Do you ever watch a movie with a female antagonist and think “good for her?” Then this list is for you.
10. Idgie Threadgoode from Fried Green Tomatoes
So for those of you familiar with the film Fried Green Tomatoes or the novel it’s based on, you may be saying to yourself, “wait, Idgie’s not a villainess.” And you’re right, she’s not. She does do a lot of illegal things, but those criminal acts always serve the greater good. She steals food off of a train and gives it to hungry, homeless people. And she hatches a plot to barbecue her best friend’s abuser after her other friend kills him. Good-natured cannibalism certainly cements her place on a list of lovable villainesses.
9. Catwoman from Catwoman
I’m not talking about the Eartha Kitt Catwoman. I’m not even talking about the Anne Hathaway Catwoman. No, I’m talking about Halle Berry’s portrayal of Catwoman. Patience Phillips starts off as a sweet, timid girl in the critically panned 2004 Catwoman. But once a magical cat resurrects her from the dead and gives her feline powers, she becomes a sexy, assertive, jewel thief. Like Idgie, she’s not really a villain. But she can be as bad or as campy as she wants to be, and we love her for it.
8. Maleficent from Maleficent
Maleficent was never supposed to be a villainess. She just wanted to be a tree hugging fairy. I mean, goals! But that no-good, overly ambitious Stefan violently steals her wings and leaves her hurt and heartbroken. We understand why she became the embittered Mistress of all Evil. Sure she probably shouldn’t have cursed Aurora. But she felt really bad about it.
7. Dani Ardor from Midsommar
I don’t think Dani is the villain at all in the movie Midsommar. But I know not everyone agrees with me. You can fight me later. Yes, Dani makes the ultimate decision to let her boyfriend roast inside of a bear suit. But she had no family. Her boyfriend was pulling away from her. She was alone and vulnerable and the harga preyed on her vulnerability. I’m just happy she was finally happy at the end. Good for her.
6. Hayley from Hard Candy
This film is both cathartic and deeply uncomfortable. Hayley is an innocent teenager who meets an adult photographer online and goes to his house. You get the uneasy feeling that the photographer has nefarious plans for her. But as the plot progresses you realize that she’s not so innocent and she was luring him into a trap all along. She tortures him in brutal ways that seem cruel and excessive until you realize what he did to deserve it.
5. Elaine Parks from The Love Witch
It’s so hard not to love Elaine. She’s charismatic, beautiful, magical, murderous, and delusional. She’s the whole package. Elaine just wants to be loved and she will stop at nothing to get it. It doesn’t matter how many friends she loses or how many bodies she leaves in her wake. I think what makes her so relatable is that you can sense the unbridled and somewhat justified rage that is hiding underneath her charming Stepford wife facade.
4. Harley Quinn from The Suicide Squad
Everybody loves a good antiheroine. And that’s why they love Harley Quinn. Harley is a self-proclaimed bad guy. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a heart. Though she is violent and erratic, she can also be compassionate and helpful. She also has a moral code. Sure, she’ll lie, cheat, steal, betray, and murder. But she draws the line at murdering children.
3. Poison Ivy from Batman and Robin
All Pamela Isley wanted was to protect our environment and she gets murdered by Dr. Woodrue and ridiculed by Bruce Wayne for her trouble. Maybe, just maybe, if Woodrue didn’t steal her venom samples to create Bane and Wayne didn’t laugh off her environmental concerns, she wouldn’t have turned into a conniving eco-terrorist. And before you ask, yes, I am saying that Batman was at fault.
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2. Victoria from Twilight
Can we all take a moment to appreciate how utterly beautiful Rachel LeFevre is? She never should’ve been recast, she was done so dirty. Victoria is a human killing vampire. There’s no getting around that. This list isn’t about moralistic villainesses, it’s about lovable ones. However, as evil as she is, it’s hard not to feel bad for her. Her mate was ripped away from her. I would want revenge too if my partner was murdered.
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1. Amy Dunne from Gone Girl
Ok. Hear me out. Amy Dunne is a bad person. There is no universe where you can do the things she has done, and be considered a good person. But she felt forced into certain roles her entire life. Her parents wanted her to be more like their fictionalized version of her. Her husband wanted the “cool girl” version of her. And she played these roles well. And after being the cool girl wife, moving to a place you hate to be near your husband’s family, giving him money to open up a crappy bar, and then finding out he was cheating on you, you would be right to be ticked off. I’m not saying she’s right. I’m saying I understand.
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