10) Bane – The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises was arguably one of the most hyped films of 2012, and rightfully so. After the immense success of The Dark Knight and a groundbreaking performance by the late Heath Ledger as The Joker, viewers were thirsty for an even more complex villain. Director Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan’s answer was Bane…sort of.
Bane had it all: the flair, the power, and the reeking of pure fear. Portrayed by the talented Tom Hardy, everything leading up to the final moments of The Dark Knight Rises proved that this masked “liberator” would quench viewers’ thirst for an exceptional villain. However, all was for naught when it was revealed he was effectively a lap dog for Talia al Ghul, driven by the curse of the friend zone.
Other than the fact that he was only evil by association, his only one true act of malice was when he chose to kill Batman even after Talia al Ghul asked him to wait. But the one time Bane showed some sort of agency, he proved himself a hero: when he helped a young innocent Talia escape the prison, subsequently having his face disfigured by the inmates. Unfortunately for him, his heroic actions aided a true villain, and so his path was set. Had his valiant efforts helped someone else, he might have been on the other side of a motorcycle gun blast.
9) The Facility – The Cabin In The Woods
The Cabin in the Woods quietly conjured itself up into one of the most revered horror films of all time. Its satirical take on horror film clichés, and clever breaking of the fourth wall, turned it into an instant classic. At the heart of the film was the Facility, whose intentions were unclear at first. It was obvious that they were something more than sadistic cold-hearted company men bidding on a twisted game of murder, though.
As the victims were killed off one by one, there was a general sense of remorse shown by everyone working, even when they helped the redneck zombie family slash their way into the cabin. But even through all these glimmers of humanity, when the monsters invaded the Facility, it was relieving seeing them getting a taste of their own medicine.
That is, until it was revealed why they were giving up their humanity for a front row in viewing death: to prevent the destruction of mankind. Suddenly, the tables are turned and viewers are cheering for both the group of unlucky youngsters and the saviors of the planet. With the true villains of the film being the “Ancient Ones,” the Facility is left with the scraps of being the hero disguised by villainous tactics. Even now, the Facility probably doesn’t get the recognition they deserve.