginning of the legendary Clone Wars.
During Obi-Wan’s investigation, he comes across a bounty hunter named Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison). As it turns out, Jango’s DNA was used to create a clone army for the future Galactic Empire. One of Jango’s requests was to be given one unaltered clone for himself: the future Boba Fett. Jango raises this miniature version of himself as his own child and seems to provide a good life for him on the ocean planet of Kamino. Although he involves Boba in his criminal life, Jango also protects and cares for his son. Stream Star Wars on Disney+.
Bill — Kill Bill Vol 2 (2004)
Kill Bill Vol. 2
- Release Date
- April 16, 2004
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Cast
- Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Chia Hui Liu, Michael Madsen
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Action
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill series introduces audiences to The Bride (Uma Thurman), later identified in Vol. 2 as Beatrix Kiddo. After being brutally attacked and losing her baby and husband-to-be on her wedding day, Beatrix embarks on a bloody, rage-fueled quest for revenge on her former lover, who orchestrated her wedding day massacre: a man known simply as Bill (David Carradine).
As a legendary killer and the leader of a lethal group of mercenaries, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, Bill serves as a dangerous adversary for Beatrix. When he learns that she’s pregnant with his child, Bill saves the baby’s life and has her removed from Beatrix’s stomach while she’s in a coma. Bill spends the next four years raising their daughter, loving and providing for her.
Beatrix is stunned to learn that their daughter is still alive. She’s offered a glimpse of Bill as a loving father, playing make-believe games and making sandwiches with their daughter. But not even these heartfelt moments are enough to make Beatrix forgo her desire for revenge. Stream Kill Bill on Prime Video.
Pamela Voorhees — Friday the 13th (1980)
Friday the 13th (1980)
- Release Date
- May 9, 1980
- Director
- Sean S. Cunningham
- Cast
- Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor, Robbi Morgan, Kevin Bacon, Harry Crosby
- Rating
- R
- Main Genre
- Horror
Friday the 13th is an iconic slasher film that birthed one of horror’s most successful franchises. Most viewers associate Friday the 13th with its famous machete-wielding masked killer, Jason Vorhees. But in this 1980 original, it’s Jason’s mother Pamela Vorhees (Betsy Palmer) who turns out to be the villain, terrorizing and murdering the young counselors of Camp Crystal Lake.
Pamela was a loving mother to her young deformed son, Jason. She sent him to Camp Crystal Lake in the summer of 1957, trying to provide him with a normal upbringing. It was only after Jason drowned and died, due to horny and negligent camp counselors, that Pamela lost her mind. Devastated by Jason’s death, she spends the rest of her life murdering Camp Crystal Lake’s counselors in order to avenge her lost son. Stream Friday the 13th on Max.
The Malfoys — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
In the eighth and final movie in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, our three heroes continue their search for the Deathly Hallows and Horcruxes. Their journey brings them back to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they join forces with faculty, staff, and students to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his army of Death Eaters once and for all.
The Malfoy family — Lucius (Jason Isaacs), Narcissa (Helen McCrory), and their son Draco (Tom Felton) — are notable Death Eaters and Voldemort allies. With their prejudiced, snobby views and wicked acts, the Malfoys are despised for most of the franchise. One of their only redeeming qualities is their unwavering love for Draco, and no movie in the Harry Potter franchise encapsulates this more than Deathly Hallows: Part Two.
Narcissa is willing to risk her life and lie to Voldemort, just to confirm that her son is still alive. Sure, they later convince Draco to remain with them on Voldemort’s side. But they do this out of fear, not loyalty. And as soon as the Battle of Hogwarts takes a grim turn, the Malfoys abandon Voldemort and flee to safety. In the end, the Malfoys band together, more concerned with protecting their own than anyone else. Stream the Harry Potter movies on Max.
