Banana Scoop

One of the main reason we watch movies is to watch a likable and relatable hero/heroine overcome hardship and trial in the span of two hours.  It’s the reason that they’re likable that allows us to sit for two hours of our lives in a chair/couch/what-have-you.  On several occasions, I’ve seen movies when the opposite happens and I find myself in a situation: do I sit through 2 hours worth and watch an entire movie with an unlikable protagonist I care nothing about?  Some heroes are so unlikable, that I’ve wanted to stop watching a movie because of how difficult to become attached and to care for this particular character.  That doesn’t mean the movie isn’t good, it just makes it difficult to follow through, and usually the unlikable character gets some sort of redemption by the end.  It’s only when the movie ends as a total drag that I feel pissed off for wasting two hours of my life.  Unlikable leads areprevalent in indie films and I honestly probably haven’t seen enough to do this list justice, but I’m gonna damn well try.  Anyways, hit the jump to see some characters from good movies that are more than unlikable.

Roger Greenberg in Greenberg

I literally wanted to punch Roger Greenberg in the face several times throughout this movie.  He’s absolute di** and has no likable qualities.  Even Rotten Tomatoes’ critical consensus talks about how unlikable this character was.  It was so difficult to finish this movie for me.  The ‘redemption’ he gets at the end isn’t even that satisfying.  I didn’t think this movie was that great, but I figured the sheer dislikability of this guy compensates for it.

The Berkman family in The Squid and the Whale

There are absolutely no redeeming qualities in this family.  This is the pinnacle of dysfunctional families on television I’ve ever seen.  The only way this family could get any worse is likely short of incest.  As I watched this movie, I kept looking for something to hang onto or a relatable character to redeem this family.  But none.  Simply watching this movie inspired me to write a dysfunctional family list.  A whore mother, a pretentious father, an OCD older son, and a younger son who masturbates and drinks beer.  My god.  I didn’t get this movie.  The end, the everything.  I didn’t get it.  Once again, the sheer unlikability of this family makes this movie at least ‘good’, but I wouldn’t put it above that.

George Simmons in Funny People

After Knocked Up and 40 Year Old Virgin, I expected a lot more out of Judd Apatow’s third film Funny People.  It was surprisingly emotional but uneven,  largely due to Sandler’s character, George Simmons.  The factor of unlikability isn’t as high as the previous two on this list, but from I remember of this film, I couldn’t find any reason to care for Simmons.  Probably one of my weaker cases on this list.

Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange

To put things in perspective, Alex DeLarge is actually a likable character.  How he’s portrayed in the movie, it seems as though he’s the victim and in one way he is.  But in another way, he’s a raping, murdering, arrogant man-child that should’ve beencast out of society.  The fact that director Stanley Kubrick, morphed the film’s audience into rooting for this deranged man is a miracle in itself, but in all honesty, we should not be rooting for this man.  The rape scene itself was more than enough for most people to handle.

Runner Ups: Justin Cobb in Thumbsucker, Earl Hefner in Rocket Science, Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, RP McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Anyone you wanted to punch in the face through your tv screen?