Horror/slasher movie protagonists.

[Canadamus Prime]

I've been watching the Friday the 13th movies over the last couple days and something occurred to me, all the central characters of these movies, and many similar movies, were completely unlikable dickheads. So is it just me or are the majority of the central characters in horror/slasher movies completely unlikeable, as in to the point where you start rooting for the psycho killer? Examples welcome.

 

[AlAaraaf74]

If they were likable, then you wouldn't want to watch them die, would you? Slasher films are for people who like to watch brutal hollywood murders, so the dumber/meaner/less appealing protagonist is the best.

The only counterexample I can think of is Jamie Lee Curtis from Halloween. I didn't care about her friends, but I did root for her until the very end.

But some examples include the characters of the Final Destination series (I know it's not really a slasher, but bear with me). I could care less about any of them, so when they die, I actually laugh.

Thank you, Hollywood, for turning me into a sadist.

 

[P0RTAL]

If the protagonist were smart they would probably get themselves out of the situation pretty quickly and you'd have a boring movie

If they were funny, it would lighten the atmosphere and you wouldn't be as scared

If they were nice than they would effectively calm down the person having an emotional breakdown (it always happens) and that person wouldn't die

 

[Canadamus Prime]

If the protagonist were smart they would probably get themselves out of the situation pretty quickly and you'd have a boring movie

If they were funny, it would lighten the atmosphere and you wouldn't be as scared

If they were nice than they would effectively calm down the person having an emotional breakdown (it always happens) and that person wouldn't die

Ok granted, but that still doesn't explain why they all seem to be as dumb as mud and want to do nothing but fuck like bunnies. Actually scratch that, they'd make bunnies look like model examples of ABSTINENCE.

 

[Xeraxis]

If the protagonist were smart they would probably get themselves out of the situation pretty quickly and you'd have a boring movie

If they were funny, it would lighten the atmosphere and you wouldn't be as scared

If they were nice than they would effectively calm down the person having an emotional breakdown (it always happens) and that person wouldn't die

Ok granted, but that still doesn't explain why they all seem to be as dumb as mud and want to do nothing but fuck like bunnies. Actually scratch that, they'd make bunnies look like model examples of ABSTINENCE.

I'd like to think of it as the producers to teach an audience a life lesson. Considering, for example, if you see a trail of blood smeared on the wall going up the stairs, DON'T GO SEE WHO OR WHAT'S UP THERE! Run like hell out of the house!

But, no. The person just goes up there because his curiosity is stupidly more overwhelming than his common sense. Annnnd more than likely, he discovers a body but then gets stabbed seconds later.

 

[P0RTAL]

If the protagonist were smart they would probably get themselves out of the situation pretty quickly and you'd have a boring movie

If they were funny, it would lighten the atmosphere and you wouldn't be as scared

If they were nice than they would effectively calm down the person having an emotional breakdown (it always happens) and that person wouldn't die

Ok granted, but that still doesn't explain why they all seem to be as dumb as mud and want to do nothing but fuck like bunnies. Actually scratch that, they'd make bunnies look like model examples of ABSTINENCE.

I think that they are trying to connect with the teenage audience. Like saying "HEY, Look! They like sex and acting like idiots too. THEY'RE JUST LIKE YOU"

 

[shogunblade]

I've been watching the Friday the 13th movies over the last couple days and something occurred to me, all the central characters of these movies, and many similar movies, were completely unlikable dickheads. So is it just me or are the majority of the central characters in horror/slasher movies completely unlikeable, as in to the point where you start rooting for the psycho killer? Examples welcome.

I liked Nancy from A Nightmare on Elm Street, she was a little girl who wanted to know the truth about Fred Krueger and she had two parents were really should have died (I love John Saxton, he fought Bruce Lee, but he's a rank dad), but I loved her. Freddy needed a decent adversary.

I also like Jesse from ANOES 2, then Nancy in ANOES 3, than the heroes started to become blank slates, and they could have died and I didn't care.

I've only ever watched Elm Street Movies. Jason wasn't for my tastes.

 

[Foxblade618]

Poppycock: Dr. Loomis was the protagonist of the Halloween movies and was a damn picture of awesomeness (no, I am not counting the Zombie remakes).

 

[Vausch]

Friday the 13th as a franchise had one character I can safely say was a relatively likeable character: Tommy Jarvis. In the third movie, the one where Jason is still mortal, he is a kid that is smart enough to find a way to distract Jason and actually kill him with his machete. The sequel, A New Beginning, is largely regarded as non-canon so that Tommy is ignored.

Now Tommy returns in part 6, and is basically the cause for Jason being a superhuman immortal. He wanted to destroy Jason's body to rid himself of his nightmares, but a bolt of lightening caused a Frankenstein effect and we get the super-strong immortal Jason we know today. Tommy is relatively sympathetic because he's trying to stop Jason and the stupid cops continue to think he's the killer. He again is able to stop Jason by anchoring him to the lake.

Tommy AGAIN returns in the Freddy Vs. Jason Vs. Ash: Nightmare Warriors comic (Which I must admit, I hate) and uses all his knowledge he's gained over the years to finally kill Jason and decapitates him.

While Tommy was far from a perfect character, even as a kid he was obviously more capable than most of the idiots that go to that camp. He's one of the few one can actually care about.