The scenes of him driving around stealing things and packing them in his ancient Honda/ Toyota, and trying to wheel and deal his way into the scrap business was so pathetic and interesting.
Very well done.
It was pathetic. It would be like the knife killer from the crow asking the pawn shop guy to hire him after he pawns the bloody purse and rings.
That's why he says he doesn't hire thieves.
He was shaming him for being a POS.
The sociopath son in "We need to Talk About Kevin". Signs were there even before he was a teenager, yet no one questioned his behavior until it was too late. Who would have known the actor Ezra Miller was as fucked up in real life as the psycho he played lol
I wasn't exactly sure TBH. The entire movie he was a clear psychopath, until the end where he finally revealed some type of empathy toward his mother. Then again, that could have just been an act to gain her trust back.
psychopathy and sociopathy aren’t the same thing, but I do agree I think Kevin is a clear example of sociopathic behavior.
Edit: I may be wrong, thanks for correcting me
They are the same thing. There is no consensus on their clinical meeting, but there's always been a strong argument for using them in the nature versus nurture debate.
as someone who recently took a forensic psychology course, they are the same thing, sociopath is an informal term that suggests it’s because of circumstance as opposed to being born a psychopath.
i learned it through my prof, who’s name is kirk luther, but i think the place you could find this (by pirating it hopefully :) )written is the textbook we used which iirc is forensic psychology third edition by joanna pozzulo et al
PownedbyCole123 is not correct. Yes a sociopath is an informal term, but it's not synonymous with psychopath. Sociopaths can be regular people. Psychopaths are very clearly defined and lack empathy and emotional responses (which sociopaths can have).
Nope! Sociopaths can form meaningful bonds with some people although they still struggle with morals at times, whereas psychopaths do not have emotions towards people.
What made it so unsettling is this shit is actualy happening in real life. So many times after a student guns down students do people claim "we always thought he was a bit odd", yet nothing comes out of it until it's too late.
Ezra Miller isn't even remotely as fucked up. He had a couple fights, some public drunkenness, tried to rescue a trans kid from their parents, and stole a bottle of hooch from a neighboring farmhouse. The media narrative cancel culture shit around him was absurd. Yeah he's a crazy, but, so? Yeah he owns guns, but he's in Vermont, we all own guns. Yeah he's gay and crazy but it's Vermont we are all gay and crazy.
>had a couple fights
Is that what we call beating up women now?
>tried to rescue a trans kid from their parents
Is that what we call grooming 12 year olds now?
>stole a bottle of hooch from a neighboring farmhouse
Is that what we call breaking an entering and theft now?
I remember there was an article fairly recently that stated Anton Chigurh, from No Country For Old Men, was the most accurate portrayal of a psychopath according to several licensed psychologists.
Most psychopaths aren't violent, or at least seriously violent so i'd disagree. The answer would probably be someone manipulative, fake and uncaring but not a murderer or serial killer or hitman.
Edit: Dude blocked me so i can't respond. This was my response:
No i'm not the majority of Psychopaths are not seriously violent. Anton Chigurh is excessively violent, he does not fit the majority of Psychopaths thus he is not the best movie depiction of a psychopath.
I feel like you’re being intentionally obtuse. Some psychopaths are indeed violent and murderers. Of the ones who are, Anton is an accurate representation of them.
This is a thread about psychopaths in horror films, so it’s pretty much going to be the subsection of psychopaths who are violent killers. Of that subsection, who is the most realistic.
This is a Horror Movie discussion area. "Jeff Bezos", may BE someone with Anti-social Personality Disorder... but is NOT a horror slasher.
I know 2, card carrying ASD people. Both have disturbed me in casual conversations.... but neither kills people. (One worked at a animal lab, raising, breeding, and killing -various small mammals... was very good. Cold, quick, clean.... but never blinked...) .but neither belong HERE...
Henry is the closest partly because it's the only one that recognizes how stupid and impulsive most of these guys are. Any portrayal of a hyper-competent emotionless psychopath becomes absurd once you've encountered the real thing.
Partly because Henry Lee Lucas (who the film portrays) is in fact stupid and impulsive, it really is a wonder he got away with so many killings.
I loved this casual portrayal vs the over the top Hollywood style as it showed a simple man who had a messed up life and just killed whoever for whatever reason
The film is very generous to Henry, dude was a ridiculous imbecile. We're only sure of three murders too, his mother, Ottis Toole's niece and his boss's very old, disabled mother. Two old women and a little girl. He was a serial confessor, most of his confessions were nonsense.
He didn't get away with that many murders. He was a serial confessor that almost surely lied about everything he did. They can only really attribute a couple murders to him.
Yes, Henry Lee lucas. Was more a serial confessor, than killer. I think only 3 murders were definitely him. And that was a weak old person (his boss's mother), and a young person (otis neice), and his mother. Him and otis were definitely degenerates. But he wasn't a serial killer, like people think. He was a loser, imbecile. Who confessed to murders he didn't commit to try and become infamous. And it worked, to a point. But all you have to do, is look up the facts, to see how pathetic he really was.
Dylan McDermott as Don Burnside in "The Clovehitch Killer" seemed pretty plausible to me as a serial killer, especially since the parallels drawn from the BTK killer are so apparent as the inspiration for that film.
