Top 10 Movie Jerks Who Got What They Deserved

“Dazed and Confused” (1993)
While there are plenty of lovable characters in Richard Linklater’s classic high school comedy, Fred O’Bannion is one we only love to hate. Portrayed by Ben Affleck in an early role, Fred is a complete menace who takes particular delight in paddling Mitch Kramer and his friends. But Mitch doesn’t let Fred just get away with it. He gets his revenge on this overgrown bully with a torrential downpour of white paint. The experience doesn’t make Fred any less of a jerk, but it hopefully teaches him to think twice before messing with freshmen.

“Spider-Man” (2002)
If a movie bully was made in a lab, it would look a lot like Flash Thompson, played by Joe Manganiello. With his spiky hair and general caveman-like demeanor, it doesn’t take very long for audiences to root for the underdog, Peter Parker. While discovering his new Spidey-skills in the school cafeteria, Peter accidentally hits Flash with a lunch tray. This sends the bully into an instant fit of rage and thus, starting a fight he’s completely unmatched for. With great power comes great responsibility, but we can’t deny how satisfying it is to see Peter get his revenge on Flash.

“The Princess Diaries” (2001)
Mandy Moore has a very sweet demeanor, in both her acting roles and in her music. However, she also knows how to play a mean girl amazingly well. In “The Princess Diaries,” she plays Lana, a cheerleader who often torments titular princess Mia Thermopolis. While Mia starts off as shy and awkward, as the film progresses, her confidence grows. This means she learns to stop putting up with Lana’s abuse. Lana probably never enjoyed ice cream ever again after that… It’s hard to believe she and “Tangled”’s Rapunzel share the same voice!

“Toy Story” (1995)
Growing up, we all knew that one kid who didn’t play nice with anyone, including their own toys. In Pixar’s very first feature film, they created this villain to a tee. With his iconic skull t-shirt and arched eyebrows, Sid is like a punk rock singer, mixed with a corrupt mad scientist. Anything he can do to his toys, he will –especially if it involves mutilating them beyond recognition or blowing them to kingdom come. When Buzz’s life is put at stake, Woody decides to teach Sid a lesson he’ll never forget. Heck, we sure didn’t forget it. It’s beyond creepy! We certainly took better care of our toys after this one.

“Mean Girls” (2004)
As the leader of the clique known as “The Plastics,” Regina George is the pettiest, most narcissistic kind of high school bully, times a million. Played by Rachel McAdams in a star-making performance, Regina revels in being equally worshipped and feared by her classmates. After being deceived by new friend-turned-enemy Cady Heron, Regina enacts a revenge plot that actually kind of works. Little does she know, however, that she’s got another thing coming. Regina, enraged, storms out onto the street where she’s hit by a school bus. It’s so sudden, and a complete shock, both to the characters and the audience alike. Regina survives the accident, but it’s still a well-earned case of karma against a delightfully unlikeable character.

“Good Will Hunting” (1997)
Not all bullies use their physique to intimidate. Some, like Clark, played by Scott William Winters, use their brains. However, he makes the mistake of trying to match wits with the genius janitor, Will Hunting. At a Boston bar, Clark, the arrogant Harvard graduate student, tries to belittle Will’s best friend Chuckie for his lack of history knowledge. His arrogance is soon cut down as Will exposes him as an intellectual fraud, merely recycling the thoughts of others. You can tell he’s wounded right down to the core, especially when Will gets the girl he’s been pining after. Do you like apples?!

“Amélie” (2001)
Amélie, portrayed by Audrey Tautou, is a sweet soul who only wants the best for people. But if you don’t play nice, she won’t either. When she sees grocer Collignon repeatedly mistreating one of his employees, Amélie decides to put some fear into his heart. She does this by going into his home and pulling some dastardly pranks, like switching out his slippers for smaller ones and swapping his mother’s speed dial for a psychiatric hotline. We don’t condone gaslighting, but we can’t say we blame Amélie for stooping to the level she does. Her measures work: after her schemes, Collignon no longer bullies his assistant!

“Office Space” (1999)
In this case, it’s not one bully who’s thwarted, so much as it is an entire company. In Mike Judge’s beloved workplace comedy, the uncaring software company, Initech, is practically asking for comeuppance. It comes in the form of Milton, a mild-mannered employee played by all-time great character actor Stephen Root. He’s shooed to the basement, has his salary payments cut, and is all-around mistreated by Initech’s vice president. But it’s when his cherished red stapler is confiscated that Milton finally snaps. While we don’t see who set fire to the Initech building, we definitely understand who did it. Especially when Milton ends up on the sunny beaches of Mexico by the end of the film. Hopefully, he found a better company to work for!

“The Karate Kid” (1984)
At the start of this treasured martial arts movie, Daniel LaRusso, is the archetypal underdog, unable to stand up for himself against Johnny Lawrence and the rest of Cobra Kai. During a Halloween night pursuit, Johnny and his gang capture Daniel and start to whale on him. That is, until handyman Mr. Miyagi hand-delivers some retribution. This serves as the perfect introduction to the world of karate. Later, Daniel and Johnny cross paths again at the All-Valley Karate Championships, but this time, our hero is far better prepared.

“Back to the Future” (1985)
It isn't just the expert mixing of sci-fi and comedy that makes "Back to the Future" such a classic. It’s also how expertly it gets us to root for - and against - different characters. Biff Tannen is an unrepentant bully, both as a high schooler and as an adult. When Marty McFly goes back to 1955 and accidentally derails his parents’ first meeting, he's desperate to make sure his parents fall in love again… you know, so he can continue existing. When Biff tries to assault Marty’s mom Lorraine, Marty’s father George won't stand for it. Well, he stands, but Biff sure doesn’t. No matter how many times we watch it, we’re always thrilled when Biff is hit by the fists of justice – literally.