Bad Guys that Get Away in Films

Swordfish (2001)
A computer hacker named Stanley is just released from prison, and he is not allowed to use a computer. While he is relaxing at his home a woman gives him an offer of a large sum of money from her employer, Gabriel. He wants him to hack a government computer system in the amount of 9.5 billion dollars. A senator who is in charge of a special FBI program, tries to have the operation shut down by killing Gabriel. He fails, and Gabriel kills the Senator. Stanley makes a computer worm for part of the plan to steal the money, and succeeds. When Gabriel boards a helicopter to escape, it is blown up by Stanley. The day is saved....or is it? This is a clever film where the bad guy wins by misdirection. Usually the bad guy gets foiled in the end, but not here. This time he is ready to escape, and makes everyone think he is dead. He follows the typical escape route of the demand of a helicopter in exchange for the hostages he has, and it works in the end.

Arlington Road (1999)
A college professor named Michael has a neighbor that just moved in. When he views some of his neighbors blueprints, he starts to become wary of him. Michael knows about terrorism, and his neighbor is exhibiting signs of being a terrorist. When he tells people of his fears, they dismiss him and believe him to be paranoid. Gathering little evidence against his neighbor, he realizes his worse fears. By the time he follows his his neighbor, it is too late and Michael dies. His neighbor set him up to look like Michael was the one at fault. When I first saw this movie, in which the bad guy wins, I was pretty mad. The wrong guy is set up to take the fall. It's a good plot, where you are unsure if the neighbor is who he says he is.

Basic Instinct (1992)
A novelist is accused of killing someone because she is the only suspect. A police investigator, Nick, is assigned to ask her questions. After meeting her, he becomes attracted to her. Soon a relationship forms between them and his colleagues start to see this. An altercation happens with Nick and another officer. Later, he is killed and Nick is to blame. Nick starts to uncover more facts that point to the suspect even more. In the end, the bad guy gets away, and evidence points to the wrong person as the murderer. This film is a classic when it comes to the bad guy that gets away. It's a classic thriller that keeps you guessing to the very end.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
A fresh FBI graduate is selected to interview a dangerous cannibal, named Hannibal. He might help in a case involving a cruel serial killer on the loose. The new FBI recruit has no idea what she is in for, as Hannibal is a genius at playing mind games. In order to help her with the case, she agrees to tell him about herself. This is mistake, as Hannibal learns more about her and uses it to his advantage. However she made a fake deal with Hannibal, and the doctor in charge knows this and decides to transfer Hannibal to another hospital. Soon after, he escapes and the new FBI woman looks at case files for clues. She finds a connection with a victim and the serial killer. She goes to the victims house to investigate, and ends up killing the serial killer. Hannibal calls her from another country, asking her to leave him alone. What a masterpiece of filming! You find yourself rooting for the bad guy in this movie, because he is just so smart and cunning. Things are not what they seem in this movie, and the bad guy gets away.

Gecko Joe, Bad Guys That Get Away In Films Associated Content