Sommerleigh Pollonais, Horror Head Writer
Ah, the villain’s monologue. It’s the cornerstone of the action spy or thriller genre. But while most horror villains aren’t really known for their soliloquies, that doesn’t mean some of them don’t take time out of their busy killing schedules to break out in speech before dispatching some poor victim in hideously gory fashion.
A great monologue can make a villain instantly memorable and wholly capture your attention. So, with a big old SPOILER ALERT here are a few of my favourite (five to be exact) Villian Monologues in Horror Movies.
#5 Pinhead, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
Say what you will about the depreciating quality of the Hellraiser movies, no one can argue that Doug Bradley’s performance as Pinhead wasn’t always top notch. There’s something about an English accent that enunciates every word being said, and Bradley’s speeches to his would-be victims with his flair for the theatrical made you hang on to his every word.
His introduction in Hellraiser was instantly iconic but it’s his “suffering of strangers” speech I remember most from Hellraiser III. “I’ll enjoy making you bleed, and I’ll enjoy making you enjoy it”. Say what you will about Pinhead, the man takes pride in his work.
#4 John Kramer, Saw II
If there’s any horror movie villain that enjoys the sound of his own voice, it’s John Kramer a.k.a. Jigsaw. I don’t think there’s a single Saw movie where he doesn’t deliver a monologue but with a voice as distinctive as Tobin Bell’s, it’s no wonder he gets such great dialogue.
His penchant for chilling speeches is on full display in Saw II when he expounds to Eric (Donnie Wahlberg) exactly how and why he came to be the judge, jury and executioner (yes, John Kramer is a killer, no matter what he tells himself or his victims). “Those who don’t appreciate life do not deserve life”. Is there anything scarier than a killer that doesn’t see himself as a killer? How about one that wants to discuss his philosophies with you right before he places your head in a reverse bear trap. It doesn’t get worse than that.
#3 Norman Bates, Psycho
If there was a living example of the feeling you get when something is “off” it would be Norman Bates.
Sitting down to have a friendly talk with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) Norman’s conversational tone about birds, the rain and his job at the motel ever so slowly veers into creep territory when his mother becomes the topic of conversation. Imagine yourself sitting there alone with this unassuming man surrounded by dead birds as he goes on and on about why he stays with his mother.
Watching that switch go off in his head when Marion suggests putting his mother in a home never fails to creep me out, and what makes this particular monologue so chilling is just how innocuous the entire conversation seems. Yet Perkins’ subtle changes in mannerisms, his unwavering gaze and that smile at the end of it as he tells her “We all go a little mad sometimes”? Perfection thy name is Psycho!
#2 Pearl, Pearl
In a fair world Mia Goth would’ve been nominated for her amazing performance in the eponymous Pearl. Even if you left out the rest of her performance, her eight-minute monologue in the final act alone was award-worthy. And I don’t think there was a single viewer who wasn’t yelling at her sister-in-law to get the hell outta there.
All of Pearl’s dreams, failures and ultimately her rage at a world that she believes has robbed her of her destiny is verbalised and you can’t help but sit and listen to every word, which when you think about it is exactly what happened to the poor woman unlucky enough to be present when Pearl decided to confess her sins. “I hurt them so they might know what it feels like to suffer.”
Her delivery somehow manages to make you equally sorry for and scared of her, and for every horror fan out there made Mia Goth a name that would instantly make them seek out any movie she chose to star in from there on.
#1 John Milton, The Devil’s Advocate
When a scene can take an entire movie from so-so to instantly memorable, you know it’s something special. Scratch that; it made the movie worth seeing for that moment alone!
I know people who can’t remember anything else about The Devil’s Advocate, but they remember Al Pacino’s monologue to Keanu Reeves (who was also on top of his game here) as he revealed his master plan to create the antichhrist.
“Guilt is like a bag of bricks. All you gotta do is set it down,” “The worst vice is advice” and my personal favourite, “Vanity, definitely my favourite sin”. This movie is extremely quotable but it’s the final scene and that amazingly blasphemous, highly entertaining monologue that goes down in horror history as one of the absolute best there ever was.
When I think of villainous monologues The Devil’s Advocate is always the first movie that comes to mind and while I’m sure there are a bunch of others out there I missed, this one stands as my personal, all-time favourite.
So, that’s my list. Which of these do you like the best? Any horror villain monologues you would add to the list? Sound off in the comments. And you can check more horror content from Robot Mango Reviews below:
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More