Are Movie Villains Becoming Too Sympathetic in Recent Films?

[Maya]

Many new blockbusters give villains detailed backstories or trauma. Take Joker for example. Does this make stories richer, or does it weaken the threat? What is the recent movie did you watch where the villain struck the right balance? Do you prefer clear-cut antagonists or complicated ones?

 

[You]

That's such a great point you are making. When villains get those detailed backstories and emotional depth it definitely makes them more relatable and interesting as characters. You start to understand why they are the way they are and sometimes you even sympathize with them a little. But the downside is that it can soften their threat level and make them feel less scary or menacing which kind of defeats the purpose of having a really compelling villain you know..

 

[Nomad]

In the past they created characters that were clearly hero or villain, however, these days create complex characters, which cannot be clearly labeled as a hero or villain. These are basically anti-hero but not entire villain. These characters are being made sympathetic by showing how badly the society treated them.

 

[uptrend]

Villains are becoming too soft. Everybody has sad backstory now. Sometimes I just want a bad person that is bad. I watched one recent movie and ended up feeling sorry for the villain more than the hero. That's so confusing.

 

[Heatman]

For the movies I watched recently, I don't think villains are too soft. No character is born to become a villain, there's always a story or reason why they become villains. Thanos in the Avengers : Infinity War wasn't soft and Dr Doom in the upcoming Avengers : Doomsday is not pictured to be soft.

 

[1stop]

I don't mind it. In real life, people are complicated. Showing why someone turned bad makes the story deeper. But balance is highly needed. So, we should not make crime look cool. Some villains still deserve zero sympathy.