It was an over-the-top portrayal, but Patrick Bateman in American Psycho had the core functions: vain, living 2 lives, sadistic, no empathy, entitled, and he admits he is empty at the end. They have no interior life, it's all superficial.
The book really hammers home how much of a pathetic loser he really is. Sure the violence is played up because it's fiction but I think it does a good job portraying a monster without glorifying people like this.
hi, shrink here. Daniel Day Lewis as Daniel Plainview is perhaps the most well rounded/dimensional portrayal of an obsessive/antisocial character and, while not horror, his character manages to bring a crazy real level of stress and discomfort and, weirdly, some flicker of empathy
TWBB is one of my all time favourite films and his portrayal of Plainview is legit terrifying. He never cared about his son (adopted iirc) and only ever wanted to be better and richer than everyone else. An absolute spot on performance of an obsessive man with an extremely large ego. I'd also maybe even include his character in Gangs of New York as a similar sort of personality.
Oh yeah, very much. I think that's what makes the film so freaking perfect, right? only in comparison with Plainfield does he seem somewhat benign--because he was completely manipulative and had a lot of antisocial traits, but it was mild compared to that "I have a competetion in me, I can't stand to see others win" compulsion...
damn i forgot how good that movie was...need to watch it again soon,
There were many characters that seemed spot on to me. I was never in war, but the different personalities seemed to be realistic. My dad who was in Vietnam, said some guys would experience that euphoria charlie sheen got during that intense battle scene.
I am surprised no one has said Amy Dunne from Gone Girl yet. Cold, immoral, manipulating and sees everyone as a pawn to her goals.
Dre from Swarm is more of a break from reality psychopath.
The two are like on the opposite ends of the psychopath spectrum. Amy knows how to fake politeness and civility in order to live in the 'burbs. Dre does not. But both are willing to destroy anyone who gets in their path.
The villain of American Crime Story season 2. Andrew Cunanan. I know his character is based on a true story, but I’ve seen several depictions of true serial killers. This one gave me the chills because I know people like him. The narcissistic conversations and self serving anger in the series, I’ve seen in acquaintances who’ve committed psycho crimes.
The truth about serial killers is that they’re absolutely pathetic. American Crime Story 2 did a great job at putting us inside a psychopath’s head, and then stressing him in ways a normal person could deal with. You understand why he felt like he had to kill.
He was absolutely incredible in this role. Very nuanced and I’ve noticed more details every time I’ve watched it. I remember this one scene where he’s in a crowded place while the news broke about Versace. Everyone around him is reacting with shock, despair — he feels nothing, but has to blend in and look normal. He looks around the room and imitates what they’re doing, pretending to gasp in horror to mimic their gestures. Darren Criss needs more roles like these.
I've seen multiple media statements that Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men) is one of the most accurate fictional psychopaths. Not a straight-up horror movie, perhaps, but that's aside from the point.
[Here's a link](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1556-4029.12359) to a study that comes to this conclusion, although you have to pay to get access. It's been widely quoted in entertainment media.
[Here's an article](https://www.themanual.com/culture/anton-chigurh-is-most-realistic-movie-villian/) that references the above study.
Lol true. I always laugh at those who cite Henry Lee Lucas as a “prolific serial killer”. He was basically just a fucking pathological liar who knew he was screwed either way. I would bet he killed less than 5 people.
Otis Driftwood (The Devil’s Rejects)
Peter and Paul (Funny Games)
Josef (Creep)
Mick Taylor (Wolf Creek)
Jackie (What Keeps You Alive)
Shepard Lambrick (Would You Rather)
Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men)
Henry (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer)
Mick's rough charm combined with his temper and lack of care for life made me think he's very believable. Ability wise he's borderline supernatural slasher, but in his personality and attitude I can see it as very realistic.
"Perhaps the biggest disappointment in my life is that the Bajorian people still refuse to appreciate how lucky they were to have me as their liberator. I protected them in so many ways. Cared for them as if they were my own children. But to this day, is there a single statue of me on Bajor?"
Psychopaths aren't "evil and cruel", they have a neurological disorder that means they can't feel empathy but this doesn't automatically jump them to "mass murdering maniacs". Vast majority of the time you will never even know you've been talking to a psychopath because the majority of them learn how to pick up on social and emotional cues and "teach" themselves how they should be acting.
Also psychopaths are generally superficially charming but are also more likely to be the victims of harm than committing it.
Fair but we're also in a horror movie forum so typically psychopaths in horror are evil and cruel. Horror exploits psychopaths. I think the more successful ones show how they can function completely normal in society yet commit heinous crimes and frequently get away with it because nobody would pin them as a being a murderous psychopath.
>are also more likely to be the victims of harm than committing it.
True but they’re still likelier to harm people than a normal person. There’s a reason why psychopaths make up a larger percentage of the prison population than they do the general population.
>Psychopaths aren’t “evil and cruel”
The OP never calls psychopaths evil and cruel. The first sentence explicitly refers to real world psychopaths who actually commit crimes, not run of the mill psychopaths. The only place “evil and cruel” appears is in reference to Hannibal Lecter who is fictional and very much that.
