Look, inside every horror movie is usually a group of people trying to survive a homicidal maniac, demon, or set of ghosts. We have a group we're rooting for, but when there's depth in the villain, sometimes we're okay with them leaving a body count. After all, it's not bad watching a bully get theirs in the name of justice.
Horror movies are fun because they're allowed to walk a very particular line. They have different rules, or tropes we've seen appear over the years. Famously, Scream worked to subvert these and surprise people. And other movies have continued to buck these systems.
One of my favorite ways is creating sympathetic villains or killers who have some justification for their motivations. As a writer myself, I find this process fascinating. Not only does it challenge the audience, but it also flexes great storytelling muscles. You really have to earn the audience in these movies, and they often churn out legendary characters.
Today, we're going to look at five horror movie villains who were not as bad as they seemed. In fact, their actions are (almost) justified.
Let's slice and dice.
'A Ghost Story'Credit: A24
These 5 Scary Movie Villains Were Actually in the Right
5. Carrie from Carrie
In this Stephen King/Brian De Palma classic, we see Carrie get bullied relentlessly by her classmates. In brutal scenes, we see her pelted with tampons and see the abuse her mother puts on her at home. There is no reprieve for Carrie.
So when the bucket of blood falls on her at prom, it's no wonder she pops a gasket and uses her powers to make everyone fry.
This is an allegory about not bullying people, and it holds up today because we see just how justified Carrie was in her actions. Maybe these kids deserved to have the school burn down on top of them. Just saying...
'Carrie'Credit: United Artists
4. Pamela Vorhees from Friday the 13th
Look, Pamela Vorhees is just a mom trying to get revenge. Her son, Jason, was ignored by counselors who would rather party than pay attention. It cost her kid his life. No wonder she's upset.
Now, are these particular counselors responsible? Not really. But I can understand the recurring PTSD that sends her after each batch of campers who show up there.
No parent should have to bury a child. And I can understand them wanting to bury someone else's kids in the name of revenge.
'Friday the 13th'Credit: Paramount Pictures
3. Samara in The Ring
I know I listed her in the middle, but I think Samara might be the ultimate example of the ends almost justifying the means. A lot of innocent people die because of her, but in her defense, she just wanted someone to find justice for her torture.
Samara was just a kid when the video was made, and as a kid, she's seeking vengeance for what happened to her. Locked away in institutions, brutalized by a stepmother, and stuck in a well. It's a real tragedy. I can't justify all the murders she causes, but she has a right to be angry and to seek retribution in the afterlife.
'The Ring'Credit: Dreamworks
2. The Fisherman from I Know What You Did Last Summer
Okay, if anyone is in the right, it's a guy just trying to work his blue-collar job when a bunch of teens hit him with a car and leave him for dead. The killer in this movie is an unnamed fisherman who I am rooting for the whole time.
There is no reason to let these kids live, and I am happy he comes back in the subsequent sequels to finish the job.
A hit-and-run is an excellent writing moral question. You have a final girl who wants to do the right thing but is never allowed to. You still have to side with a villain who had everything taken from him, with no shot at ever getting it back.
'I Know What You Did Last Summer'Credit: Columbia Pictures
1. The Ghosts in Poltergeist
Imagine you live your entire life, a good life, and then you die. While you're dead, some greedy land developers buy up your final resting place, and instead of moving your body and headstone, they cheap out and just pluck up the headstones.
Now, your eternal remains are under some suburban wasteland, where people build pools and goof around on top of you. You have the right to be angry. And you also have the right to get revenge.
These people just wanted to rest in peace, and it was stolen from them!
What are your favorite villains who were in the right? Let us know in the comments section.
