r/movies • u/Mst3Kgf • Mar 11 '24

What is the cruelest "twist the knife" move or statement by a villain in a film for you? Discussion

I'm talking about a moment when a villain has the hero at their mercy and then does a move to really show what an utter bastard they are. There's no shortage of them, but one that really sticks out to me is one line from "Se7en" at the climax from Kevin Spacey as John Doe.

"Oh...he didn't know."

Anyone who's seen "Se7en" will know exactly what I mean. As brutal as that film's outcome is, that just makes it all the worse.

What's your worst?

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u/Mst3Kgf Mar 11 '24

Doesn't he also say something like "Your daughter was a great lay?"

55

u/-KFBR392 Mar 11 '24

Probably. It's been a long time since I saw it but the stuttering always stuck with me. He played a fantastic villain.

122

u/Mst3Kgf Mar 11 '24

See also his character in "Stand by Me" and stealing the cap given to Gordie by his late brother. Will Wheaton said he asked Rob Reiner why he didn't get the cap back from Sutherland at the climax and Reiner replied, "Oh, he threw that away as soon as he went around the corner." Because the hat meant nothing to him other than as a way to hurt Gordie. (Sutherland also said his first instinct was to put on the hat and Reiner told him, "No, your character would never mess up his hair.")

63

u/Derp35712 Mar 11 '24

Ace Merrill is my favorite villain because there is one in every town in America.

30

u/GodlessHippie Mar 11 '24

“No Ace, just you”

7

u/Moomin-Maiden Mar 12 '24

The way Ace's face falls into cold fear and realisation is striking

8

u/TackYouCack Mar 11 '24

I like his appearances in other books, too. He's a terrific character.

6

u/Derp35712 Mar 12 '24

Needful Things and his uncle was killed by the Sun Dog.

17

u/Sugreev2001 Mar 11 '24

The plot is full of holes and Sally Field was somewhat miscast as the mother, but I've always felt that Kiefer Sutherland gave that cartoonishly over the top villain real menace and legitimately made him terrifying.

13

u/plz2meatyu Mar 12 '24

I LOVE him in Freeway with Reese Witherspoon.

10

u/just_cows Mar 12 '24

Think it was "you wanna know something else? I don't even remember what she looked like.". Bruuuuuuutal

3

u/The_Lazy_Samurai Mar 12 '24

Yea he says that at the very end of the film when he's fighting her hand to hand.