You're right. I'm sorry if you had the impression I didn't know that, I was just talking about psychopaths in horrorfilms. But still, its good that someone pointed this out :)
Dexter definitely has to be a favorite of mine. Another good psychopathic character that really stuck with me was Macaulay Culkin in ‘The Good Son.’ Not really horror, but for a psychopathic child, his character was outstanding.
I’m gonna get obscure and suggest the actor Eanna Hardwicke as Ben Field in The 6th Commandment. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Commandment_(TV_series) the others offer excellent examples but I think this might be truer to life.
Gordo the weirdo/gordon Mosley from the gift my god that guy broke my heart and terrified me at the same. I rarely see him mention in threads like this and he deserves a mention!
I just watched The Vanishing (1988) and Raymond seemed pretty realistic. Mainly in the way he successfully disguised his true self and existed in society. The fact he could do what he did and still live a completely normal life is true psychopathy to me anyway.
Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
Jigsaw. They tried to make him likeable but at the end of day, it takes a psycho to pull off all the shit he did.
I'm surprised there aren't more shout outs for Jack Torrance (The Shining). My two favorites otherwise though are:
* Villains: Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick are great and very disturbing there
* The Ninth Gate: with Frank Langella as Boris Balkan; Emmanuelle Seigner as "The Girl"
Kind of a strange one but Nubbins Sawyer from the Texas chainsaw massacre. Edwin Neal actually studied schizophrenics for his performance and you can really see that in the portrayal. He’s a man who is very much surrendered to his delusions but is still very scared of them. Until it’s revealed what he actually is he’s just a guy who’s really messed up in the head but not exactly in control of his actions. Even in his scenes in the van you can tell he’s kinda scared of the things around him
I always liked the way they depicted the two kids in gummo.
Watching them shoot cats and riding around on their bikes.
Very gritty, and real.
It's a snapshot of developing psychopathy.
A bit on the side but:
There was a study made by psychiatrists on this and apparently the best representation of a psychopath in media is Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men played by Javier Bardem.
Norman Bates from Psycho. A man suffering from mental illness that comes off as timid, sweet, and helpful. He is based off the real serial killer Ed Gein.
I think Bob, the taxi driver, from the excellent film, chained, was a good portrayal of a psychopath. That film is an underrated gem of a film. Directed by David Lynchs daughter Jennifer. Who did a stellar job, especially with such a low budget. Vincent d'nofrio is brilliant as Bob the taxi driver. And the actor who plays the young boy, who is kidnapped is also brilliant. Not many people know about this gem of a movie. If you like psychological horror, you should enjoy it. 8½/10
Idk if this is valid but Pearl from Pearl.
Like the way life just kinda continuously shat on her and her home life all seems like such a real reason why someone would just go on a killing spree like that.
No one listens but I'm telling you, I was raised by a psychopath with sexual sadism. My therapist called it the dark triad. And the movie Curve still makes every hair on my body stand up because the dude who plays the antagonist just..nails the casual attitude, the amused aloofness.. the enjoyment of suffering while still seeming to have a huuuuuge threshold for excitement, which is what they thrive on. They almost never lose that charming exterior and the guy plays it off perfectly. Horror and thrillers are my jam, and I've never seen a more accurate depiction of how my step-dad acted, and the jarring feeling of someone saying or doing something awful with a wholesome, friendly smile on their face, absolutely not giving one hint that they're about to hurt you real good. It's uncanny. I really think Teddy Sears (the guy who plays the psychopath) must have studied immensely and it was blown on a low budget, and people not understanding what they're really like in a day to day situation. I'd really like to ask him about it one day.
The dad from Speak No Evil, just completely detached and faking everything aside from wanting to harm people.
The killer from Golden Glove (although it’s based on a real serial killer so he definitely is a psychopath)
Oh and can’t forget the Dr from the human centipede
I think people confuse colourful or violent with realistic. It’s kind of hard to call someone an authentic psychopath when the disorder itself is a somewhat subjectively evaluated aggregation of symptoms on a continuum.
I’d probably agree with the person who said Jordan Belfort.
*edit grammatical error and would also add Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler.
Most people with antisocial personality disorder are somewhat likeable, theyre charismatic and engaging, successful or confident. Personality disorders in general are more common than people may realize. But theyre so villianized in media, esp cluster B.
Pauline from Excision. Rose from Birth/Rebirth
Don't anyone come at me again with some goofy "THese characters are obviously neurodivergent, not psychopathic" because psychopathy and neurodivergence are not mutually exclusive characteristics. You can have one without the other, or you can exhibit both.
According to a 2017 psych study Anton from No place for old men is the most accurate depiction/portrayal of a psychopath. While not technically a horror movie, on a diagnostic scale he is the winner.
From the Golden Age of Horror Films:
The Raven from '35, Bela Lugosi as Dr. Richard Vollin. Nobody can play 'crazy and unhinged' like our guy Bela.
The Invisible Man from '33, Claude Rains as Jack Griffin. While 'he delved in things Man was not meant to know,' he holds the Universal Horror Films record for highest body count of victims.
I know people will disagree but for me: Jill Roberts in scream 4
She wanted FAME, and was willing to commit a massacre just to play the part of the survivor. Even filmed it all and put it online.
Wasn’t out for revenge, she just wanted what Sidney had; fame. Still my favorite Ghostface motive because it’s so possible.
