Summary
Film noirremains to be one of the most beloved classic film genres today, initially popularized by iconic films such asThe Maltese Falcon,Gaslight, andDouble Indemnity.
Between the 1940s and 1950s, film noir was at its prime, delivering captivating mysteries and star-crossed romances directed by influential filmmakers, includingJohn Huston,Billy Wilder, and The Master of Suspense,Alfred Hitchcock.
While an epic film noir has certain requirements such as a tangled web of a plot and a cynical private eye, a villain is what truly speaks to a film’s ultimate greatness.
Image via Federico Napoli
Regarding characters like Vince Stone fromThe Big Heatand the charming psychopath, Bruno Anthony fromStrangers on a Train, they are simply the tip of the iceberg of iconic noir villains who bring their own eccentric layer of corruption and suspense to the table.
FromKirk Douglas' Whit Sterling fromOut of the Pastto the diabolical Cody Jarrett inWhite Heat, these are the 10 best classic film noir villains, ranked.
10Whit Sterling - ‘Out of the Past’ (1947)
Played by Kirk Douglas
Typically known for his heroic, good guy roles, Douglas plays an against-punch in role as the crooked gambler, Whit Sterling, inone of the best detective noirs,Out of the Past.Robert Mitchumstars as a former private eye, Jeff Bailey, who, after hiding out in a small town, is recognized by one of Sterling’s men, forcing Bailey to meet with Sterling, who had hired him to track down his girlfriend, Kathie Moffat, played byJane Greer, after she shot him and took off with a load of cash.
Image via RKO Pictures
Douglas uses his good looks and dashing charm to his advantage by presenting Sterling with an unsuspecting persona as being a reasonable man, but in reality, he is as cruel as they come and doesn’t take kindly to anyone who double-crosses him.
Even years after his last meeting with Bailey, who did find Moffat, he still makes a great deal of an effort to make an example of the retired gumshoe.
Sterling might not be physically intimidating, but he conveys an ominous, unpredictable presence that can be effectively malicious, deeming him to be one of the best classic noir villains.
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Out of the Pastcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
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9Captain Hank Quinlan - ‘Touch of Evil’ (1958)
Played by Orson Welles
Orson Wellesdirects and stars in the seedy, dark noir,Touch of Evil, as the morally corrupt police captain, Hank Quinlan, who is driven by his own sense of greed and an insatiable appetite for power.
Set at the Mexican and U.S. border, a special prosecutor, Miguel Vargas, played byCharlton Heston, is on his honeymoon when a car bombing occurs on the American side of the border.
Vargas is aided by Quinlin in the investigation and soon figures out that Quinlin is not only involved but also trying to frame an innocent man for the crime.
The film noir genre has seen its fair share of dirty cops, butQuinlan takes the cake as one of the most ruthless and manipulative lawmen who abuse his badge as an impenetrable shield for his own personal gain.
To add insult to injury, this isn’t the first frame job orchestrated by Quinlan, who has stood by as a string of innocent people are wrongfully convicted and locked up for crimes committed at his hands.
Quinlin is one villain who, despite his alcoholism and portly stature, is definitely more clever and calculating than he initially lets on and, while most villains are expected to sink to all-time lows, Quinlin sinks well beyond the point of possible redemption.
Image via Universal Pictures
Touch of Evilcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
8Kasper Gutman - ‘The Maltese Falcon’ (1941)
Played by Sydney Greenstreet
Unlike most noir criminals, Kasper Gutman inJohn Huston’s directorial debut,The Maltese Falcon, is considered to be a sophisticated villain who has the means to employ others to do his dirty work.
Played by the legendarySydney Greenstreet, Gutman is one of several characters who cross paths with a private eye, Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart),who is pulled into a wild goose chase for a priceless jewel-encrusted statue known as the Maltese Falcon.
Compared to the others who are in search of the falcon, Gutman makes the largest sum offer for Spade’s help in finding the statue, but even though it sounds like a good payday, Spade is wise to the Fat Man’s manipulation and history of backstabbing those who are unfortunate enough to strike a deal with him.
