Top 20 Evil Movie Laughs

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise (1984-)
What makes a nightmare even scarier than a bone-chilling laugh? Freddy Krueger dishes out his share of sinister snickers throughout the "Elm Street" franchise, but the villain's greatest evil laugh happens pretty early in the first movie. Long before Krueger would begin to use his victims as audiences for his stand up routine, the iconic slasher monster unleashed a laugh that could inspire nightmares in just about anyone. Paired up with a creepy atmosphere and free from any one-liners, this moment represents Freddy at his most unsettling, a laugh that makes it crystal clear this villain should not be taken lightly.

“The Great Mouse Detective” (1986)
Every cinematic chuckle unleashed by the great Vincent Price is overshadowed by the legendary actor's "Thriller" performance, which has perhaps the most iconic laugh ever. Just a few years after the music video's release, Price would come close to replicating that "Thriller" magic with "The Great Mouse Detective." Portraying the gleefully theatrical but still terrifying Ratigan, Price's howls manage to be campy, intimidating, and oddly sophisticated. Ratigan has a few great laughs, but the best happens just after the villain thinks he has killed Basil.

“Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)
While Voldemort's laugh is certainly unique, Bellatrix has the Dark Lord beat when it comes to pure intimidation. Bellatrix is not only a powerful witch, but a Death Eater who takes very visible pleasure in spreading pain and destruction. As over the top as the character's laugh can be, Bellatrix delivers every cackle with such unapologetic joy and arrogance that there is no doubt that they are genuinely felt. This is a villain who enjoys what she does, and Bellatrix has no issue sharing that passion with the world through the magic of laughter.

“Austin Powers” franchise (1997-2002)
As a hilarious send-up of the spy genre, "Austin Powers" naturally had to poke fun at the villainous laugh trope. Nobody can accuse Dr. Evil of not taking his job as an antagonist seriously, and Austin Powers' arch-nemesis dedicates an impressive half a minute to his wicked laugh. Dr. Evil's laugh not only puts to shame most villains it was designed to parody but it's also hereditary. As most diabolical laughs are meant to be somewhat intimidating, Dr. Evil's take represents a rare instance when audiences are encouraged to laugh along with the character.

“Highlander” (1986)
Anyone can dish out a healthy giggle in the comfort of their own home, but can they do it during an insane driving sequence? The Kurgan is a sadist with very few limits, and the villain loves to get creative in his pursuit of cruelty. The Kurgan ends a particularly tense exchange with Connor in a church with a hair-raising laugh, but the villain is only getting started. After kidnapping Brenda, the Kurgan punctuates a driving sequence with sporadic laughs that perfectly reflect the madness on display in the scene.

“It” franchise (2017-19)
Clowns are meant to inspire laughter - so why are so many so terrifying? Pennywise has proven to be a clown with an especially chilling laugh, no matter what actor provides it. As the 1990 mini-series had already struck gold with Tim Curry’s expression of evil merriment, the 2017 film adaptation decided to take Pennywise's signature chortle in a different direction. This time around, Pennywise's laughs are just nightmare-inducing. Starting from the villain's opening scene in the first movie, Pennywise giggles in a way that will make most people reach for a pillow to hide behind. Nobody but the clown will be laughing.

“Sleeping Beauty” (1959)
Look, if you enjoy turning into a dragon, then you probably can’t help laughing at how much you enjoy using that power to intimidate puny mortals. Maleficent has yet to find a malicious act that is not worthy of a wicked howl, provided nobody else is foolish enough to join in on the villain's laughing fit. Maleficent wastes little time in demonstrating her talent for evil laughs, as the fairy concludes her derailing of Aurora's christening by basically muahaha-ing in the king's face. By the end of "Sleeping Beauty," Maleficent is making that transformation into a deadly dragon and laughing her way into icon status.

“Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi” (1983)
There are only a handful of truly distinctive laughs, ones that are immediately identifiable with a specific character. Jabba the Hutt's loud and confident ha-ha’s cannot be mistaken for anyone else’s; when someone hears this laugh, the image of a slug-like crime lord will immediately pop into their head. In "Return of the Jedi," Jabba gets to steal the show for the first act, and the character makes the most of every second. Jabba is one fearless gangster, as is illustrated splendidly by the Hutt's amused reaction to the announcement that a bomb is in his vicinity.

“The Little Mermaid” (1989)
A master schemer needs to have a masterful laugh. "The Little Mermaid" is a coming of age story about loneliness, dreams, and love; more importantly, the Disney movie is also about a power-hungry sea witch who is just so good at being bad. Whether wheeling and dealing or performing a coup, Ursula is an irresistible force of chaos. As the legendary villain plays various characters like fiddles, Ursula is always one genius move away from breaking out into a sinister laugh. It's glorious whenever it happens, and it happens a lot.

“Evil Dead II” (1987)
Perhaps no other film in the history of cinema walks the line between horror and comedy as seamlessly as "Evil Dead II." Sam Raimi's sequel can be hilarious and terrifying within the same minute, something that is demonstrated expertly in the deer head scene. After receiving an unexpected shower, Ash takes a pratfall so memorable, it inspires an inanimate object to achieve sentience. The deer head's maniacal laugh is piercing and contagious, and Ash reacts to the twisted hysterics in pretty much the only way that feels appropriate. This scene epitomizes madness.