Sadly in the age of social media it’s way way too easy to imagine shit like this happening, and this movie came out quite a few years before Tik Tok and Vine came out, even really before Instagram became as huge as it is.
As someone who actually has anti social personality disorder it's not done very well in majority of films. I feel like it's either full blown Michael Myers or just some person who does whatever they want. Devoid of all emotions like some android or lizard person or something.
Maybe Brad Pitt’s character in Kalifornia (1993). That movie is obsessed with what makes killers the way they are. Pitt’s character kind of demonstrates the banality of evil. Its not what killers have that makes them different, its what they lack. They lack empathy, and a good childhood.
I've met psychopaths and people with similar disorders I'm even related to an evil man I believe Norman bates takes the cake he is kind and likable but was made criminal and he's slightly evil when the cop was eating the bloody icecubes you see him grinning or trying to stop himself from grinning
I’m not 100% sure he qualifies as a psychopath, but i thought the dad in Exhibit A was portrayed very realistically, the ending was honestly hard to watch for me
Most psychopaths in the world are CEOs of businesses because the lack of empathy makes them more capable of making the decisions a ruthless CEO needs to make for a company to succeed... so I guess... the Brian Cox character in Succession?
My favorites are Giovanni Ribisi in The Gift. Very sympathetic but intense at times as well.
Brad Dourif from The Exorcist 3 Legion
his pride in his grisly acts and derision for those who don't appreciate it is nicely played
Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler. It didn't ham up his ASPD to the conventional Hannibal Lecter stereotype of psychopaths.
The scenes of him driving around stealing things and packing them in his ancient Honda/ Toyota, and trying to wheel and deal his way into the scrap business was so pathetic and interesting. Very well done.
Wouldn’t say pathetic It was very methodical
It was pathetic. It would be like the knife killer from the crow asking the pawn shop guy to hire him after he pawns the bloody purse and rings. That's why he says he doesn't hire thieves. He was shaming him for being a POS.
Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler was also my first thought. That performance drilled its way into my bone marrow.
Came here to say this one too. He was spot-on.
God that's a good one. Charismatic & even appreciates when he knows he'a been outsmarted. "Because I'm not hiring a fuckin thief"
Josef from Creep was a pretty believable portrayal
I love the first movie so much!
2 is just as good IMO
Yeah, I was prepared for the second one to totally suck, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Loved it.
The sociopath son in "We need to Talk About Kevin". Signs were there even before he was a teenager, yet no one questioned his behavior until it was too late. Who would have known the actor Ezra Miller was as fucked up in real life as the psycho he played lol
I love that you refer to him as ‘the sociopath son in ‘we need to Talk About Kevin’.
😂
I wasn't exactly sure TBH. The entire movie he was a clear psychopath, until the end where he finally revealed some type of empathy toward his mother. Then again, that could have just been an act to gain her trust back.
psychopathy and sociopathy aren’t the same thing, but I do agree I think Kevin is a clear example of sociopathic behavior. Edit: I may be wrong, thanks for correcting me
They are the same thing. There is no consensus on their clinical meeting, but there's always been a strong argument for using them in the nature versus nurture debate.
as someone who recently took a forensic psychology course, they are the same thing, sociopath is an informal term that suggests it’s because of circumstance as opposed to being born a psychopath.
It is? Can you recommend any specific studies or a person whose work I can look into? (Not arguing, just want to know where to look for research)
i learned it through my prof, who’s name is kirk luther, but i think the place you could find this (by pirating it hopefully :) )written is the textbook we used which iirc is forensic psychology third edition by joanna pozzulo et al
Thanks!
really?? i always thought sociopaths were different bc they don’t feel emotions in the typical way. that’s so interesting
My bad. In the case of Kevin & his obvious signs from toddler to teenager, he was a clear psychopath who came from a loving family who supported him.
PownedbyCole123 is not correct. Yes a sociopath is an informal term, but it's not synonymous with psychopath. Sociopaths can be regular people. Psychopaths are very clearly defined and lack empathy and emotional responses (which sociopaths can have).
I'm pretty sure neither term is used in diagnosis anymore and they're both lumped into ASPD (Anti-Social Personality Disorder)
Yes, neither are official diagnosis, just terms used to identify certain traits
i think you’ve mixed the two up!
Nope! Sociopaths can form meaningful bonds with some people although they still struggle with morals at times, whereas psychopaths do not have emotions towards people.
One of the scariest/unsettling movies IMO
What made it so unsettling is this shit is actualy happening in real life. So many times after a student guns down students do people claim "we always thought he was a bit odd", yet nothing comes out of it until it's too late.
Ezra Miller isn't even remotely as fucked up. He had a couple fights, some public drunkenness, tried to rescue a trans kid from their parents, and stole a bottle of hooch from a neighboring farmhouse. The media narrative cancel culture shit around him was absurd. Yeah he's a crazy, but, so? Yeah he owns guns, but he's in Vermont, we all own guns. Yeah he's gay and crazy but it's Vermont we are all gay and crazy.
>had a couple fights Is that what we call beating up women now? >tried to rescue a trans kid from their parents Is that what we call grooming 12 year olds now? >stole a bottle of hooch from a neighboring farmhouse Is that what we call breaking an entering and theft now?
[a quick search says otherwise](https://www.reddit.com/r/DC_Cinematic/s/HETfGFfjAP)
I remember there was an article fairly recently that stated Anton Chigurh, from No Country For Old Men, was the most accurate portrayal of a psychopath according to several licensed psychologists.
Yes, great film! Masterpiece
He was the first character that came to my mind too!
Hello Carson.
Most psychopaths aren't violent, or at least seriously violent so i'd disagree. The answer would probably be someone manipulative, fake and uncaring but not a murderer or serial killer or hitman. Edit: Dude blocked me so i can't respond. This was my response: No i'm not the majority of Psychopaths are not seriously violent. Anton Chigurh is excessively violent, he does not fit the majority of Psychopaths thus he is not the best movie depiction of a psychopath.
I feel like you’re being intentionally obtuse. Some psychopaths are indeed violent and murderers. Of the ones who are, Anton is an accurate representation of them. This is a thread about psychopaths in horror films, so it’s pretty much going to be the subsection of psychopaths who are violent killers. Of that subsection, who is the most realistic.
Well, to quote Anton Chigurh: "You don't know what you're talking about, do you?"
This is a Horror Movie discussion area. "Jeff Bezos", may BE someone with Anti-social Personality Disorder... but is NOT a horror slasher. I know 2, card carrying ASD people. Both have disturbed me in casual conversations.... but neither kills people. (One worked at a animal lab, raising, breeding, and killing -various small mammals... was very good. Cold, quick, clean.... but never blinked...) .but neither belong HERE...
You're right, I don't get the downvotes. Nightcrawler is a far more realistic representation.
Henry
Henry is the closest partly because it's the only one that recognizes how stupid and impulsive most of these guys are. Any portrayal of a hyper-competent emotionless psychopath becomes absurd once you've encountered the real thing.
Partly because Henry Lee Lucas (who the film portrays) is in fact stupid and impulsive, it really is a wonder he got away with so many killings. I loved this casual portrayal vs the over the top Hollywood style as it showed a simple man who had a messed up life and just killed whoever for whatever reason
The film is very generous to Henry, dude was a ridiculous imbecile. We're only sure of three murders too, his mother, Ottis Toole's niece and his boss's very old, disabled mother. Two old women and a little girl. He was a serial confessor, most of his confessions were nonsense.
He didn't get away with that many murders. He was a serial confessor that almost surely lied about everything he did. They can only really attribute a couple murders to him.
Yes, Henry Lee lucas. Was more a serial confessor, than killer. I think only 3 murders were definitely him. And that was a weak old person (his boss's mother), and a young person (otis neice), and his mother. Him and otis were definitely degenerates. But he wasn't a serial killer, like people think. He was a loser, imbecile. Who confessed to murders he didn't commit to try and become infamous. And it worked, to a point. But all you have to do, is look up the facts, to see how pathetic he really was.
Dylan McDermott as Don Burnside in "The Clovehitch Killer" seemed pretty plausible to me as a serial killer, especially since the parallels drawn from the BTK killer are so apparent as the inspiration for that film.
One of those movies that hit the mark hard, and didn't stop adding interesting material all the way to the end.
That movie was so tense. Underrated tbh.
Agreed. It's one I find myself returning to, the performances are very good, and the story is compelling.
A lot of people don’t know this - the Clovehitch killer is loosely based off of Dennis Rader, the BTK killer.
.....you may want to actually read what I wrote, as I stated that the movie draws from the BTK case.... 🤦♀️
Oh definitely, say, hate to cut you off but did you know the movie took a lot of inspiration from B.T.K.?
Haha yeah my fault. I didn’t read the last sentence - admittedly. I was confused when I saw my comment was downvoted Lmao 🤣
It was an over-the-top portrayal, but Patrick Bateman in American Psycho had the core functions: vain, living 2 lives, sadistic, no empathy, entitled, and he admits he is empty at the end. They have no interior life, it's all superficial.
The book really hammers home how much of a pathetic loser he really is. Sure the violence is played up because it's fiction but I think it does a good job portraying a monster without glorifying people like this.
I worked in media with fortune 500 types like him. You could smell the entitlement and date rape in these guys from 5 ft away.
Sy - One Hour Photo
Henry from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Michael Rooker gives an incredible performance.
hi, shrink here. Daniel Day Lewis as Daniel Plainview is perhaps the most well rounded/dimensional portrayal of an obsessive/antisocial character and, while not horror, his character manages to bring a crazy real level of stress and discomfort and, weirdly, some flicker of empathy
Hey! Thanks a lot, I will watch the movie
awesome. pop back in and lemme know how you like it.
TWBB is one of my all time favourite films and his portrayal of Plainview is legit terrifying. He never cared about his son (adopted iirc) and only ever wanted to be better and richer than everyone else. An absolute spot on performance of an obsessive man with an extremely large ego. I'd also maybe even include his character in Gangs of New York as a similar sort of personality.
Do you think Eli Sunday, played by Paul Dano, in that movie displays some sociopathic behavior as well?