Despite his nefarious intentions,Gutman is intelligent and well-educated about the falcon and its origins, but unlike Spade, he lacks street smarts, which essentially leads to his failure.
The Maltese Falconcan be streamed on Tubi in the U.S.
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7Vince Stone - ‘The Big Heat’ (1953)
Played by Lee Marvin
Fritz Lang’s classic,The Big Heat, is a gritty noir starringGlenn Fordas Detective Dave Bannion, who is assigned to investigate the suspicious death of a crooked police officer.
While his superior is quick to wrap up the case, Bannion continues to work it, encountering a cast of misfits and suspicious characters, including the ill-tempered gangster, Vince Stone, played byLee Marvin, who is as sinister as they come.
Image via Warner Bros.
Similar to a kid burning ants with a magnifying glass, Stone is the definition of a sadist, getting his kicks out of inflicting pain on others.
Throughout the film, his cruelty continues to increase and while he’s very capable of murder, he sometimes prefers to make his victims suffer, specifically his girlfriend, Debby Marsh (Gloria Grahame), who is permanently disfigured after he throws a pot of hot coffee in her face.
For Stone, sometimes even death is too kind and when he wants to make a point, there’s no telling what wicked methods he will resort to.
The Big Heatcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
6Phyllis Dietrichson - ‘Double Indemnity’ (1944)
Played by Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyckstars as the ultimate femme fatale, Phyllis Dietrichson, in Billy Wilder’s Oscar-nominated noir,Double Indemnity.
Dietrichson, who is married to a wealthy older man, ensnares an insurance salesman, Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), into a steamy affair and a plot to murder her husband and run away together with his money, but like every passion-driven murder, there’s always a catch, especially with Dietrichson.
Dietrichson is the typical beautiful gold digger who knows the power she holds over men and is a master in the art of seduction and manipulation.
Image via Columbia Pictures
Men seem to effortlessly fall under her spell and are each as disposable as the next as she uses them up until they’re no longer needed like an old pair of shoes she’s outgrown.
Dietrichson has zero empathy or any consideration for anyone but herself and, while she is a pretty young thing who knows all the right words to say, she is in essence a deadly black widow who is willing to tangle anyone up in her web of personal gain.
Double Indemnitycan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
5Bruno Antony - ‘Strangers on a Train’ (1951)
Played by Robert Walker
Robert Walkergives a riveting performance as the smooth-talking psychopath, Bruno Antony, whose upper-class pedigree and wealth mask his true monstrous colors in Alfred Hitchcock’sStrangers on a Train.
Image via Paramount Pictures
While on a train, Antony happens to strike up a conversation with a tennis pro, Guy Haines (Farley Granger),who is inadvertently recruited by Antony in a spontaneous murder plot that turns his entire world upside down.
While most villains make their motives known, Antony conceals his true murderous nature with his custom-tailored suits and high-class sophistication, making him one of the most frightening kinds of villains out there.
His casual approach to committing such a heinous crime is another terrifying but intriguing quality that ultimately captivates audiences into wondering what exactly drives this madman.
Between his contagious charm and unsuspecting demeanor, Antony is not only the most dangerous kind of villain, but also one of the greatest villains in cinema history.
Strangers on a Traincan be streamed on Tubi in the U.S.
4Ellen Berent - ‘Leave Her to Heaven’ (1945)
Played by Gene Tierney
Gene Tierneystars in the psychological film noir,Leave Her to Heaven, as the certifiable sociopath, Ellen Berent, who is as beautiful as she is deadly.
After meeting a writer, Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde), Berent and Harland embark on a whirlwind romance and quickly find themselves at the altar tying the knot.
Image via Warner Bros.
Shortly after they’re married, Harland begins to notice his new bride exhibiting strange behavior and her insatiable desire to always be the center of his attention.
