The comedy genre went through many changes in the 2010s, and the roles of villains began to change as well. Unlike the broad, upbeat comedies that dominated the 2000s, many of the best comedy films of the 2010s are quite dark and cynical. This shift meant that many comedies went villainless in the 2010s, opting instead to explore antiheroes, villainous protagonists, or stories without clear male-male conflict.
Despite the changes in the comedy genre, there are still some great villains from the 2010s that stand out. In some cases, these villains aren't supposed to be funny, but they create tension and conflict that gets the best out of the hero. The days of Dr. Evil, White Goodman, and Jacobim Mugatu were long gone before the 2010s, but the decade still produced some hilarious movie villains.
10
Lone Leader
The Lobster (2015)
The lobster is as strange and foreboding as any of Yorgos Lanthimos' films, but it's also arguably his funniest. While The favorite and Poor things are critical darlings, The lobster uses the director's idiosyncratic atmosphere and intentionally clumsy dialogue for comedic effect. Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly master deadpan humor in The lobster. One actor who doesn't laugh is Léa Seydoux, who plays the violent leader of a band of social outcasts.
Thanks to Seydoux's intensity, the character managed to inject some real danger into a world that feels totally foreign.
The Lone Leader – who is never given a name – does not fit with The lobsterquirky sense of humor. Thanks to Seydoux's intensity, the character managed to inject some real danger into a world that feels totally foreign. She proves that her philosophy is as bizarre and discordant with human life as the rest of society. She also shows that she can be equally violent and oppressive, blinding David's lover to keep her away from him.
9
Richmond Valentine
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
THE Kingsman the franchise stumbled a bit as it tried to develop, but the first film is still a great spy comedy that satirizes James Bond without being so obvious that it gets in the way of the narrative. In keeping with the film's subtle nods to the Connection franchise, Samuel L. Jackson's eccentric, world-conquering villain appears to borrow parts from many great Connection villains. He's a little Goldfinger, a little Stromberg and a little Raoul Silva.
In keeping with the film's subtle nods to the Connection franchise, Samuel L. Jackson's eccentric, world-conquering villain appears to borrow parts from many great Connection villains.
Jackson adds several theatrical flourishes to the character of Richmond Valentine, such as a pronounced lisp and an unwavering arrogance. The character could become generic in another actor's hands, but Jackson's take on Valentine is always fun to watch. By choice, he usually jars with Kingsman'stoneentering the immaculate world of tailored suits and impeccable manners with a boldness that suggests his extreme power.
8
Very
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 3 It looked like it would be the last film in the franchise at the time, and it's only fitting that it produced the best villain yet. Lotso – or Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, to give him his full title – welcomes Andy's toys to Sunnyside Daycare as soon as they arrive. He's friendly and kind as he shows her around their new home, promising there will be plenty of time to play in the future. It didn't take long for Lotso to show his true colors.
Lotso runs Sunnyside like a prison campexerting his influence as de facto leader to punish those who go against him. Lotso not only brainwashes Buzz and imprisons the rest of Andy's toys, but also leaves them to die later in the incinerator. Toy Story 3 delves into Lotso's story, and it fleshes out his character without making him seem too sympathetic. With Toy Story 5 down the road, the franchise will be hard-pressed to find another villain as terrifying, even if it's a strawberry-scented teddy bear.
7
Lavrentiy Beria
The Death of Stalin (2017)
Stalin's death is filled with villains of various types, all clashing and conspiring with each other to fill the power vacuum caused by Stalin's death. The main villain, if there is one, is Lavrentiy Beria, the head of Stalin's secret police who exerts his considerable influence to root out his political opponents. Ultimately, Beria is the only vestige of Russia's past that must be purged so that the remaining contenders can feel any sense of peace.
Simon Russell Beale presents Beria as a small man who has acquired a lot of power, and this makes him a much more interesting villain than a mere brute.
The characters in Stalin's death they are all based on real people and many of the details are completely true. There are many comical embellishments and imaginary conversations, but Beria was as disgusting in real life as he looks in the film. Simon Russell Beale enlivens Beria's villainous personality with aplomb, but also presents him as a small man who has acquired too much power, and this makes him a far more interesting villain than a mere brute.
6
Mr Business
The Lego Movie (2014)
The Lego Movie It surprised a lot of people with how unique and fun it is, considering it was considered in some quarters as a way to make corporate money. The Lego Movie mocks such a business-oriented mentality with its villain. Lord Business is the antithesis of Lego's fluid, creative spirit. He is a corrupt ruler who wants to bend his entire existence to his will.
Lord Business is the antithesis of Lego's fluid, creative spirit.