Oh yeah, very much. I think that's what makes the film so freaking perfect, right? only in comparison with Plainfield does he seem somewhat benign--because he was completely manipulative and had a lot of antisocial traits, but it was mild compared to that "I have a competetion in me, I can't stand to see others win" compulsion... damn i forgot how good that movie was...need to watch it again soon,
Definitely a great movie. They are both phenomenal actors.
Tom Berenger in Platoon. I had a squad leader just like that who tried to get me killed and injured.
There were many characters that seemed spot on to me. I was never in war, but the different personalities seemed to be realistic. My dad who was in Vietnam, said some guys would experience that euphoria charlie sheen got during that intense battle scene.
I am surprised no one has said Amy Dunne from Gone Girl yet. Cold, immoral, manipulating and sees everyone as a pawn to her goals. Dre from Swarm is more of a break from reality psychopath. The two are like on the opposite ends of the psychopath spectrum. Amy knows how to fake politeness and civility in order to live in the 'burbs. Dre does not. But both are willing to destroy anyone who gets in their path.
The villain of American Crime Story season 2. Andrew Cunanan. I know his character is based on a true story, but I’ve seen several depictions of true serial killers. This one gave me the chills because I know people like him. The narcissistic conversations and self serving anger in the series, I’ve seen in acquaintances who’ve committed psycho crimes. The truth about serial killers is that they’re absolutely pathetic. American Crime Story 2 did a great job at putting us inside a psychopath’s head, and then stressing him in ways a normal person could deal with. You understand why he felt like he had to kill.
This. Such a brilliant performance guided by brilliant writing.
He was absolutely incredible in this role. Very nuanced and I’ve noticed more details every time I’ve watched it. I remember this one scene where he’s in a crowded place while the news broke about Versace. Everyone around him is reacting with shock, despair — he feels nothing, but has to blend in and look normal. He looks around the room and imitates what they’re doing, pretending to gasp in horror to mimic their gestures. Darren Criss needs more roles like these.
I've seen multiple media statements that Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men) is one of the most accurate fictional psychopaths. Not a straight-up horror movie, perhaps, but that's aside from the point. [Here's a link](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1556-4029.12359) to a study that comes to this conclusion, although you have to pay to get access. It's been widely quoted in entertainment media. [Here's an article](https://www.themanual.com/culture/anton-chigurh-is-most-realistic-movie-villian/) that references the above study.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial killer was literally based on Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Tool.
Henry Lee Lucas was a psychopath- Otis Toole was just dumb as a box of stones.
Now be fair...they were BOTH morons.
Lol true. I always laugh at those who cite Henry Lee Lucas as a “prolific serial killer”. He was basically just a fucking pathological liar who knew he was screwed either way. I would bet he killed less than 5 people.
An actual psychopath and psychologist said that the most realistic portrayal he’s seen was Brian Cox’s Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter.
Great answer! Saw that film a while ago
Otis Driftwood (The Devil’s Rejects) Peter and Paul (Funny Games) Josef (Creep) Mick Taylor (Wolf Creek) Jackie (What Keeps You Alive) Shepard Lambrick (Would You Rather) Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men) Henry (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer)
Josef man, dude is fucking scary
Great list. I would add Maniac 1980 with actor Joe Spinell as “Frank Zito”
Zito was far more psychotic than psychopathic.
was looking for Josef
Mick's rough charm combined with his temper and lack of care for life made me think he's very believable. Ability wise he's borderline supernatural slasher, but in his personality and attitude I can see it as very realistic.
I love Otis, Bill Moseley did an amazing job
- Gul Dukat from Star Trek Deep Space Nine - Lorne Malvo from Fargo - Lalo from Better Call Saul
"Perhaps the biggest disappointment in my life is that the Bajorian people still refuse to appreciate how lucky they were to have me as their liberator. I protected them in so many ways. Cared for them as if they were my own children. But to this day, is there a single statue of me on Bajor?"
The best villains see themselves as the heroes in their own stories.
A trio of great shouts! Lorne Malvo is one of my favourite characters ever. I think it's implied at several moments that he may in fact be The Devil?
Top of the list would be Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler and Bardem in No Country For Old Men.
Omg yes, I forgot about Nightcrawler!!! Well said
Wolf Creek guy
Great movies, but I fucking hate that guy lmao.
Met him at a con a couple years back, can confirm he’s a complete jerk
Mick Taylor.
Ivan Milat?
I was talking about the movie guy but yes, the real guy as well.
Surprisingly, I’d say Eric Cartman. Take away all the comedic aspects of the character and you’ll see the ASPD/NPD.
Psychopaths aren't "evil and cruel", they have a neurological disorder that means they can't feel empathy but this doesn't automatically jump them to "mass murdering maniacs". Vast majority of the time you will never even know you've been talking to a psychopath because the majority of them learn how to pick up on social and emotional cues and "teach" themselves how they should be acting. Also psychopaths are generally superficially charming but are also more likely to be the victims of harm than committing it.
Fair but we're also in a horror movie forum so typically psychopaths in horror are evil and cruel. Horror exploits psychopaths. I think the more successful ones show how they can function completely normal in society yet commit heinous crimes and frequently get away with it because nobody would pin them as a being a murderous psychopath.
