Lights, camera, action! While lead characters make or break movies, let’s not forget the side characters. These underrated gems, with their limited screen time, manage to leave an indelible mark on our memories. Join us on a journey as we explore the captivating world of unforgettable side characters in film. We look to commemorate these characters which prove that sometimes, small roles have the biggest impact.
Tattooed Prisoner, The Dark Knight: An Unexpected Hero
The Dark Knight is perhaps the best movie from Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman trilogy. From a lineup of stellar cast members to the introduction of Batman’s arch nemesis, the Joker. Played by Heath Ledger, the Joker’s introduction to the franchise has tremendously improved the quality of villains in a superhero movie and forced other franchises to level up their villains.
With his twisted mind, the Joker concocted a plan to push Batman’s “no killing” code right at the edge. By rigging two ferries filled with people evacuating the city from Joker’s mayhem. The Joker decides to play a little human experiment as he incapacitates Batman and is unable to intervene. There are two big ferries leaving Gotham city. One with civilians, the other with prisoners from Arkham.
While the Joker left an ethical dilemma to the hands of Gotham citizens to prove a point about the true nature of humanity, a nameless tattooed prisoner enters the scene.
He walks over to the warden holding the detonator and asks him to give it to him. While everybody thought the worse is going to happen, he shocked everyone when he threw the detonator out the window. This powerful moment shows that in the face of impending doom, the resilience of the human spirit will prevail. Besides the obvious superhero, The Dark Knight features a man in prison, making an unselfish choice, turning him into a hero for the city.
Lucifer, Constantine: The Devil with Charisma
Sure, some would disagree that the 2005 Constantine is a great movie as it deviates from the source material. But you got to hand it to Keanu, he made that character his own. Constantine brings us into the world of the occult, something we rarely see on the silver screen today. And having John Constantine reciting Latin phrases and trading jabs with a creature of the underworld before exorcising their sorry asses back to hell is something awesome to watch.
While Constantine pretty much stole the show with his stoic and frankly, depressing quips, another character emerges into the movie with barely 5 minutes of total screen time. As a desperate attempt to stop the release of Mammon to the world, Constantine summons Lucifer. And boy did he made an entrance.
Instead of a fiery gaping maw opening in the ground, Lucifer appears gently from the top, wearing a suave white suit. No hooves or horns to be seen. However, this seemingly normal looking dude plus Peter Stormare’s twist instills a sense of dread for the audience.
His entrance demanded our attention, and we gave him all of it. From charismatic lines to an absolutely overpowering presence in his scenes, Lucifer left a lasting impression. With his unassuming tone and cheery disposition, one could not believe that they’re looking at the Devil. In fact, Stomare’s portrayal of Lucifer set the stage for the TV series of the same name, where Lucifer is portrayed to be a charming and complex character. Count on the devil to save humanity during its most dire times.
Spider Punk: When a Side Character Swings into the Spotlight
If you haven’t watched the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we highly recommend you to do so. After all, the world is smaller today and some think leaking spoilers is a fun thing to do. This movie is absolutely worth your money to watch in the cinema. Remember the first one? The film introduces the audience to the larger universe of the Spider-Verse, after offering a sampling taste in the first film.
And from all the different Spider-Mans from different multiverses imaginable, Spider Punk stands out the most. From his anarchist value to his absolute banger of an entrance, Spider Punk left his mark on viewers forever. A punk rock band frontliner, Spider Punk goes by the name of Hobbie Brown and comes from a universe where Norman Osborn is now the President. You can probably guess the rest.
In the film, Spider-Punk takes a separate stance from all the Spider-people where they allow a terrible sequence event to take place, known as the canon event. However necessary it was, the event is a grim one where it would start making you question what’s the right action to take in the particular situation.
Spider-Punk quickly makes an impression on the young Miles Morales. We don’t see the usual love triangle and jealousy trope, while it was played for a bit in the beginning. Miles quickly warms up to his mentor of sorts, who gave him valuable pointers to make it out of a tight spot. Spider-Punk will eventually leave the rest of the Spider-People as he disagrees with how the multiverse is kept safe. We’re expecting to see more of him in the next instalment.
Alec Baldwin as Blake in Glengarry Glen Ross: A Salesman with a Memorable Monologue
If a side character made a strong enough of an impression, then you bet everyone would invest their time in watching the movie. Unfortunately for Glengarry Glen Ross, the one epic scene that probably has been played in every sales training in the world, is the only scene that made an impact. The rest of the movie is average at best.
Coming out from the catalogue of 90s movies, Alec Baldwin portrays Blake, and he delivers a high-octane speech that sets the tone of the entire film. His “Always Be Closing” speech highlights the cutthroat nature that is the world of sales. Despite only having a limited screen time, Baldwin’s commanding presence and forceful delivery made his character memorable, leaving viewers for more. But like we said, the movie felt short right after this powerful scene. If you’re in need for dose of reality, watch this scene and feel reinvigorated.
Captain Gene, The Other Guys: A Police Captain Who Steals the Show
If you’re born in the 90s, you probably know Michael Keaton as the first Batman. However, he disappeared from the spotlight for a long time before we saw his revival. No one ever expects to see Michael Keaton in an action comedy movie.
Michael Keaton plays as Captain Gene, police captain who had to deal with the loss of his two renegade but best cops and keeping everyone else who’s looking to take the spot in line. He is often seen mildly annoyed by Will Ferrell’s character and dissuades the pair to keep it simple and be regular cops. Stick to the paper work, fellas.
