Entertainment
10 Best Female Movie Villains of 2014 From 'Maleficent' to 'Gone Girl'
2014 is reft with excellent performances from actresses both long-honored and just coming out of their shells. Most of these women are honored for their portrayal of "good guys": characters like YA heroines, destitute immigrants, and comediennes just trying to make it big. Yes, there are plenty of noble female characters to celebrate in this past year of cinema, but the bad ones are leagues more fun.
From straight-up post-apocalyptic tyrants to plotting small town psychopaths to the occasional bloodthirsty vampire, 2014 has plenty of nefarious women who have proved more than a joy to watch. For some sick reason, it's a real treat to see these ladies laying waste to their mortal victims, concocting elaborate schemes, or condescending to train cars of oppressed societies with speeches about footwear.
Running through the list of '14 releases, we've amounted a few favorites to call out here. The scariest, cunningest, and all around evilest women in films from the past 12 months... and the ones who make even the most malicious deeds colossally entertaining.
Check out our list of the 10 Best Female Movie Villains of 2014. (But be warned: some of the later entries include major spoilers about their respective films).
Image: Disney
TILDA SWINTON IN 'SNOWPIERCER'
One the year’s most delightful instances of villainy falls in the hands of the great Tilda Swinton, whose bumbling tyrant in Snowpiercer is the most hysterical part of a film not wanting for fun elements.
Image: RADiUS-TWC
SCARLETT JOHANSSON IN 'UNDER THE SKIN'
Though it’s tough to nail down exactly what Johansson’s character’s evil ploy might be, her killing spree (as it were) through the backwoods of Scotland is as terrifying as it is captivating to watch… and impossible to figure out.
Image: A24 Films
SHEILA VAND IN 'A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT'
Vand does indeed play the hero of her piece, but is no doubt seen a “villain” in the dark, bad, bloodthirsty world she occupies. Furthermore, she commands more horror with a silent glare than most big screen baddies can with acts of violence or mayhem.
Image: Kino Lorber
HELEN MIRREN IN 'THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY'
A softer approach to villainy, Helen Mirren nonetheless commands antagonism of the highest order as an elitist restaurateur who just doesn’t seem to like the new neighbors. Nobody can douse all the joy out of a room with a single scowl the way Mirren can.
Image: Disney
THE MUTO MOTHER IN 'GODZILLA'
The beauties of the Muto in Godzilla are plentiful: her sleek design, faceless menace, and (best of all) command of sympathy when you realize that she’s only trying to protect her eggs… and wipe out the human race, yes.
Image: Warner Bros.
MIA WASIKOWSKA IN 'ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE'
Maybe I’m just biased against the vampiric race, because Mia Wasikowska’s Only Lovers Left Alive character is another one that you can’t exactly qualify as a villain… but man is she a troublemaking demon, feasting on the innocent and causing nonstop ire for her sister and brother-in-law.
Image: Sony Pictures Classics
ANGELINA JOLIE IN 'MALEFICENT'
Sure, Maleficent was hardly the best thing to hit theaters this summer, but let’s give credit where credit is due: Angelina Jolie is dynamic in it. She lights up the screen with her macabre flare, and wears the heck out of that headpiece. You deserve a better movie, Angie.
Image: Disney
BE WARNED!
The entries to follow are all big spoilers for movies that hit theaters in the second half of 2014! Turn away now if you’ve still yet to see that pop thriller you heard such good things about, or that new horror film everyone seems to love.
Image: 20th Century Fox
JILLIAN BELL IN '22 JUMP STREET'
Once supporting player Jillian Bell is revealed to be the criminal mastermind of 22 Jump Street, she is likewise revealed to be the comic mastermind of the movie’s cast. The final act of the buddy comedy allows Bell to showcase the film’s most hilarious moments, stealing scenes from her sworn enemy (and beacon of unresolved sexual tension?) Jonah Hill.
Image: Columbia Pictures/MGM
ESSIE DAVIS IN 'THE BABADOOK'
Once undertaken by the clutch of Babadook, Essie Davis’ dutiful single mother becomes the wicked, wrathful monster she always feared she might be… and it’s damn petrifying.
Image: Cinetic Media/eOne Films International/IFC
ROSAMUND PIKE IN 'GONE GIRL'
The very best villain of 2014, female or not, is that brilliant psychopath pulling the strings behind the scenes of Gone Girl: Amazing Amy herself, Rosamund Pike. Her twisted motives, meticulous preparation, and wholly upsetting stance as an allegory for modern relationships are all forces to fear. Pike’s fantastic performance just makes them all the more frightening… yet, at the same time, fun as hell.
Image: 20th Century Fox