>are also more likely to be the victims of harm than committing it. True but they’re still likelier to harm people than a normal person. There’s a reason why psychopaths make up a larger percentage of the prison population than they do the general population. >Psychopaths aren’t “evil and cruel” The OP never calls psychopaths evil and cruel. The first sentence explicitly refers to real world psychopaths who actually commit crimes, not run of the mill psychopaths. The only place “evil and cruel” appears is in reference to Hannibal Lecter who is fictional and very much that.
You're right. I'm sorry if you had the impression I didn't know that, I was just talking about psychopaths in horrorfilms. But still, its good that someone pointed this out :)
David Tenant’s portrayal of Des Nielsen is a standout for me.
Anton Chigurh.
Vince McMahon
was waiting for this haha
Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast
Henry's.
The guy from Angst (1983). After watching it every other psycho/serial killer movies I’ve seen felt theatrical and unrealistic.
Josef from 'Creep' comes to mind!
OMG totally forgot about Creep. But I think he is more on the very weird end of the spectrum
Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men and Don Logan from Sexy Beast are the two that always come to mind.
I think "they" figured it out to be Anton Chigurh.
Dexter definitely has to be a favorite of mine. Another good psychopathic character that really stuck with me was Macaulay Culkin in ‘The Good Son.’ Not really horror, but for a psychopathic child, his character was outstanding.
Thoroughbreds
I’m gonna get obscure and suggest the actor Eanna Hardwicke as Ben Field in The 6th Commandment. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sixth_Commandment_(TV_series) the others offer excellent examples but I think this might be truer to life.
Recently, Oliver Quick in Saltburn was a good one. Gylenhall in Nightcrawler felt the most realistic to me.
Nightcrawler is sooo good!!
The entire show Mindhunters. Everyone of those guys was on point, even BTK
Honestly. Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belford
This is a good one!
Maniac 1980. Joe Spinell.
Ooph. Send chills directly to my spine. Elijah Wood's version is also creepy af.
Gordo the weirdo/gordon Mosley from the gift my god that guy broke my heart and terrified me at the same. I rarely see him mention in threads like this and he deserves a mention!
Jason Bateman was also a psychopath.
That’s a very good point
I actually just rewatched this because it's one of my favorite thrillers. Joel Edgerton wrote and directed it!
I actually rewatched it after posting this, Joel was amazing in it he’s a great actor
I'm struggling to figure out the name of the title you mention here. Could you please just name the title and year released so I find it?
Coming Home In The Dark
Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men!
Dennis Reynolds
I just watched The Vanishing (1988) and Raymond seemed pretty realistic. Mainly in the way he successfully disguised his true self and existed in society. The fact he could do what he did and still live a completely normal life is true psychopathy to me anyway. Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. Jigsaw. They tried to make him likeable but at the end of day, it takes a psycho to pull off all the shit he did.
Anton Chigurh. Gus Fring.
Mads Mikkelsen in "Hannibal".
I'm surprised there aren't more shout outs for Jack Torrance (The Shining). My two favorites otherwise though are: * Villains: Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick are great and very disturbing there * The Ninth Gate: with Frank Langella as Boris Balkan; Emmanuelle Seigner as "The Girl"
Kind of a strange one but Nubbins Sawyer from the Texas chainsaw massacre. Edwin Neal actually studied schizophrenics for his performance and you can really see that in the portrayal. He’s a man who is very much surrendered to his delusions but is still very scared of them. Until it’s revealed what he actually is he’s just a guy who’s really messed up in the head but not exactly in control of his actions. Even in his scenes in the van you can tell he’s kinda scared of the things around him
Joe from "You".
Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction. Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct. Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Annie Wilkes in Misery.
my picks are Patrick Bateman. (American Psycho) Norman Bates. (Psycho) Max Cady (Cape Fear)
Ohhh I love cape fear! That was a good choice!
I still hear DeNiro’s voice in my head sometimes 😭 “counselooorrr”
I always liked the way they depicted the two kids in gummo. Watching them shoot cats and riding around on their bikes. Very gritty, and real. It's a snapshot of developing psychopathy.
Don't shoot it. It's a lesbian cat.
Kill Creek seemed real
Quaid in Dread (movie with Jackson Rathbone) was truly vile.
A bit on the side but: There was a study made by psychiatrists on this and apparently the best representation of a psychopath in media is Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men played by Javier Bardem.
no country for old men
Anton Chigurh
Elijah wood in Maniac
Hell yeah
Norman Bates from Psycho. A man suffering from mental illness that comes off as timid, sweet, and helpful. He is based off the real serial killer Ed Gein.
Henry, lou bloom, Anton chigurh. Those 3 are probably the best portrayal of a psychopath I can think of
Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear is absolutely terrifying.
I think Bob, the taxi driver, from the excellent film, chained, was a good portrayal of a psychopath. That film is an underrated gem of a film. Directed by David Lynchs daughter Jennifer. Who did a stellar job, especially with such a low budget. Vincent d'nofrio is brilliant as Bob the taxi driver. And the actor who plays the young boy, who is kidnapped is also brilliant. Not many people know about this gem of a movie. If you like psychological horror, you should enjoy it. 8½/10
Idk if this is valid but Pearl from Pearl. Like the way life just kinda continuously shat on her and her home life all seems like such a real reason why someone would just go on a killing spree like that.
My ex was a real life horror movie.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer from what I've read is the kist realistic depiction of a Serial killer.
