Best movies where the villain wins?

[PolymerSkywalker]

What are your favorite movies where the villain wins in the end?

Here would be 3 of my favorites:

• Se7en
• The Empire Strikes Back
• The Matrix

 

[BrianL]

What are your favorite movies where the villain wins in the end?

Here would be 3 of my favorites:

• Se7en
• The Empire Strikes Back
• The Matrix

I'm not really a fan of when the villain wins. That said, The viallain doens't exactly winin THe Empire Strikes Back either. Vader's goal was to have Luke join him on the Dark Side, and he failed. Certainly the good guys were battered and not in a great place, but they still won the primary point of contention in the story.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

So, the empire kinda won the battle but were poised to lose the war.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Spoiler Alert:

Spoiler

"The Usual Suspects"

I would put "Pulp Fiction" on that list too.

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

Spoiler Alert:

Spoiler

"The Usual Suspects"

Ooooh, that's a good one.

 

[BrianL]

So, the empire kinda won the battle but were poised to lose the war.

Well, they didn't even win that. I guess if you mean they destoryed the rebel base at Hoth or captured Han Solo, maybe, but the goal was to turn Luke or kill him. They failed to do so, so they did not meet their goal. Luke celarly defeated Vader in every way that mattered and denied the Emporer his "prize."

 

[Moliphino]

Infinity War

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

Well, they didn't even win that. I guess if you mean they destoryed the rebel base at Hoth or captured Han Solo, maybe, but the goal was to turn Luke or kill him. They failed to do so, so they did not meet their goal. Luke celarly defeated Vader in every way that mattered and denied the Emporer his "prize."

Except it was literally the title of the movie. I mean the Empire did indeed strike back.

Sure they didn't kill or turn Luke, which was a big goal. However, they decimated and scattered the Rebels. Pretty much setting up their ultimate come from behind win in the end of Episode #6.

 

[BrianL]

Except it was literally the title of the movie. I mean the Empire did indeed strike back.

Sure they didn't kill or turn Luke, which was a big goal. However, they decimated and scattered the Rebels. Pretty much setting up their ultimate come from behind win in the end of Episode #6.

Right, they struck back - but they didn't "win" - at least not the crux of the narrative arc, which was not about the Empire blowing up the Rebels at all.

 

[maxbuffmelvin]

Does anti-heroes count? If so, Clint Eastwood in the Dollars trilogy.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Hot take: "Karate Kid"

 

[PolymerSkywalker]

Certainly, if you watch the Cobra Kai series you can begin to think Daniel Son was the villain all along.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

This is very obscure but the Spanish horror film [REC] doesn't end at all well for anyone but the villainous infected. It's a great film.

 

[Scootin'By]

How about Lilo & Stitch. Expirement 626 starts off as just about the worst thing to ever happen to the GALAXY! But in the end gets to live in exile with a new family and two body guards. That's winning for sure!

 

[Karin1984]

I had to look for a list of movies where the villain wins, and it turns out... I don't know most of them

One movie I do want to see is the original Stepford Wives movie from the 1970s.
Others on the list I do know are Silence of the Lambs, a classic, but I wouldn't really put this movie on the list. And Gone Girl, which was a movie I didn't like, but yes, you can say the bad girl wins in the end.