The 11 Best Movie Manarchists

As Joker makes its way into theaters around the world, Comingsoon.net is taking a look at some other memorable movie anarchists (or “manarchists”—men who embrace anarchy). Check out some mayhem in the gallery below!

One of the most romanticized archetypes in cinema in that of the anarchist: the antihero or deplorable villain who sees society as the antagonist of their story. Todd Phillips‘ new movie, Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character explores the idea that crazy is a byproduct of its environment. This is not a new idea; many films have sought to deconstruct societal ideologies and philosophies—classic movies like Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy and Dog Day Afternoon all harken back to this storytelling structure.

The type of “manarchists” these films center around are always extreme (obviously). In order to deal with one extreme (crime, inequality, etc.), storytellers need to create another; and these characters are extreme. They burn, pillage, sabotage and motivate others to do the same, all in the name of symmetry. At the core of George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise is the idea that light and dark balance each other. The following characters are a nuclear blast of extremist equilibrium meant to turn the tide.