Sept. 19, 2025

The Horror Within: Why We Secretly Root for Villains

"Maybe they're not just monsters...maybe they're mirrors"

There's something deliciously twisted about horror fans. We cover our eyes during the kills and then rewind the scene.. We know we're supposed to cheer for the final girl... but deep down. Many of us are secretly hoping the villain gets one more kill before the credits roll.

In the latest JayMovieTalk episode, I counted down my Top 10 Horror Movie Villains, but the more I thought about it...the more I realized that these characters stick with us for a reason beyond their body count.

We don't just fear them, we identify with them. and sometimes... we root for them.

Villains Who Feel Like Outcasts

Take Jason Voorhees, a neglected, bullied kid who drowned due to a camp counselor's negligence. Sure, he's a machete-swinging brute now. but his rage comes from abandonment. In a twisted way, he's not evil; he's hurt.

Or Freddy Krueger, who weaponizes dreams to haunt the children of those who wronged him. Even Angela Baker, Esther, and Death itself tap into ideas of being ignored, rejected or underestimated.

They're metaphors. They're revenge. They're avatars of Shadow selves we don't always want to acknowledge.

Why We Keep Coming Back

Unlike superheroes or action stars, horror villains don't win through noble causes; they endure. And as audiences, we're drawn to survivors, even when they wear a mask or creepy doll grin.

Horror villains often:"

*Represent the systematic failure of society(Jason, Leatherface, Sam from Trick 'r Treat)

*Embody social anxieties (Freddy's mind games, Esther's age deception, Death's randomness)

*Operate by a code or set of rules, even if twisted (like Jigsaw or Sam)

There's a dark thrill in watching these characters. They make us question what we're really afraid of. The monster, or what created it.

The Line Between Terror & Empathy

When we cheer for the villain, we're not cheering for evil. We're cheering for understanding, for storytelling that dares to get messy. Great horror doesn't just scare you. It makes you ask uncomfortable questions.

Why do we sympathize with Chucky over his victims?

Why does Michael Myers feel like a force of nature rather than just a killer?

Why do we want Death to win in Final Destination, or at least, for the characters to respect it?

Maybe because deep down, the horror villain isn't the "other"

They're what happens when we're pushed too far.

Want More?

If this kind of horror reflection hits your curiosity, check out Episode 352 of JayMovieTalk, where I count down my Top 10 Horror Villains of All Time and explain why each one cuts Icons like Freddy and Jason to underrated terrors like Sam and Billy from Black Christmas.