The Lego Movie draws some funny parallels between what happens in the Lego world and what happens in the real world above. Lord Business is revealed to be the embodiment of an adult Lego collector in the real world who refuses to let his son play with his model city. Will Ferrell is fun in both Lego and human formand his role seems to presage his transformation into a villain Barbie almost a decade later. The Lego Movie the franchise continues, but it may never find a better villain than Lord Business.
5
Rescue
Knives Out (2019)
Rian Johnson Knives out gives a comedic twist to a seemingly conventional detective story. While Daniel Craig's eccentric Southern detective Benoit Blanc tells most of the jokes, there are a few other characters who can be equally funny. In most cases, humor is linked to power and comfort in Knives out. Marta is not funny at all, because she is very uncomfortable and deeply distressed. Ransom, on the other hand, has time to be smart when he feels like it.
Among all the disgusting characters in the Thrombey family, Ransom initially seems like a surprisingly realistic person.
Among all the disgusting characters in the Thrombey family, Ransom initially seems like a surprisingly realistic person. He is charming and even helpful, both to Marta and Benoit. Before long, this veneer of affability is cracked to reveal a snake oil salesman trying to manipulate the chaos of the investigation to his advantage. Glass OnionThe villain of is quite blunt and obvious in comparisonbut Wake Up Dead Man: a mystery with knives will see Benoit Blanc surrounded by a new cast of potential assassins.
4
Gideon
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
by Edgar Wright Scott Pilgrim vs. the World takes many visual cues from video games and also uses the structure of an arcade game, with a series of battles culminating in a boss fight. After Scott manages to fight his way through an eclectic barrage of Ramona's exes, he comes face to face with the leader of the League of Evil Exes and most powerful member, Jason Schwartzman's Gideon Graves.
Gideon is immensely skilled with a katana, but it's not his fighting ability that makes him such a memorable villain. With his white suit and red shirt, Gideon cuts a striking figure, and this reflects his overwhelming ego. He knows he's the boss of the battle for a reason, and Schwartzman plays that role with repulsive arrogance. Gideon proves when he kicks Ramona down the stairs that nothing matters to him like the glorification of his ego, so it's extremely satisfying to see Scott get his revenge.
3
Adolf Hitler
Jojo Coelho (2019)
Taika Waititi's divisive 2019 comedy Jojo Coelho calls himself Adolf Hitler, but it is important to understand that he is just the fantasy version of Adolf Hitler that exists in the mind of an indoctrinated Hitler Youth enthusiast. Jojo Coelho has a lot of great jokes that highlight the gulf between Jojo's understanding of the world around him and the brutal reality of life in Nazi Germany.
There's a softness and fragility to the character that somehow makes the darkest subject possible easy to laugh at.
Waititi's version of Hitler is like many other imaginary friends, but shows an ugly side when Jojo starts to question his beliefs in the regime. There's a softness and fragility to the character that somehow makes the darkest subject possible easy to laugh at. Hitler is not the only villain Jojo Coelho, How Stephen Merchant Is a More Menacing, Less Funny Gestapo Agent. He represents the cold reality that contrasts with Jojo's fantasies.
2
Dmitri
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
The Grand Budapest Hotel is often cited as one of Wes Anderson's best films and showcases his talent for handling huge casts. Among the many stars with brief roles in Anderson's world, only the best manage to stand out. Adrien Brody is one such actor and creates a compelling villain who casts a long shadow even during long periods when he's not on screen.
Among the many stars with brief roles in Anderson's world, only the best manage to stand out. Adrien Brody is one of those actors.
Dmitri Desgoffe-und-Taxis is Madame D.'s spoiled son and is determined to inherit his mother's fortune by any means necessary. He resorts to poisoning to speed up the process and goes after Monsieur Gustave and Deputy Kovacs when they get in his way. Dmitri is aided by Willem Dafoe's terrifying hitman, JG Jopling. Together, they are a powerful one-two punch of bitter malevolence and callous cruelty.
1
Phoenix Buchanan
Paddington 2 (2017)
Hugh Grant seems to be having a lot of fun as Phoenix Buchanan in Paddington 2, and his eccentric performance perfectly matches the tone of the film. Paddington 2 goes to some surprisingly dark places, as Paddington is taken to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Grant's strangely sympathetic presence as the villain is part of what keeps the tone light and whimsical.
Grant's performance is a big reason Paddington 2 it is considered a major improvement over its predecessor.
Phoenix Buchanan is a selfish actor who uses his deception skills to frame Paddington for the theft of a valuable book, while also following the book's clues to hidden treasure. Grant is disgusting and despicable as Phoenix, but the villain still achieves a tenuous form of redemption in an unforgettable dance number when he ends up being put behind bars. Grant's performance is a big reason Paddington 2 it is considered a major improvement over its predecessor.