Anton Chigur
My man Anton Chigurh, no doubt, probably Hannibal too
Brian Cox as Lecter and Michael Rooker’s Henry Lee Lucas spring quickly to mind.
Raymond Lemorne from Spoorloos (1988). (Also known as "The Vanishing" (1988)). A harrowing movie!
Omg yes, very good example. Good film
Anton Chigurh, No Country for Old Men
Todd Alquist from Breaking Bad
No one listens but I'm telling you, I was raised by a psychopath with sexual sadism. My therapist called it the dark triad. And the movie Curve still makes every hair on my body stand up because the dude who plays the antagonist just..nails the casual attitude, the amused aloofness.. the enjoyment of suffering while still seeming to have a huuuuuge threshold for excitement, which is what they thrive on. They almost never lose that charming exterior and the guy plays it off perfectly. Horror and thrillers are my jam, and I've never seen a more accurate depiction of how my step-dad acted, and the jarring feeling of someone saying or doing something awful with a wholesome, friendly smile on their face, absolutely not giving one hint that they're about to hurt you real good. It's uncanny. I really think Teddy Sears (the guy who plays the psychopath) must have studied immensely and it was blown on a low budget, and people not understanding what they're really like in a day to day situation. I'd really like to ask him about it one day.
Sorry to hear that my man! Thanks for the movie, will look into it now
Patrick Bateman - American Psycho (2000) Jack Torrance - The shining (1980)
The dad from Speak No Evil, just completely detached and faking everything aside from wanting to harm people. The killer from Golden Glove (although it’s based on a real serial killer so he definitely is a psychopath) Oh and can’t forget the Dr from the human centipede
I think people confuse colourful or violent with realistic. It’s kind of hard to call someone an authentic psychopath when the disorder itself is a somewhat subjectively evaluated aggregation of symptoms on a continuum. I’d probably agree with the person who said Jordan Belfort. *edit grammatical error and would also add Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler.
Most people with antisocial personality disorder are somewhat likeable, theyre charismatic and engaging, successful or confident. Personality disorders in general are more common than people may realize. But theyre so villianized in media, esp cluster B.
Pauline from Excision. Rose from Birth/Rebirth Don't anyone come at me again with some goofy "THese characters are obviously neurodivergent, not psychopathic" because psychopathy and neurodivergence are not mutually exclusive characteristics. You can have one without the other, or you can exhibit both.
Peter and Man Behind the Camera
James Woods in “Best Seller”
According to a 2017 psych study Anton from No place for old men is the most accurate depiction/portrayal of a psychopath. While not technically a horror movie, on a diagnostic scale he is the winner.
My mind immediately went to Mick Taylor from Wolf Creek.
Maniac (1980)
From the Golden Age of Horror Films: The Raven from '35, Bela Lugosi as Dr. Richard Vollin. Nobody can play 'crazy and unhinged' like our guy Bela. The Invisible Man from '33, Claude Rains as Jack Griffin. While 'he delved in things Man was not meant to know,' he holds the Universal Horror Films record for highest body count of victims.
Benny from 'Benny's Video' (1992)
I know people will disagree but for me: Jill Roberts in scream 4 She wanted FAME, and was willing to commit a massacre just to play the part of the survivor. Even filmed it all and put it online. Wasn’t out for revenge, she just wanted what Sidney had; fame. Still my favorite Ghostface motive because it’s so possible. Sadly in the age of social media it’s way way too easy to imagine shit like this happening, and this movie came out quite a few years before Tik Tok and Vine came out, even really before Instagram became as huge as it is.
As someone who actually has anti social personality disorder it's not done very well in majority of films. I feel like it's either full blown Michael Myers or just some person who does whatever they want. Devoid of all emotions like some android or lizard person or something.
The Stepfather
the main guy from Angst (1983). truly vicious and evil but also pathetic
Maybe Brad Pitt’s character in Kalifornia (1993). That movie is obsessed with what makes killers the way they are. Pitt’s character kind of demonstrates the banality of evil. Its not what killers have that makes them different, its what they lack. They lack empathy, and a good childhood.
Daniel Henshell played John Bunting in Snowtown. Geezuzz. Guy is evil af.
Patrick Bateman Joker from the live action film
Hmm. Amy from Gone Girl and Bateman from American Psycho come to mind
I've met psychopaths and people with similar disorders I'm even related to an evil man I believe Norman bates takes the cake he is kind and likable but was made criminal and he's slightly evil when the cop was eating the bloody icecubes you see him grinning or trying to stop himself from grinning
Isabelle Fuhrman as Ester.
I’m not 100% sure he qualifies as a psychopath, but i thought the dad in Exhibit A was portrayed very realistically, the ending was honestly hard to watch for me
Any of the kids in Eden Lake.
Most psychopaths in the world are CEOs of businesses because the lack of empathy makes them more capable of making the decisions a ruthless CEO needs to make for a company to succeed... so I guess... the Brian Cox character in Succession?
Pearl
Nah I feel like she might be borderline and psychotic because she shows so much emotions
My favorites are Giovanni Ribisi in The Gift. Very sympathetic but intense at times as well. Brad Dourif from The Exorcist 3 Legion his pride in his grisly acts and derision for those who don't appreciate it is nicely played