Just because someone is the lead character of a movie doesn’t mean we have to like them.

Ironically, some of the best lead characters are the ones that are unlikable. They’re not exactly anti-heroes; to borrow a term from wrestling, they’re the “heel.” The villain of the story, but still a main character in the narrative.

I don’t know about you, but more often than not, I find myself more captivated by this type of character. They’re both more intriguing to watch, plus sometimes you can’t help but root for their downfall.

It turns out that I’m not the only person who feels this way. According to audiences, here are some of the most unlikable lead characters in movie history.

Lou Bloom – Nightcrawler

First and foremost, we need to give Jake Gyllenhaal his flowers. The fact that he wasn’t even nominated for his performance is pretty unforgiving. No offense to everyone else that year, but one look at the nominees and his absence is inexcusable:

• Eddie Redmayne – Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything (Winner)
• Steve Carell – John Eleuthère du Pont in Foxcatcher
• Bradley Cooper – Chris Kyle in American Sniper
• Benedict Cumberbatch – Alan Turing in The Imitation Game
• Michael Keaten – Riggan Thomson in Birman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Gyllenhaal’s Bloom is the very definition of an unlikable creep. You can’t help but want to punch his face; there’s nothing redeeming about him.

Mark Zuckerberg – The Social Network

By now, we’re fully aware that Mark Zuckerberg isn’t exactly the nicest guy, with a lot of people pointing out his inhuman-like tendencies, but honestly, he’s just a socially awkward nerd who happened to become a billionaire.

As you’d expect from a Hollywood movie, The Social Network takes some liberties with the true story to better paint a picture of how the screenwriters want. One side effect is that Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, comes off as extremely unlikable.

You can’t help but feel bad for what he did to Andrew Garfield’s Eduard Saverin. In a way, you also feel bad for Justin Timberlake’s Sean Parker, even though he was portrayed as a villain in his own right. The difference, though, is that Parker had charisma, whereas Zuckerberg has none.

Howard Ratner – Uncut Gems

You can’t help but want to root for Ratner, but my god, he makes it so hard to do so.

His behavior is textbook addict, making a series of bad decisions that you’d give nothing to step in and make him stop, but he keeps falling down a hole he can’t climb out of.

Adam Sander’s Howard Ratner is a textbook definition of someone that, no matter how much you want to root for him, he’s ultimately unlikable due to falling victim to his own vices. Every time it feels like he’s ready to redeem himself or learn his lesson, he punishing you for being in his corner.

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Jordan Belfort – The Wolf of Wall Street

Having worked in sales, I’ve encountered plenty of people who view Jordan Belfort as gospel. Never mind the fact that, well, you know, what he was doing was very illegal, and he was sent to jail over it. Plus, he’s not exactly a role model.

Believe it or not, the real Jordan Belfort was even worse than the character Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed in the Martin Scorsese film.

Belfort himself stated that not only did the film do an excellent job of depicting himself and life at Stratton Oakmont, but his substance abuse and actual habits were far worse.

Nadine Macaluso, Belfort’s ex-wife, said the deposition of Belfort, as well as the toxicity of their relationship, was also accurate.

Staff Sergeant Colin Sullivan – The Departed

From one Scorcse film to another, but this time, the lead character (Matt Damon’s Sergeant Sullivan) is the definition of a charisma vacuum.

For all the talk about rats in Frank Costello’s (Jack Nicholson) crew, which there very much was with Billy Costigan Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) working undercover, the real rat is Sullivan, and for two reasons.

First, he’s also ratting on the Massachusetts State Police to a group of mobsters. Second, he’s just not a nice person. He’s manipulative, he’s greedy, and he absolutely gets what’s coming to him by the end of the movie.

Daniel Plainview – There Will Be Blood

Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) makes Jordan Belfort look like a saint.

This is a man who adopts an orphaned son and uses him as a prop to win people over as a so-called “family man.”

Once he has earned their trust, he uses it against them to enrich himself, ultimately coming at the cost of everything. But then again, all Daniel cares about his money.

There’s one quote, in particular, that sums his character up perfectly:

“There are times when I look at people, and I see nothing worth liking. I want to earn enough money that I can get away from everyone.”

Craig Waterman – Friendship

Tim Robinson has made a career out of being as awkward as humanly possible, notably with his Netflix series I Think You Should Leave.

His rise to stardom has allowed him to start taking on more theatrical roles, with his most notable one being Craig Waterman in Friendship, where he befriends Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), yet can’t help but obsess over him.

As unlikable as Craig becomes, ultimately alienating Austin, as well as Craig’s wife, Tami (Kate Mara), it works, not just for the movie’s story but also for its comedic effect, thanks to Robin’s talent with physical comedy and awkward humor.

You’re not laughing with him, you’re laughing at him. He makes so many terrible choices, yet it’s so brilliantly played off for jokes that you can’t help but smile and laugh.

Tom Hansen – (500) Days of Summer

To those of you who believe Tom is the good guy in (500) Days of Summer, I beg of you to take a media literacy class.

He is selfish, he is entitled, and he honestly doesn’t have Summer’s (Zooey Deschanel) best interests in mind. Instead of actually respecting her feelings, he does everything he can to trap her into a relationship she has no desire for.

As the film says to us at the beginning, this isn’t a love story. Instead, it’s the realization for Tom that he is not the good guy here, and no amount of charm, charisma, or good looks from Joseph-Gordon Levitt can change that.

Andy Sachs – The Devil Wears Prada

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Andy’s friends and boyfriend are terrible people, and anyone who disagrees is wrong.

In fact, this film is filled with terrible people; Stanley Tucci’s Nigel is helpful, sure, but he’s also condescending. Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly is, well, the devil wearing Prada, but she’s also facing a huge amount of pressure trying to live up to everyone’s expectations of her while managing her personal life. In a way, her character is somewhat tragic.

As for Andy (Anne Hathaway) herself, here’s the deal: yes, she changes who she is for this job and to make a good impression. It’s the ultimate betrayal of Emily Blunt’s Emily Charlton’s desires that showcases how unlikable she’s ultimately become.

Valerian – Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

What’s impressive here is that Dane DeHaan’s Valerian is supposed to be a likable lead character, but he fails in every aspect.

DeHaan can’t give a convincing enough performance to be the hotshot lead he’s supposed to be, but the script also doesn’t do him any favors. It’s not entirely his fault, but this is a textbook example of what happens when an actor and character are let down by everything around them.

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