Dinner with the Enemy
Why is there an undeniable appeal when it comes to mystery and crime? Why is it something we constantly look for on our screens?
Penn Badgley in You (season 4), Netflix
You know that feeling when you are doing something you know you shouldn’t be doing? Don’t you? You know that instinct pushing you to root for someone you shouldn’t be rooting for? Well, then, consider us all guilty as charged because we all broke the law, at least once. How many movies and TV series do we see weekly? Monthly? Too many - and that’s probably one of the reasons why we all wear glasses.
Human beings are interesting creatures, each one with their own bag of interests, orientations, etc. But no matter how many differences we find with our neighbor, there will always be things we’ll agree on that will unite us under the same roof. Well, in this matter, there are a few feelings we can’t help but having in specific situations. And today is movie time. How satisfying is it to witness the rise to success of the underdog? When screens tap into the qualities we like best about ourselves, there’s nothing we can do. We just love when it happens. Why? Because it’s like they need us. And we all want to be needed. But this is not the case today. What I’d like to discuss instead are those situations when we are faced with the arduous choice of picking sides. And precisely, the contraposition that places on one side the good characters and on the other one the bad ones. Or if you prefer, the contrast between good and evil. Now, we can’t be 100% sure about it, but I’m willing to bet with you that at least 9 out of 10 will be rooting for the villains. Sound cocky? Probably. But if you have felt an attraction for the dark and mysterious characters, please know that the cinematic industry has played a major role in molding your perspectives. Here’s a breakdown of the potential reasons why we fall for them.
Attitude and intelligence.
Do you have in mind the prototype of the bad boy in school? Cocky? Arrogant? Well, the villains - usually share some of their DNAs. They are not afraid of anything or at least they don’t seem to be. They will do whatever it takes to get what they want. They can be courageous and reckless. They set the expectation for the preconception that sees evil equalling stupidity. Yes, they commit crimes when necessary, and cross the lines of the law numerous times. But never without applying their deep intellects to the strategies they plan on carrying out. Let’s think of Walter White in Breaking Bad. He’s sharp, smart, and incredibly meticulous. He’s so ahead of the other characters that we kinda feel sorry for them. And then, we witnessed the same exact thing happening for the Professor in La Casa de Papel. It could’ve been that appealing beard or that pair of glasses turning him into a kind of hot teacher we’d have wanted to have back at university. But it’s not merely the aesthetic part that draws us, but rather the incredible craftiness that allows him and his class to escape justice.
La Casa de Papel, “El Professor” as Alvaro Morte, Netflix
Well, then if we talk about being sly, the name of Leonardo DiCaprio is definitely part of this conversation. In Catch Me If You Can, the entire screenplay sounds like a mouse hunt from the start until the end. Despite moving from disguise to disguise in the attempt of living all the shades of life known to man, Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) makes fun of the FBI detective Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), constantly being at his heels. And it goes without saying that the mystery card plays a big role here. All incredibly secretive, barely speaking two words in the same sentence. The less we know about them, the more we feel attracted as our urge for truth arises. Joe Goldberg in You perfectly fits the mold here. That persuasive “Hey you” paired with an identikit that constantly changes keeps us there rooting for him.
You, Joe Goldberg played by Penn Badgley, Netflix
The style.
Do you know what they say? The eye wants its part in it. Over the course of the entire cinematographic industry’s history, we learned how to match coolness with evil. And that doesn’t fall from the sky. Directors figured out the right formula to keep us interested and make us fall in love: mix mystery, aesthetic, and the proper attitude, and you got yourself the jackpot. Girls know better, but if I named Damon Salvatore, I reckon everyone should be like “Yeah, I might have heard that once.” Leather jacket, model type of face, blue eyes, and dark hair. That’s the identikit of Ian Somerhalder playing the part of the bad vampire brother. Yes, he might have committed a crime or two along the way, but the sexiness remains still. Even though for big slices of the show, he undeniably played as the evil’s disguise, we tended to completely and constantly forget about all that.
Vampire Diaries, Damon Salvatore played by Ian Somerhalder, the CW
Then, what does Johnny Depp have to do with the name George Jung? A tiny masterpiece called Blow. Yes, Johnny Depp during the 1990s and early 2000s was already considered one of the most charming actors on the planet. Therefore, someone could say “Easy then, when you’re hot already!” But on top of that - which inevitably makes us already like the character - another set of factors come into play. The power, the entrepreneurship, the illegality, and the money certainly put a spell on us. But when you match all of that with a style made of soft roll necks, safari jackets, and aviator glasses, it all gets way better.
Blow, George Jung played by Johnny Depp, Lorey Sebastian/New Line/Avery Pix/Kobal/Shutterstock
If you were instead in the mood for more classical styles that made you look like a professor in a British college, we got you covered. Joe Goldberg in You 4 unleashes an aura of maturity and knowledge that fascinates and intrigues even the higher elites of society. Often styled with a vintage blazer and a clean tie, paired with a wool vest underneath, the teacher-vibe crush is inevitable.
Relatability & Sympathy.
There’s a reason why we side with psychopaths, killers, thieves, etc. We feel a mental connection with their stories and backgrounds. It’s not about ignoring the difference between right and wrong - because we know well which are the lines not to cross. But still, we’re there, cheering for them and hoping they will get away with anything. All of this is part of the strategy of directors, and it goes straight to the first point made at the beginning of this article. If you had to choose between someone who had it all (money, opportunities, love, etc.) and someone who came from nothing, who would you side with? There’s no exception in this world. We’ll always side with those who are less fortunate than others. That creates a connection based on sympathy, pity, and understanding. At this point, we start an inner process of justification where, no matter what they do, we will always pick their side. Simply because we know what they have been through. While watching Breaking Bad, how could you not stand for Walter White? As he’s battling against a long-term disease, he starts thinking about the future of his family. Basically, he just wants to make sure that everything will be taken care of by the time he leaves the world. So, we kinda understand why he does what he does, and we inevitably justify him.
Breaking Bad, Walter White played by Bryan Cranston, AMC
In 2019 Joker - one of the most appreciated movies of recent years - came out and the same script unrolled. Joaquin Phoenix plays the part of Arthur Fleck, who is a party clown and a failed stand-up comedian living an impoverished life with his ailing mother. When society starts avoiding him and labeling him as a freak, he creates chaos in Gotham City. If you watched the movie and saw what kind of treatment the world reserved for him, you couldn’t be anything if not outraged and disgusted.
Joker, Arthur Fleck played by Joaquin Phoenix, Warner Bros
Therefore, Hollywood has done a great job at finding those points where to press harder and harder to get to us. What’s important to point out though is that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with us. As we said already, we are more than capable of spotting bad things when we see them. And fortunately, our parents taught us well. We are human beings, and we all have our “weaknesses” - namely those areas where the heart reigns supreme. From stories of the underdogs to vicissitudes of the “misunderstoods,” we’re not strong enough to stand for justice. Our inner urge to help and be helped takes over. We find excuses for these characters because we know that deep down there’s a spark of good to be found. And suddenly, we realize that there’s something as genuinely good in us as well.
