Casey Chong takes a trip back to the 1990s to profile ten of the decade’s most terrifying movie psychopaths…
Hollywood loves psychopaths in many forms. The character can be insane, obsessive or display any dangerous personality traits that lead to the victim’s death and murder. We have seen them in various genres, covering from horror to thriller and even action movies. Here, we dive into the particular 1990s era with our list of top movie psychopaths…
Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) – The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
It’s amazing how a mere 16 minutes of screen time can bring such a significantly long-lasting impact to a movie. And the movie in question is the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs, which won Anthony Hopkins the coveted Oscar for Best Actor for his role of cannibal serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter.
What makes Hopkins’ performance one for the ages is how he masked his character’s disturbing true nature with his gentlemanly charm and intellectual side. He’s a master manipulator who is particularly obsessed with the FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). He slowly gets what he wants by feeding her with useful information to help catch the wanted serial killer on the loose (a perfectly creepy Ted Levine). Hopkins would go on to reprise his role two more times in the sequel Hannibal and prequel Red Dragon.
Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) – Misery (1990)
Obsession can be very dangerous, and then there’s Annie Wilkes. Kathy Bates, who famously won an Oscar for Best Actress, plays her character as a number-one fan of Paul Sheldon’s (James Caan) romance novel series who holds the author captive perfectly embodies a volatile personality. She can be sweet and caring but also ill-tempered and even goes as far as showing her psychopathic edge.
Bates’ Annie Wilkes displays a firecracker of a performance that she wouldn’t mind breaking Paul’s ankles with a sledgehammer. Rob Reiner, a genre journeyman filmmaker who had ventured from mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap to coming-of-age drama Stand By Me and rom-com When Harry Met Sally… at the time, does a good job bringing out the best in Kathy Bates’ unhinged portrayal and knows well how to sustain enough tension throughout its 107-minute running time.
John Doe (Kevin Spacey) – Se7en (1995)
Beyond David Fincher’s grungy aesthetics that define the ‘90s thriller along with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman’s memorable performances, the other biggest success of Se7en lies in the brilliant casting of Kevin Spacey. He plays the nameless serial killer responsible for the grisly “seven deadly sins” who murders every victim. His elusiveness made his character all the more terrifying figure.
An epitome of true evil without a sense of remorse and humanity and interestingly, Spacey’s character only appears late in the movie. His creepy presence alone is enough to rattle the already-intriguing psychological thriller to a feverishly eerie peak, culminating in a pivotal less-is-more moment that ends up with Pitt’s stressed-out homicide detective character with the movie’s most quotable line: “What’s in the box?”
Max Cady (Robert De Niro) – Cape Fear (1991)
Martin Scorsese’s modern update of the 1962’s Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum-starred Cape Fear has Robert De Niro chewing the scenery as an ex-convict determined to exact vengeance against his public defender played by Nick Nolte.
De Niro’s unhinged performance may have been cartoonishly over-the-top for some viewers but the way he embraces Max Cady wholeheartedly allows him to have fun with his role. He is dedicated to his craft as always from bulking up his body to sporting a deep Southern accent. His terrifying portrayal of a violent psychopath earned him an Oscar nomination in the Best Actor category, which he lost out on in favour of Anthony Hopkins for The Silence of the Lambs.
Officer Pete Davis (Ray Liotta) – Unlawful Entry (1992)
Not all cops can be trusted but Ray Liotta’s Officer Pete Davis in Unlawful Entry seems to be very reliable. He’s a uniformed police officer who seems like a really nice guy. When we first meet Pete, he isn’t just dedicated to his job but even takes one step further by helping the married couple played by Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe to install a security system in their house.
However, his friendly demeanor turns out to be too good to be true as we gradually learn his violent tendencies towards a suspect. An intruder, to be exact, who is responsible for breaking into the couple’s home in the first place. What follows next isn’t pretty and after Liotta’s character rears his ugly side, it’s a gradual descent to hell for the couple to deal with a mad police officer. Unlawful Entry is one of the best yuppies-in-peril thrillers that populated the subgenre in the ‘90s, which is heavily indebted to Ray Liotta’s scene-stealing performance.
Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh) – Single White Female (1992)
Barbet Schroeder’s roommate-from-hell thriller boasts great performances from Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The latter plays the aforementioned roommate, who is obsessed with Fonda’s character. She’s highly manipulative and will do anything to get what she wants. She even goes as far as imitating her look, particularly her dyed hairstyle and fashion sense.
Schroeder’s deliberate direction allows him to seep through the cracks with layers of intrigue and suspense. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Hedra Carlson is reminiscent of a ticking timebomb waiting to explode with her increasing psychopathic tendencies over her unhealthy obsession towards Fonda’s Allison Jones. Single White Female proved to be a hit at the box office, which spawned a direct-to-video sequel-in-name only in 2005.
Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) – Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Reservoir Dogs is a one-of-a-kind heist movie without showing the actual robbery. Instead, then-newcomer Quentin Tarantino is more interested in showing the audience the aftermath, where a group of well-dressed criminals led by Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) lay low at a warehouse. The movie benefits from Tarantino’s unique non-linear storytelling structure that alternates between the past and present.
At the heart of Reservoir Dogs is the inspired casting of Michael Madsen as Mr. Blonde, a cool but cold-hearted psychopath who shows remorse to a tied-up cop (Kirk Baltz) by casually slicing off one of his ears with a straight razor. What makes the scene even more disturbing is the use of Stealers Wheel’s upbeat rock song “Stuck in the Middle with You” which echoes in the background as Madsen’s Mr. Blonde dances to the music before committing his heinous act of violence.
Mrs. Mott/Peyton Flanders (Rebecca De Mornay) – The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)
It’s a nanny from hell in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle with Rebecca De Mornay playing the picture-perfect nanny who earns the trust of the Bartel family (Annabella Sciorra, Matt McCoy). Beyond her sweet smile and dedication to her job taking care of Bartel’s newborn baby lies a hidden agenda.
Vengeance runs deep in her veins, which has to do with the unforgettable past that triggers her course of action. De Mornay’s manipulative role of a vengeful psychopath is one of the best performances of her career, resulting in a win at the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, beating stiff competitors like Robert De Niro’s Max Cady for Cape Fear and Robert Patrick’s T-1000 for Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) – Speed (1994)
Who could have thought a Die Hard-on-a-bus concept would turn out to be one of the most consistently thrilling action movies ever made in the ‘90s? Jan de Bont isn’t the only person to thank for his assured direction but credits also go to the memorable pairing of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The pace is relentless and the action is just as breath-taking.
And let’s not forget Dennis Hopper, who has a field day playing the crazy mad bomber Howard Payne determined to get the hefty ransom at all costs. Throughout the movie, he’s like an unstoppable force of evil who continues to wreak havoc from planting a bomb in the elevator and later, a bus unless a certain Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) is out to stop him. Hopper proves to be the perfect choice to play such a role. Besides, he was of course no stranger to playing a madman character, perhaps most notably in Blue Velvet eight years prior.
David McCall (Mark Wahlberg) – Fear (1996)
This year, we have Mark Wahlberg playing the deranged hitman in the B-movie thriller Flight Risk but going back to nearly 30 years ago, the actor has already made a lasting impression playing the obsessive boyfriend in Fear.
His handsome and charming personality aside, Wahlberg’s David McCall is bad news – a deranged young man who hates anyone trying to get too close to his prized girlfriend, Nicole Walker played by Reese Witherspoon. Wahlberg plays the role well and what’s even interesting is Fear is only his third acting at the time after Renaissance Man and The Basketball Diaries, proving he’s a star who gradually rose to prominence appearing in several high-profile Hollywood blockbusters.
Who are your favourite movie psychopaths of the 1990s? Anyone missing from the list? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong
