Why are movie villains often more interesting than heroes?
BY THE PERPETUALLY CURIOUS There is no single reason why villains are often more interesting than heroes. It is a combination of factors, including character development and the social and psychological reasons behind what draws viewers to certain characters. For example, villains often have more interesting or better-developed backstories. We get to see where their evil comes from, while a hero's past tends to be more predictable. Another reason is their lack of moral and legal limits. At some point, everyone has probably imagined punching a boss or a teacher in the face. Or doing something worse. But it stays in our imagination because, no matter how unfair or unbearable a boss may be, getting arrested just to “teach them a lesson” usually isn't worth it. Villains don't have that restraint. Finally, there is the curiosity about what makes someone become that way. Hannibal Lecter, for example, is the kind of villain very few people would identify with, or at least I h...
