25 Of The Best Movies Where The Bad Guy Wins At The End

movies bad guy wins
Marvel Studios/Lucasfilm

You know the drill: a hero embarks on an adventurous journey, overcomes a number of obstacles, and defeats a big bad villain — the classic movie.

But sometimes, movies throw audiences for a loop and that big bad villain comes out on top.

From intergalactic wars among the stars, serial murderers, powerful bad guys, and surprise twists, sometimes it’s refreshing to see the villain actually win at the end.

It’s not always bad rooting for the bad guys, admit it, we’ve all been there.

Warning: major spoilers ahead

With some timeless quotes to boot, here are 25 of the best movies where the bad guy wins at the end.

1. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Lucasfilms

2. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Marvel Studios

3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Orion Pictures (via IMDB)

4. Se7en (1995)

New Line Cinema

5. The Usual Suspects (1995)

Gramercy Pictures (via IMDB)

6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

United Artists (via IMDB)

7. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (1999)

20th Century Fox

8. The Green Mile (1999)

Warner Bros.

9. Fight Club (1999)

20th Century Fox (via IMDB)

10. No Country For Old Men (2004)

Miramax Films

11. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

New Line Cinema

12. The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

Warner Bros. (via IMDB)

13. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

Lionsgate

14. Memento (2000)

Newmarket

15. Saw (2004)

Lions Gate Films




Ty Jadah

Tyler is the Montreal City Editor at Daily Hive. He goes by “Ty” for short and “Tyl” for medium.