50 Worst Movie Neighbours
Don't lend them any sugar...
Marcie Dahlgren-Frost - Uncle Buck (1989)
The Neighbour: Nosy neighbour to the Russells, Marcie (Laurie Metcalf) dresses with an unrivalled flair, takes pride in her name (“I get compliments on the hyphen”) and takes quite a shine to Uncle Buck (John Candy.)
Why They’re The Worst: She lets herself in whenever the fancy takes her, at one point busting out the mace when she hears Buck shouting at the washing machine.
Bad Neighbours is available to own now on Digital Download via iTunes , Blinkbox or Google Play .
Louis Tully - Ghostbusters (1984)
The Neighbour: A bespectacled accountant, Louis Tully (Rick Moranis)’s aching desire to be as cool as the Ghostbusters is overshadowed by his commitment to being a tax-lovin’ workout nerd.
Why They’re The Worst: One of the Terror Dogs takes his body as a host and he runs rampant across New York, slobbering, babbling and pestering people about The Gatekeeper. Expect a gift on the doormat.
Wendy Potter - Troll (1986)
The Neighbour: Don’t be fooled by the butter-wouldn’t-melt smile. Wendy Potter (Jenny Beck) is not your ordinary little girl. After she and her family move into a new complex, Wendy goes a-wandering into the laundry room to meet the neighbours.
Why They’re The Worst: One of the building’s residents happens to be a troll named Torok, who possesses Wendy and turns her into the most insufferable tyke since the kid from Problem Child . Punching, biting, and general brattiness ensues.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
Mrs. Connelly - Duplex (2003)
The Neighbour: A feisty old gal, Mrs. Connelly (Eileen Essell) rallies against the traditional geriatric behaviours associated with folks of her age and lives life loud.
Why They’re The Worst: She’s a scamming old broad, who drives the new neighbours in her building (Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore) to the brink of madness with her TV set to top volume all day.
That is when she’s not having a brass band rehearsal in her apartment and plotting how to make fast cash from the tenants. Devious.
Jim Cunningham - Donnie Darko (2001)
The Neighbour: He likes golf, has gusto for heartfelt greetings and is the figurehead of his own motivational speaking brand, Attitudinal Beliefs. With his perfect hair, sharp attire and wholesome bravado, the whole neighbourhood loves Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze)
Why They’re The Worst: Sadly, his entire persona was cultivated to hide his shameful secret - a child pornography ring exposed by Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) after he burns down Cunningham’s home.
Cheech and Chong - Cheech and Chongs Next Movie (1980)
The Neighbour: Cinema’s stalwart stoners, Cheech (Cheech Marin) and Chong (Tommy Chong) spend their days smokin’ da herb, happy to coast through life amid the hijinks that plague them.
Why They’re The Worst: Noise pollution becomes an issue for any nearby inhabitants, with Chong’s guitar-shredding sessions causing the windows of Mr Neatnik’s house to implode. The pair then steal his car to siphon the gas and subsequently blow it up.
Leland Gaunt - Needful Things (1994)
The Neighbour: The enigmatic proprietor of new antiques store, Needful Things, Leland Gaunt (Max Von Sydow) is owner to a bizarre monicker and a shop full of desirable objects.
Why They’re The Worst: The store and its inventory aid Gaunt in his plan to exploit the townsfolk and their weaknesses, manipulating them into a tangled web of deceit. Well, he is the Devil.
Freddy Krueger - A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
The Neighbour: A convicted killer of twenty children, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) crosses the boundary between life and death after he is burned alive by the parents of Elm Street, returning from the grave to exact his revenge.
Why They’re The Worst: If you’ve a fondness for sleep, then Fred’ll have you afraid to nod off in case he pops into your nightmares for a spot of stalk n’ slash.
Jud Crandall - Pet Sematary (1989)
The Neighbour: A wizened old man, Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne) lives a solitary existence after his wife’s passing. Things brighten up for him when a young family move in across the street, and he begins a friendship with Louis Creed (Dale Midkiff.)
Why They’re The Worst: All the good intention in the world doesn’t change the fundamental dilemma with a cemetery which resurrects the dead. It’s only when he lets Louis in on the secret that all hell breaks loose. Literally.
Simon Skinner - Hot Fuzz (2007)
The Neighbour: Head of Sandford’s Neighbourhood Watch Alliance, Skinner (Timothy Dalton) manages the local Somerfield supermarket, one-upping PC Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) at every turn with convenient alibis and glib remarks.
Why They’re The Worst: His dastardly ways of manipulation reveal that both he and the NWA are a dedicated gaggle of murderers who’ll off anyone who threatens the town’s quaint image.
Gem Seddon is 12DOVE's west coast Entertainment News Reporter, working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.