The power of hate is a popular trope in cinema reserved mostly for the villains of a story. While some villains can have compelling goals, some are presented as antagonists purely because of the hatred they feel for the hero. Hatred can be a great motivator for these characters, so it makes sense why applying the same trope to a hero can also be just as interesting.
It can feel alienating if the hero is portrayed as hateful; the line between protagonist and antagonist can blur. That said, it can be refreshing to see a typical good guy release their hidden rage, especially when it feels warranted. Though only a few protagonists elect to present themselves in such a way, they remain memorable because of the hatred they emit.
7 Padraic Suilleabhain - The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022)
The Banshees of Inisherin, directed by Martin McDonagh, follows the story of Colm Doherty, an aspiring musician who suddenly decides to stop speaking to his best friend, Padraic Suilleabhain. Having spent most of his life at Padraic's side, Colm feels it is time to focus on his music career, which he believes requires him to cut ties with Padraic.
To prove how serious he is about the end of their friendship, Colm vows to cut his own fingers off if Padraic bothers him. Though Padraic doesn't take this threat too seriously, he quickly learns the error of his ways when he finds a severed finger outside his front door. As if this wasn't bad enough, his donkey, Jenny, chokes on one of the fingers left in the garden. Padraic loved Jenny, so the sight of her body turned him into a resentful and bitter old man. While he spent the majority of the movie attempting to rekindle a friendship, Jenny's death filled him with a hatred he could only direct at Colm.
6 Harry Potter - Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban documents Harry's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While the two previous years pitted Harry against Voldemort, his third trip to Hogwarts sees a new villain take center stage.
Sirius Black (played by Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban. Though nobody knows what his intentions are, many assume that he plans to kill Harry. Harry remains uncertain as to why Sirius would want this, but he eventually learns from Cornelius Fudge that Sirius sold James and Lily, Harry's parents, out to Voldemort. Shocked by this revelation, Harry vows to avenge his parents by killing Sirius if he ever gets the chance. Harry has gotten angry several times throughout the series, but the hatred he showcased in Prisoner of Azkaban is unlike any of his other outbursts.
5 Jim McAllister - Election (1999)
Election, directed by Alexander Payne, follows the story of Jim McAllister, a civics and history high school teacher. When his colleague, Dave Novotny, is suspended for having an affair with Tracy Flick, a student, Jim makes it his mission to ensure Tracy receives similar repercussions.
Jim dedicates the majority of his time to enact his revenge. When he learns Tracy is planning to run for student president, he spares no time in devising ways to stop her. The unnecessary hatred he feels for Tracy is unsettling, especially due to the lengths he goes to in order to get her expelled.
4 Andrew Neiman - Whiplash (2014)
Whiplash, directed by Damien Chazelle, documents the life of a wannabe musician during his first year in attendance at New York's Shaffer Conservatory. Andrew Neiman wants nothing more than to become a jazz drumming icon, but upon being recruited by Terence Fletcher to play in the Shaffer Conservatory Studio Band, he quickly learns how difficult achieving his goal will be.
Fletcher's teaching methods are ruthless, but Andrew has no choice but to listen to him. He consistently receives verbal and physical abuse from his teacher, to the point where he prioritizes music above his life. Once a bubbly and kindhearted young man, Andrew slowly morphs into a hateful narcissist whose new purpose involves deplatforming his mentor.
3 Cassie Thomas - Promising Young Woman (2020)
Promising Young Woman, directed by Emerald Fennell, follows the journey of a young woman whose life spiraled out of control after the death of her best friend. Before the events of the movie, Cassie Thomas was a medical student with a bright future ahead of her, but she decided to give it all up in the hope of seeking justice.
Cassie spends most nights pretending to be drunk in bars. When she feels a man is hoping to take advantage of her, she drops the facade and threatens them. She has a slight change of heart when she meets Ryan Cooper, but she ultimately falls back into her hate-fueled state when she learns he was involved in the death of her friend.
2 John Wick - John Wick (2014)
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John Wick, directed by Chad Stahelski, is a high-octane action thriller that follows the life of a retired hitman who gets dragged back into the world of crime. Before his wife passed away, she left John Wick (played by Keanu Reeves) a Beagle puppy named Daisy to ease his grief.
Though John continued to mourn his wife's passing, Daisy made the process a little easier for him. They lived a peaceful life together, but things changed when a group of Russian gangsters, employed by Viggo Tarasov, broke into John's home and murdered Daisy. Upon realizing what happened, John made it his sole purpose to track the attackers down and punish them for their crimes.
1 Claire Carroll - The Nightingale (2018)
The Nightingale, directed by Jennifer Kent, is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. It follows the story of Claire Carroll, an Irish servant whose husband and daughter are murdered by Lieutenant Hawkins and his goons shortly into the movie's opening.
Unable to find help from conventional sources, Claire sets off on a perilous journey to enact her revenge. Fueled by hatred, she tracks Hawkins far across the land, and with the help of Billy Mangana, manages to bring him to justice.