Comments on: 10 Essential Cinematic Antiheroes

By: DG

DG — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Agree with Freddy Quell but disagree with the assertion that most of P.T.A's protags are anti-heros, especially Sandler's Barry Egan. I think one of the defining characteristics of the anti-hero is the inability to change, grow, or learn anything from their actions, and Egan has an arc in Punch Drunk Love that finds him (heroically) transforming from an alienated, anxiety-ridden caricature to someone capable of triumphantly defending his love and striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. Daniel Plainview and Paul Sunday also seem like anti-heros on paper but in the greater context of the movie, and as the symbols of early, burgeoning American industry, they take on mythical proportions that too me places them, if not in the realm of heroism then at least into the canon of outsiders. Great article though, and another good reminder that I really need to check out Young Adult.

By: Todd

Todd — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

A sizeable chunk of Jack Nicholson films (Five Easy Pieces, Cuckoo's Nest, etc…)

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

What about Vincent Gallo in Buffalo '66??

By: Ummmm

Ummmm — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Your list is missing the essential anti-hero in cinema history: Jake Gittes in Chinatown. Also good mentions could have been Hackman in The Conversation, or Gould in The Long Goodbye. No offense to the author but… this list is rubbish.

By: wes

wes — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

I can't bring myself to watch Naked even though it's sitting in my Netflix queue.

By: yer

yer — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

The King of Comedy is such an underrated film. An excellent companion piece to Taxi Driver and features one of De Niro's finest performances.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

The King of Comedy is my favorite Scorsese film.

And glad to see I'm not the only one who views Casey Affleck's performance as Robert Ford one of the absolute greats of recent memory. I mean, geez, it's one of my favorite performances of all-time.

By: droop

droop — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

you clearly didn't understand the master, freddie quell is no antihero and certainly does not belong on this list, and your assessment of him and the movie are just so off the mark. he absolutely has virtues. he is kind, loyal, courageous and humble. the worst

By: TheoC

TheoC — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

The writer puts in a disclaimer/explanation of the parameters for inclusion on the list, commentors bitch about the reasoning?? Read the thing.

Superb list well written. Affleck's Robert Ford creeps me the fuck out.

By: Noah

Noah — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Naked does not begin with a rape. Watch the scene again. Mike Leigh has dismissed this many times.

By: oogle monster

oogle monster — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Playlist, I know we get in arguments from time to time but I forgive you for everything seeing that you put Charlize Theron's career second-best performance on this list. THANK YOU! Young Adult is such a great film.

By: JP G

JP G — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Here's a tribute to the wonderful film that is: "The Friend's of Eddie Coyle".
(No links allowed it seems. Go to YT and search for "Friends of Eddie Coyle Tribute Project"
Yes, we are no Mitchum, Yates, Jordon or Keats but we loved the movie so much and wanted to do a project so…Also, what's wrong with exposing it to the modern audience? Hope many newer and older film buffs who missed it back in the day will get around to viewing this 1973 classic and read the George V. Higgins novel that 80% of the film's dialogue is sourced from. Responsible comments welcome. Thanks!

By: NWOS

NWOS — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

You are wrong to say that antiheroes are not cool.

For one, many antiheroes, including Benjamin Braddock (who is undeservedly snubbed) or Jim Stark are only judged to be cool as the values or mores of society shift.

For a great example of this read Ebert's two reviews of The Graduate, one he made as a young man and another 30 years after that. His opinions of Braddock's actions change as his values begin to align not with counterculture but with mainstream culture.

Basically, an antihero often embodies a sub- or counter-culture because their values are seen as threatening or preverse, but when that culture becomes mainstream, the antihero is seen as cool after the fact. By ignoring this, you've left out countless antiheroes, whose image has changed to be viewed in a more favorable light.

By: DG

DG — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

By: SL

SL — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Although I know it's impossible to think of every anti-hero, I feel like Patrick Bateman from "American Psycho" needs to be on this list.

By: John

John — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Completely agree that, by your own definition, Freddie Quell wouldn't qualify as an anti-hero. And admission aside, you couldn't come up with more than one female antihero?

By: DG

DG — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

What about Reese Witherspoon in Election?

By: Hughey Bifouf

Hughey Bifouf — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

The one inclusion I'd deem as the most warranted: Isabelle Huppert in The Piano Teacher.

By: JRDonug

JRDonug — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

According to the author of this article and everyone who agrees with her definition of "anti-hero"… An "anti-villian" would be any character in cinema history you love/like or wish you could "be"… I hope this comment brings understanding to people who are being led to believe a false cinematic term by the novice writer of this article. I wish there was some way a more experienced/intelligent cinematic writer could re-vamp this travesty of writing/list-making haha. Thank you!

By: Xian

Xian — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Good list; great definition. I would add that the performance should be absolutely cringeworthy… like watching Ricky Gervais as David Brent in the original "The Office." So, for those of you that have or have not seen the minor film (though some call it a masterpiece of sorts), "Cutter's Way," I submit John Heard's performance as the eponymous Vietnam vet, Alex Cutter. (Can't paste a YouTube clip here, but search for "Cutters Way It Was In My Driveway" for a sampling of Heard's acting chops). Heard seemingly channels poet Charles Bukowski in bringing the acid-tongued, stream-of-consciousness ramblings of Cutter to life. It's probably Heard's best performance, and he plays off Jeff Bridges in a way that nearly (but certainly does not) make him likable. He's a bastard, an honest asshole, moving beyond mere curmudgeon into a mean ol' sonofabitch… but because of, and by the end in spite of, his nature, he digs deep into a murder mystery that takes him into the even weirder, meaner halls of the disgustingly rich.

By: Fordwsh

Fordwsh — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Reading this article and the comment section made me sick to my stomach. Are you all ill-begotten feeble-minded ninny's masquerading as film-buffs? Or do you all actually agree with this idiotic definition of "Antihero" being an unlikable character. This is an insult to all film-buffs worldwide, not to mention the intellectual film-goer. This article and these people who agree with it are the reasons why American cinema is at one of it's lowest points and only declining. Please, educate yourself before making a fool of yourself on the world wide web… This article is a miscarriage. I lost many respects for The Playlist for allowing this to be published. Lost a couple credibility points in my book but hey, at least you're succeeding in further stupidifying the average film-goer.

By: PatrickNell

PatrickNell — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Wait, I'm confused. "The Pupkin Rule"? So every character I wouldn't want to be is an anti-hero? That makes no sense. I think you're confusing your terms. As I read the comment section I realize more intelligent commenters are making more reasonable cases but something is definitely off in this post. In classical and earlier mythology, the hero tended to be a dashing, confident, stoic, intelligent, highly capable fighter and commander with few, if any, flaws. The classical antihero is the inversion of this. Where the hero is confident, the antihero is plagued by self-doubt. Where the hero is a respected fighter, the antihero is mediocre at best. Where the hero is brave and courageous, the antihero is frightened and cowardly. Where the hero gets all the ladies, the antihero can't even get the time of day. In short, while the traditional hero is a paragon of awesomeness, the classical antihero suffers from flaws and hindrances. Jessica Kiang's definition is "any unlikable character in cinema"…

By: kindred spirit

kindred spirit — Fri, 13 May 2016 10:05:56 +0000

Good call on Mavis in Young Adult. But you seem to have forgotten Nicole Kidman in To Die For. Talk about a classic antihero!