50 Creepiest Movie Psychopaths
Stay out of their way…
John Ryder The Hitcher (1986)
The Psycho: A man of few words, John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) is a hitchhiker who makes life a misery for anybody stupid enough to pick him up from the roadside.
Creepiest Act : “I want you to stop me.”
Ryder calmly explains to Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) that he’s just killed the occupants of a stranded car – and intends on repeating the pattern with Jim…
Travis Bickle Taxi Driver (1976)
The Psycho: An insomnia-suffering ex-Marine, Bickle works as a New York cab driver by night – a job that sees his mind slowly unravelling.
Creepiest Act: Bickle attempts to woo political volunteer Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) by taking her to the movies.
They go to see a porno…
Damien The Omen (1976)
The Psycho: The adopted son of Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) and Katherine (Lee Remick).
Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens) is the creepiest of all movie kids – just look at those eyes.
Creepiest Act: Damien attends the funeral of his parents, then peers directly into the camera to offer us a chilling smile.
Frank Booth Blue Velvet (1986)
The Psycho: A fan of dry-humping and sadomasochism, Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) has the worst potty-mouth you’ve ever heard.
He also has a habit of sucking on a mystery gas.
Creepiest Act: Another psycho with a very misguided seduction technique, we'd argue that Frank's very first scene is his creepiest, but to be fair, there's a lot of competition.
Patrick Martha Marcy May Marlene (2012)
The Psycho: The leader of a cult in the Catskill Mountains, Patrick (John Hawkes) is softly spoken and amenable, but that hides his true savage nature as a brainwasher and rapist.
Creepiest Act: Patrick rapes Martha (Elizabeth Olsen).
After the event, another member of the cult tells Martha how lucky she is – a chilling example of Patrick’s brainwashing in action.
Dr Heiter The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
The Psycho: A manic surgeon (not the kind of surgeon you really want operating on you), Dr. Josef Heiter (Dieter Laser) has a dream – he wants to create a human centipede.
Which turns out to be just as gross as it sounds.
Creepiest Act: Creepy-funny, really, as Dr Heiter gleefully purrs “Feed her! Feed her!”
Colonel Hans Landa Inglourious Basterds (2009)
The Psycho: Known as the ‘Jew Hunter’, Landa’s cool cucumber exterior belies a volcanic interior that’s as bloodthirsty as any vampire.
Creepiest Act: At the film’s opening, Landa orders his soldiers to shoot through the floor of a dairy farmer’s home.
Why? A Jewish family is being concealed there…
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It's the fact he does it with such a cheery air that really gives us the wiggins.
Max Cady Cape Fear (1991)
The Psycho: An illiterate rapist convicted for his crimes, Max Cady (Robert De Niro) discovers that his defence attorney screwed him over – and vows to get revenge.
Creepiest Act: There’s a moment with a bed and handcuffs that we won’t go into because it’s that horrible…
Marie Switchblade Romance (2003)
The Psycho: In the POV-warped world of Switchblade Romance , Marie (Cécile de France) and her friend Alex (Maïwenn) are victims of a terrifying man known only as The Killer.
SPOILERS In fact, Marie is the murderer – and a total psycho.
Creepiest Act: Revealed as the psycho that she truly is, Marie professes her love for Alex and kisses her – only to have a crowbar shoved into her chest.
John Bunting Snowtown (2011)
The Psycho: A homophobic bully who otherwise seems like a decent fellow, John (Daniel Henshall) spends his spare time murdering gay people, paedophiles, and pretty much anyone he feels like.
Creepiest Act: The horrific moment when John and his protégé Jamie (Lucas Pittaway) strap a victim to a bath, then force him to record a voicemail message that makes it seems like he’s leaving town.
Then they kill him.
Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.
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