In most of the stories told to children, if there’s conflict, good versus bad is clearly defined.
But reality is rarely so clear.
So as children become more aware of the world around them, the narratives of their stories get more complex. The villain may do all the wrong things, but for all the right reasons.
Reddit user WidowofBielsa asked:
"What's a story where the 'bad guys' are actually, completely, 100% right, to the point where it's weird the story keeps calling them the bad guys?"
Fast Times At Ridgemont High
"When I saw Fast Times At Ridgemont High as a kid, I didn't realize at the time that even though he was strict, Mr. Hand was a really good teacher who cared about his students."
"This is why he visited Spicoli's house and ensured Spicoli learned enough history to pass the class, rather than just flunking him."
~ manniax
Jurassic Park
"The insurers requiring additional proof of safety at Jurassic Park."
~ SwansBeDancin
"In the book, it’s obvious in hindsight from the second they arrive on the island that the 'spared no expense' is a massive lie Hammond is using to try to appease Gennaro and the others using all flash but no substance."
"He cheaped out on everything, and didn’t care about anything but trying to make a profit, not even bothering to research basic stuff. Like planting of poisonous ferns near the pool within reach where a small child could swallow the leaves."
~ DamNamesTaken11
Rainbow Fish
"That children’s book about the Rainbow Fish. You don’t want to give away body parts to appease the other fish who don’t even like you? Gee, what an a**hole."
~ TetralogyOfHello
"The Rainbow has such a depressing ending. All the fish have that little bit of what made Rainbow Fish unique and Rainbow Fish just has a single bright scale left."
"Hooray on giving up every part of yourself because of social ostracization."
~ IMM_Austin
Top Gun
"Ice Man in the original Top Gun."
"If that movie were a real life scenario, Maverick is completely off the rails, unhinged, and a danger to the squad flying with him... whereas Ice Man is doing everything properly, by the book, and for the safety of his fellow pilots."
~ Funkrusher_Plus
"In real life, pilots do not choose their own callsign, their squadronmates do."
"If his squadronmates called him maverick, he's an a**hole who does things that put people at risk."
~ Blastercorps
28 Weeks Later
"28 Weeks Later. Firebomb that kid."
~ RoadOwn7439
"God, that movie pissed me off. The first person ever to survive infection, and they don't even put guards on her room."
~ Wazula23
Dennis the Menace
"Dennis the Menace. The older I get the more I sympathize with Mr Wilson. Get off my lawn, you little sh*t."
~ redesckey
Thomas the Tank Engine
"Thomas the Tank Engine: Day of the Diesels. The diesel engines rebel because they've been totally neglected and all they get is a lecture about being jerks."
~ flonkhonkers
"My son used to tell me about how if people weren't so mean to the diesels and Thomas was a better friend to Percy, none of that would have happened."
"My dad liked to remind us that in the end, the diesels won, and the steamies were sent to the scrapyard."
~ IDontMeanToInterrupt
"Also the sad story of Henry. Henry doesn’t want to be a slave anymore so they brick him up into a tunnel and rip up the tracks."
~ Panixs
Sing
"The bank in the movie Sing."
"Buster Moon borrowed money against his building, and makes the llama seem like she's the bad person for collecting on the debt?"
"Also don't forget the people he hires, then pays with bad checks. Or the fact that he steals electricity from his neighbor."
"That guy is a complete a**hole and piece of sh*t."
~ Old-Rough-5681
"Mr Moon also endangers the lives of a whole ton of squids, lies about the prize for his competition, disqualifies a giraffe for being too tall and needing a simple accommodation, shows little to no concern when his stagehand gets hurt and replaces him with a teenage girl, trespasses, and is generally very rude and disrespectful to everyone around him."
"I have never understood why anyone can like him."
~ SolsticeBeetle
Dirty Dancing
"The older I get the more I realise that the mean parents were 100% justified."
"Baby's dad in Dirty Dancing was actually a decent guy. He still helped that girl after her botched abortion. No one corrected him when he assumed who the father was."
"What dad wants his teenage daughter seeing an older man who he thinks just got another girl pregnant?"
~ AriasK
"Also, the fact that Baby did not hesitate to wake up her dad to attend to Penny suggests that she had a strong, trusting bond with her father."
"Also, the way he snatched that check back from dickhead waiter."
"Also, the way he immediately apologized to Johnny when he learned the truth."
~ agentfantabulous
Bee Movie
"The dude in Bee Movie. He had his girlfriend stolen by a bee."
~ SqueakyShoes117
"He commited the crime of being clinically sane in a comedy."
~ Alzusand
"He dodged a bullet honestly. Dude should've just ducked as soon as his girlfriend started getting hot and bothered while she was talking about spending time with a bee."
~ DresdenPI
Mrs. Doubtfire
"Peirce Brosnans character in Mrs. Doubtfire."
~ Frizbiskit
"Honestly the only thing he does that's even mildly jerk-ish is calling the dad a 'loser' in a private conversation with a friend at a bar."
"Which I mean if the only thing you knew about your SO's ex was that he quit his job as a voice actor because they wanted him to read a script he didn't like and then proceeded to throw a huge lavish birthday party for their son that got the cops called complete with farm animals that wrecked the house, it would be totally fair to think he was a loser."
~ Contexual_Healing
"They make it seem like he's not there for the right reasons, but there's not a time he does something wrong. He's even nice to Mrs. Doubtfire when alone."
"Stu talked highly of that family he legitimately loves that family. So I took him calling Daniel a loser as 'how can you fumble this amazing woman and kids?' which is justified."
"Like you said, he did all of that and he lies."
~ Pr0xy001
School of Rock
"Sarah Silverman's character in School of Rock."
"Jack Black's character is a sponge who takes advantage of her fiancé."
"He then steals his identity and puts his whole career at risk, but when she calls the police, she's portrayed as some kind of major a**hole."
~ coolhotcoffee
The Devil Wears Prada
"Emily in The Devil Wears Prada."
"She worked hard at Runway Magazine and lived and breathed fashion. She still deserved to go to Paris."
"I've worked with plenty of 'Emilys' in my career. I rather deal with an 'Emily' than a fake, nice person who will gladly throw me under the bus."
"Emily was brutally honest but I don't recall her trying to throw Andie under the bus."
"The scene Emily hands Andie the binders of people's names for an event comes to mind. She could have pretended that the binders didn't exist."
~ singledxout
"Exactly. Emily was not a bad character at all. She was completely devoted to her work and passionate about her field."
"It comes across like she's bullying Andy initially, but if someone entered my field of work and basically treated it like a joke, I'd be pissed too."
~ GayCatDaddy
Sweet Home Alabama
"The Patrick Dempsey character in Sweet Home Alabama."
~ Lemonchicken207
"I will never get over Reese’s character outing her friend, never."
~ CeeFourecks
"Even thinking about that line she screams makes me want to go White Light Of Rage on her."
~ aureliacoridoni
"In my opinion (been watching it since I was 10, when it came out) his MOTHER was the villain. She was sneaky, she was rude & she had no right to tell Pearl to go back to her double-wide and fry something."
"But second is Melanie (Reese Witherspoon's character) and the way she outed her 'friend' Bobby Ray."
"Especially because nobody was ugly toward her when she randomly showed back up. She just thinks she's better than everyone else."
~ LavishnessSad2226
Jungle Book
"The Jungle Book. Shere Kahn didn't want the man cub around because 'he'll set the jungle on fire'."
"By the end of the story, what does Mowgli do? Set the jungle on fire."
~ Cu3bone
What would you add to the list?