Like most sociopaths, Berent lacks any emotion of empathy or remorse for others and as her obsession to have her husband all to herself grows, she resorts to unspeakable measures such as murder and making false accusations.
She takes advantage of her stunning vanity and innocent allure to cover her tracks and disregard any suspicion, allowing her to get away with her calculating misdeeds.While her beauty and outward appearance are seemingly flawless, deep inside lies a cold and callous soul that is even willing to sacrifice her own life to get her petty revenge against those she believes betrayed her, cementing her as one of the best film noir villains of all time.
Leave Her to Heavencan be streamed on Plex in the U.S.
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3Gregory Anton - ‘Gaslight’ (1944)
Played by Charles Boyer
Gaslightis a quintessential film noir starringCharles Boyeras the devious Gregory Anton who bewitches a young woman, Paula (Ingrid Bergman), shortly after she arrives in Italy and the untimely murder of her famous aunt.
Anton checks all the boxes of a dashing gentleman and dotes on Paula every waking moment, but behind his suave, well-to-do persona, he is secretly a skilled thief and murderer who is using Paula to get to her aunt’s priceless gems.
Anton is a tactful and logical villain who, instead of murdering Paula, chooses psychological warfare and attempts to gaslight Paula into thinking she has lost her mind.
Image via 20th Century Fox
It takes a certain degree of evil to resort to such a cruel method, but as Anton is being scoped out by a local detective, played byJoseph Cotten, he is smart enough to avoid drawing any more attention to himself.
While Anton might initially appear to be the typical murderous jewel thief, he proves to be a much more cunning and dangerous kind of villain who, if murder won’t suffice, is expertly prepared to take a less conventional approach to getting what he wants.
Gaslightcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
2Uncle Charlie - ‘Shadow of a Doubt’ (1943)
Played by Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten stars in an against-bang out role inone of Hitchcock’s best films,Shadow of a Doubtas the elusive Uncle Charlie who pays his family a spontaneous visit to Santa Rosa, where he meets his niece, played byTeresa Wright, who is named after the family’s favorite uncle.
Initially, Uncle Charlie seems to be a charming and humble bachelor, but as his niece spends more time with him, she begins to wonder about her mysterious uncle and the circumstances surrounding his visit.
Uncle Charlie fits the bill of a loving family man, but in reality, he leads a double life as a serial who targets wealthy widows and is known as the Merry Widow Murderer.He is a classic case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but unlike the admirable doctor, Charlie has no desire to eliminate or fight against his more sinister ego.
Between his boyish good looks and quick, resourceful wit, he is seemingly unstoppable and appears to go through the motions undetected, and even when his niece begins to catch on, he doesn’t show any sign of concern but instead, expresses an unwavering arrogance and confidence that is simply chilling.
Image via MGM Studios
Shadow of a Doubtcan be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.
1Cody Jarrett - ‘White Heat’ (1949)
Played by James Cagney
James Cagney gives a showstopping performance as the no-nonsense, violent gangster Cody Jarrett in the epic classic film,White Heat.
Jarett, who is the leader of a gang of crooks, finds himself in prison and befriends his cellmate, Vic (Edmond O’Brien), who is secretly an agent planted by the authorities.
When Jarett breaks out of prison, he is soon on a rampage of murder and violence that eventually leads to his inevitable demise.
Jarrett is a film noir villain who is underestimated by others based on his mental health and social status, but even though he might not be the sharpest or fanciest knife in the drawer, he is still a powerful and dangerous force to be reckoned with.
His cruelty has no limits and even when one of his own is badly injured, he is unmoved by the man’s constant pain, revealing his anti-social personality.
Known for his psychotic tendencies and unpredictable temper, Jarrett has the uncanny ability to strike fear in even the strongest man with just one look and, aside from his mother, his loyalty lies only in himself, making him the most ruthless but the best villain in any film noir.
Image via Universal Pictures
White Heatcan be streamed on Tubi in the U.S.
KEEP READING:13 Film Noir Movies That Are Perfect From Start to Finish
Image via Warner Bros.
