Top 10 Movie Karens

“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971)
While most Karens are adults, it’s impossible to overlook Veruca Salt, thanks to her incessant demands and impressive tantrums. In fairness, her parents did name her after a wart, and that can’t be good for the psyche of a child (seriously, look it up). While the 2005 version of Veruca was fairly obnoxious, we’ve gotta go with the original, for the scene where she demands a golden goose with the song “I Want It Now” - which should really be the anthem of the Karens. Instead of getting what she wants, she’s deemed a “bad egg” and dropped into a furnace.

“When Harry Met Sally” (1989)
It might be unexpected to see Sally here, but she joins our list thanks to her scene in the diner … No, not that scene - although iconic and memorable! We’re talking about the scene between Harry and Sally in an eatery not long after they first meet. As well as being an incredibly fussy eater, she’s also somewhat rude and condescending to the waitress. Later, Harry refers back to Sally’s demanding dining habit, framing it in terms of high and low maintenance. But we think he was just being polite.

“Edward Scissorhands” (1990)
Kathy Baker’s Joyce starts out as a sexed-up cougar, but stalks into Karen territory when she doesn’t get her way. Setting her sights on Edward, she gets him alone, then pounces. But her attempt to seduce him backfires, and Edward runs away scared. Jilted, Joyce stamps her feet and tells the neighbourhood that Edward came onto her. She’s at the head of the mob at the end of the film, hoping that Edward has met an untimely demise. Fortunately of course, Edward was alive, just hiding from people like Joyce!

“Mommie Dearest” (1981)
Though Joan Crawford was of course a real person, this entry is devoted to her movie incarnation, as played by Faye Dunaway in Frank Perry’s “Mommie Dearest”. The movie is an adaptation of Christina Crawford’s autobiography, so we can only imagine where the line is drawn between the real life version and the character. But as presented in Mommie Dearest, this is a cruel, borderline insane Karen, who frequently loses her temper over the smallest complaints. She bullies her maid and abuses her children - who she only adopted for the publicity. Dunaway has said that the role took a heavy toll on her, and that she now regrets playing her.

“Hairspray” (2007)
If, after watching Mommie Dearest, you thought Joan Crawford was a demanding mother––then you ain’t seen nothing yet! Prudence “Prudy” Pringleton is as prudish and self-righteous as the name suggests - and expects everyone else to follow the same set of rules. A racist religious fanatic, she believes that tying up her daughter Penny and making her listen to the Lord’s Prayer over and over again is doing God’s work. In the original 1988 version, she even has a hypnotist try to coerce Penny into only dating white men. Fortunately, Penny does get away, with help from her love interest Seaweed - much to Prudence’s dismay.

“The Mist” (2007)
Prudence Pingleton isn’t the only super-religious Karen on our list. Mrs. Carmody also thinks she’s doing God’s work, but takes it to violent extremres. She’s already made it onto another of our lists as one of movie-goers most hated characters, and it’s not without good reason. Director Frank Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel has actress Marcia Gay Harden going full-tilt Karen from the get go, appealing to the highest authority possible as she fires off complaints and accusations in all the wrong directions. Worse, this Karen has loyal followers of Karen-minions.

“Misery” (1990)
Hot on the heels of one Stephen King character is another, in the form of Annie Wilkes. Kathy Bates plays the character brilliantly, taking toxic fandom to its most Karen as she demands that writer Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan) rewrite his story her way. She berates him for his choice of profanity, locks him up, demands he rewrite a manuscript that she had him burn… and that’s before we’re forced to see the “hobbling” scene… if you can keep your eyes on the screen long enough to watch. Urgh. Sorry, we just shuddered thinking about it.

“The Help” (2011)
Another religious Karen who seemed to miss the part about “loving thy neighbour,” Hilly Holbrook is entitled, judgemental, and smugly superior. However, her most damning trait is her racism, which she works hard to reinforce in her social circle. She even campaigns for maids to have to use separate bathrooms, claiming they carry different diseases. This is the sort of Karen who not only thinks that privilege is her God-given right, but that people should thank her for it. Just for extra Karen points, she considers herself a good Christian too, although Aibileen’s “God-less” description of her is more accurate.

“Harry Potter” Franchise (2001-11)
Just saying the name is enough to invoke a shudder down the spines of Harry Potter fans. Sanctimonious, patronizing, and cruel, Dolores Umbridge is the type of person who’s either demanding to talk to the manager, or laying down a long list of unreasonable rules AS the manager. Clad head to toe in pink, like she just stepped out of the 1940s, every inch of the half-blood witch screams Magical Karen. Even when smiling, she’s angry inside. Umbridge is not to be messed with. Plus, drinking tea with three spoonfuls of sugars?! Shudder intensifies...

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
Thanks to recent retellings, The Wicked Witch of the West has become a more sympathetic, relatable character. But we seem to have forgotten that her real life counterpart, Miss Gulch, is the original Karen. Prim, proper, and clearly used to getting her way, she arrives at Dorothy’s farm to demand that poor Toto be euthanized. Sure, Toto did bite her leg, but it was in response to her hitting him with a rake! Miss Gulch insists that she has the support of the law, threatening larger repercussions if she isn’t obeyed. We’d actually go so far as to say she’s worse than her Emerald City counterpart!