Like Lupin, hes had fun playing for the good side.
But what happens when he crosses over into darker territory?
For the following roles, no too are the same.
One miniseries takes place in a sanctuary between humans and dinosaurs.
A Netflix animated series shows young characters surviving puberty.
And back in the early 90s, a gritty, controversial moviemade Thewlis into a star.
Image via ABC
Not all of these characters are truly evil.
But they do their share of horrendous deeds.
And the further down, the more dangerous David Thewlis roles get.
Image via Netflix
Johnny Fletcher in Naked (1993)
Early on, Johnny mentions how he, was a werewolf.
Of course, he isnt.
This is one of many meandering speeches he gives.
Image via FX
While Lupin looked a bit rough from his infliction with lycanthropy, Johnny Fletcher isnt given that excuse.
Its a lonely, dehumanizing existence, to which Johnnys responds back with anger.
Hes unemployed but speaks with an educated background.
He snakes his way into peoples lives, but has no true connections or even friends.
Its tragic and pitiful.
While Johnny is more of an antihero, the opening sets up the amoral lifestyle he inhabits.
He aggressively forces himself on a woman in a dark alley.
Before help can arrive, he makes a run for it.
But the start of the movie is telling.
Johnny is violent, his frustrations never simmering down.
After all, its what fuels him through a bleak life.
For the grim and captivating performance, Thewlis earned international recognition.
Ares in Wonder Woman (2017)
Plot-twist villains can make fun surprises.
Or they can come in too late, such as what happened with Thewlis here.
The problem is, the limited scenes he is in, is not as Ares.
When Ares truly takes over, the final battle isnt as epic as it could have been.
It might have worked if there werent three different villains.
Ares a powerful figure, but his need to destroy ends up fueling Diana in becomingtheWonder Woman.
So yes, being a god, Ares is powerful.
Yet, there are other, more nefarious characters Thewlis has played which have better used his talents.
And he suffers a great one.
His son Bruno (Asa Butterfield) befriends a boy on the other side, unbeknownst to the family.
Ralf is not so much ignorant, he has other concerns.
It only begins the fractures to the marriage.
But to Ralf, family matter little to his belief in the Nazi regime.
The marriage is cracking and Ralf still chooses his uniform.
During dinner, a fellow soldier attacks a Jewish slave, all the while Ralf sits nearby.
He eats his dinner as if the attack isnt occurring, while his wife and son watch in horror.
He tries so hard to close himself off from humanity, that it all comes to a head.
For all his sins, Ralfs punishment is losing the son he hardly gave much attention too.
It makes sense, the titular island is where humans and dinosaurs coexist.
The setup is outlandish enough, many of the dino species have learned to speak and dress.
It warrants a colorful bad guy.
What makes it even better, is his motivations are understandable.
The problem once you get to this island, is it’s possible for you to never leave it.
The secret must be kept.
So when two brothers get caught in a plane wreckage, its by accident they find the land.
Stuck in Dinotopia too, is Cyrus.
It isnt long before he makes it known how far he will go to escape.
Hes a thief, desperate to find the exit route.
And you wont get another moment like Thewlis knocking out a mild-manneredStenonychosaurusin order to keep his agenda hidden.
He wants to collect mystic sunstones to properly achieve his end goal.
He acts like a villain pulled from a fairy tale, where in this case Quetzalcoatlus replaces dragons.
Its tough, only getting tougher with the arrival of the Shame Wizard.
He even works on performing covers to pop songs in private.
In the voice acting, Thewlis goes all in on the cackling, whisperings of dreaded shame.
The spin-offHuman Resourcesgives more depth to this character, even giving him a name.
But the Shame Wizard is best as the antagonistic force in the series that first introduced him.
Especially, because there might just be a need for some mortifying feelings the ensemble kids slip into.
After all, its all part of growing up.
Like John Dee is convinced a world without lies is the ideal future.
Once he breaks free from a mental health facility, he goes out to tamper with the Dreamstone.
It leads to many deaths around him.
Niles building anixety in realizing who her passenger is, increases Thewlis nonchalant, deadly presence.
Things only get worse when John reaches the end of his hitchhiking trip, stopping at a diner.
A human shouldnt have the godlike powers John steals.
The diner is a microcosm of what it would lead to.
Lust and chaos, which John is unable to see as destructive forces.
Suffering from bulimia, V. M. Vargas teeth have all rotten out, matching his personality quite well.
Living out of a massive truck, Varga calls it home and his base of operations.
Which goes right into what makes him a bag of contradictions.
He is incredibly rich, yet you wouldnt know it from his lifestyle.
Vargas greed almost becomes invisible.
Coming from a childhood of poverty, he still treasures it, doing so in his own perculiar way.
Hes told there is only one outcome: a long stay in prison.
Varga, on the other, believes circumstances will fall right into his lap.