“Spider-Man” (2002)
Willem Dafoe is simply a treasure. 2002's "Spider-Man" is as much an origin story for Norman Osborn as it is for Peter Parker, and only one of those characters gets to share a scene with a mirror image of themselves. Norman finalizes his transformation into the Green Goblin in a memorable sequence that starts and ends with gruff laughter. While hearing the villain's cackle is effective enough, the impact is enhanced a hundred times over by Osborn unleashing just the most sinister of smiles ever. Norman looks more menacing in this one second then in any scene featuring the Goblin’s mask.

“101 Dalmatians” (1996)
If nothing else, nobody can accuse this dognapper of failing to live up to her name. Cruella de Vil is greedy, cruel, and unapologetically rude; this is a character who has yet to find an animal that would not look better without its skin. Glenn Close brings an intensity to the live-action role that injects Cruella with a deranged selfishness that makes us believe she is capable of anything. After learning that a dalmatian fur coat is within arm's reach, Cruella unleashes a laugh that starts as a minor snicker but eventually blossoms into a soul-tearing roar of unfiltered awfulness.

“Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992)
At the end of the night, Dracula is simply a hopeless romantic who desperately wants to be reunited with his beloved Elisabeta, or her reincarnation as Mina Harker anyway. The vampire even braves a dangerous but well-catered ship ride to London to meet Mina. This new romance might have had a chance if it was not for Jonathan Harker's existence and Dracula's tendency to get all giggly at the sight of baby murder. Vlad Dracula is a name synonymous with terror, so even the vampire's deep and slightly hammy laugh retains an element of gothic horror.

“The Matrix Revolutions” (2003)
Agent Smith is pretty ambitious for a program. Starting as just one piece of a much larger machine, Smith reacts to defeat by going rogue, becoming a virus, and seeking godhood. In "The Matrix Revolutions," Smith achieves a huge victory for his cause when he assimilates the Oracle and gains her precognition powers. At this moment, Smith lets go of any semblance of machinery by breaking out into a fierce laugh worthy of such a momentous occasion. Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith turns overacting into an art form, an achievement perfected with this scene.

“Child’s Play” franchise (1988-)
It does not take a lot to make a doll creepy, so some voodoo and the soul of a brutal serial killer are more than enough to get the job done. Chucky might be small but his mean streak is neverending, and "Child's Play" loves to pair up the killer's gory slaughters with blood-curdling laughs. Even as the series explored a more humorous tone and gave the villain all of the punchlines, Chucky remained devilishly sinister in his presentation and personality. This doll is evil incarnate and will thankfully never change.

“Predator” (1987)
"Predator" tells the timeless tale of Arnold Schwarzenegger fighting an alien in a jungle, and it's perfect. Despite the US army sending its best and most muscular soldiers to the party, most of the humans end up being little more than prey for the Yautja hunter. An alien of no words, the Predator is a skilled destroyer who seeks a worthy opponent, which the hunter finds in Dutch. The Predator rewards Dutch for stepping up to the plate by blowing himself up and twisting the laugh of a deceased soldier, Billy, into something otherworldly.

“Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith” (2005)
This Sith Lord's evil laugh game is so impeccable, it has graced three trilogies. Palpatine represents the Empire at its most unabashedly sinister, and the villain always seems to be having a blast chewing the scenery and tempting Jedi to the dark side. Darth Sidious's assured chuckle in "Return of the Jedi" and explosive howl in "The Rise of Skywalker" are worthy of a Sith Lord, but Palpatine reaches peak raving tyrant in "Revenge of the Sith." The sight of a hurt Yoda laying on the floor tickles Palpatine's funny bone in a way that can only be described as maniacal.

“Legend” (1985)
When Tim Curry laughs, the only proper response is to listen and then applaud. "Legend" is a dark fantasy about a pure hero taking on the Lord of Darkness, a being who is the definition of evil. Darkness is arrogant, charismatic, powerful, and larger-than-life, and these traits are all incorporated into the character's every action. The Lord of the Underworld must have an epic laugh, and "Legend" delivers that in spades. Frankly, describing this sound as laughter feels too human, as Darkness's authoritative roar is something that only a demon can achieve.

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
Now that is a cackle. "The Wizard of Oz" helped popularize the trope of an evil witch with a pointy hat, a flying broom, and a hatred for little dogs. Hungry for power and ruby slippers, the Wicked Witch of the West steals the movie with her penchant for theatrics, sorcery, and flying monkeys. The Witch's laugh is a tool for spreading fear in Oz, essentially acting as the villain's calling card by punctuating her threats with a harrowing noise. This laugh is so iconic, it has been parodied to death by this point.

“Batman” franchise (1989-)
In the hands of The Clown Prince of Gotham, laughter is a weapon. The Joker has terrorized the DC universe for decades, and those unlucky enough to hear the villain's laugh know that they are in the presence of pure evil. While Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Mark Hamill all presented different takes on the Joker's legendary laugh, each one played their part in cementing the villain as cinema's most nerve-racking comedian. A frightful chuckle can help punctuate a character's evilness, but The Joker does not need to do anything else besides laugh to get that message across.