Captain Gene attempts to exert his authority to his subordinates his hillarious. And let’s not forget the occasional quotes from TLC songs that he throws without even realizing it. Keaton’s presence in the movie is unexpected but a welcomed one. He shows us his comedic chops right before his comeback to bigger and Oscar-nominated movies. It’s great to see him back, and we’re getting him to play Batman again in the upcoming film, The Flash. Yeah, no one is going that movie for the Flash, Keaton’s Batman will definitely steal the show, again.
Colin Farrell in The Gentlemen: A Sleek and Ruthless Side Character
The Gentleman is perhaps a signal that Guy Ritchie is back in making cool action crime movies. He’s done exploring other movie genre, and he’s back in his element. Guy Ritchie is known to bring awesome movies such as Snatch, RocknRolla and his latest flick, The Gentleman.
The Gentleman features heavy hitters in the film industry such as Charlie Hunham, Matthew McConaughey, Hugh Grant and Collin Farrell. Each one plays a different aspect of the show, and the on-screen chemistry between all of them is a marvel to behold.
Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Coach in “The Gentlemen” stands out as a suave and ruthless character in the world of crime. He’s a boxing coach for the local troubled youth. Instead of being an overweight trainer, he shows us that he’s no pushover and his fighting knowledge and skills came in handy. He handled tense situations with charisma and finesse.
Farrell’s fast-speaking and accent is a fun experience and watching him make deals with the criminals to protect his boys from trouble is somewhat heartwarming to watch. He might be a boxing coach, but his street-smarts and fighting skills will take you by surprise. The man pretty much nails all of his characters in the movies he’s appeared in so far.
Edna Mode in The Incredibles: Fashion Icon and Scene-Stealer
Animation movies by Pixar and Disney is usually catered to children. However, what about the adults that bring these kids to the cinemas to watch these animated movies? Don’t they deserve something that they would relate to? (Here’s a list for animation movies for adults to enjoy too.)
The Incredibles is two superheroes who decided to start a family after the repercussions of Mr. Incredible saving someone who didn’t want to be saved. And accidentally hurting the person in his rescue effort. And thus, the fall of the superhero era. While Elastigirl has transitioned into the normal middle class housewife role, Mr. Incredible is having a midlife crisis and ends up getting his family in trouble with a shady character whose whole purpose is to one-up the Super community and become the ultimate hero.
If you’re a superhero working in a community where superheroes are common, you’re going to need a good suit. Enter, Edna Mode. This eccentric, no-nonsense prodigy is THE costume designer for the superhero community. Once she found out that Mr. Incredible has children, she immediately started work on making them each a superhero costume, each customized to deal with the unique super abilities they have.
Unsurprisingly, people loved the character. Surprisingly, Brad Bird, the director of the movie, voiced Edna Mode. Imagine that. And remember, No Capes!
Batman in The Flash: Sure There’s Flash, but we Want Batman!
With Ezra Miller‘s recent brush with the authority, it’s getting harder and harder to have a good reason to watch the latest DC movie, The Flash. That and the terrible performance of Black Adam and Shazam 2 in the box office. The only reason we would go to the movies and watch The Flash is for the alternate Batman, played by Michael Keaton. This man is on a role.
Loosely based on the events of Flashpoint comics, The Flash ends up changing the past which came with a heavy price. Messing with the past has never helped anyone. While Ezra Miller’s performance is alright, him playing the slightly grown up Flash in the prime timeline as well as the annoying college Barry Allen, the spotlight immediately stayed of Keaton as he’s introduced into the show.
There’s nothing much we can say about the movie except for all of Batman’s scene. The movie was a below average experience, with serious characters still holding onto the Josh Whedon’s version of the Justice League. Just watch the movie for nostalgia, and wait patiently as James Gunn revamps the entire DC Universe.
Aldous Snow & Others in Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Supporting Characters That Stole Our Hearts
Forgetting Sarah Marshal is perhaps the freshest breath of air to the stale and predictable plots of your typical RomCom. While some enjoy the predictability of this genre, most needed a new take and a better plot. Forgetting Sarah Marshal is perhaps Judd Apatow’s top-5 movies, and needless to say, the movie is an enjoyable viewing experience.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is about a breakup. Sarah breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, Peter. To help with the grieving process and to move on, Peter’s brother-in-law suggested a trip to Hawaii for Peter. Unfortunately, he bumps into Sarah and her new boyfriend, rock star Aldous Snow. Played by Russell Brand, he brings life to the enigmatic characters with his British charm and quirky quips.
Throughout the movie, Aldous is seen interacting with a few different characters. From getting threats from a disgruntled hotel employee to helping a sexually inexperienced husband, Aldous Snow is there to provide hilarious scenes. And who can forget the interactions between him and Paul Rudd, the airheaded lifeguard/surf instructor? Forgetting Sarah Marshall is an interesting movie with various side characters that leave an impression to the audience with their quirky personalities.
Conclusion
These unforgettable side characters prove that even with limited screen time, they can leave an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. From intense moments of moral dilemma to unexpected bursts of charisma and humor, these characters bring depth, charm, and entertainment to the films and TV shows they inhabit. They remind us that sometimes, the smallest roles have the biggest impact, stealing the spotlight and leaving an enduring impression long after the credits roll. So, let’s celebrate these scene-stealers and relish in the magic they bring to the world of storytelling.