The top 10 psychopaths from action and crime films are Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men), Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds), Amon Goeth (Schindler’s List), Alonzo Harris (Training Day), Tommy DeVito (Goodfellas), Mr. Blonde (Reservoir Dogs), Begbie (Trainspotting), Alex DeLarge (A Clockwork Orange), Buffalo Bill and Catherine Tramell. Four of these roles won their actors an Oscar.
In psychology, psychopathy is linked to a lack of empathy, guilt and conscience. Films often show psychopaths as calm, clever and charming, which real life rarely matches. That is exactly what makes these characters so watchable. We have ranked them, corrected a few names from our earlier version, and added where each film streams in India as of October 2026.
Quick facts: top movie psychopaths
| Character | Film (Year) | Actor | Watch in India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anton Chigurh | No Country for Old Men (2007) | Javier Bardem | Netflix |
| Hans Landa | Inglourious Basterds (2009) | Christoph Waltz | Prime Video, JioHotstar |
| Amon Goeth | Schindler’s List (1993) | Ralph Fiennes | Prime Video, JioHotstar |
| Alonzo Harris | Training Day (2001) | Denzel Washington | Rent only |
| Tommy DeVito | Goodfellas (1990) | Joe Pesci | Rent only |
| Mr. Blonde | Reservoir Dogs (1992) | Michael Madsen | Prime Video |
| Begbie | Trainspotting (1996) | Robert Carlyle | Rent only |
| Alex DeLarge | A Clockwork Orange (1971) | Malcolm McDowell | Not streaming |
| Buffalo Bill | The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | Ted Levine | Prime Video |
| Catherine Tramell | Basic Instinct (1992) | Sharon Stone | Not streaming |
Top 10 psychopaths from action films
1. Anton Chigurh, No Country for Old Men (2007)
Javier Bardem’s hitman in the Coen brothers’ film is the gold standard for screen psychopaths. Chigurh is calm, polite in his own odd way and completely without mercy. He kills without hesitation and shows no feeling at all.
Bardem won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role. Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin co-star. Watch on: Netflix.
2. Hans Landa, Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Christoph Waltz’s Colonel Hans Landa is a Nazi officer who calls himself the “Jew Hunter”. He is charming, clever and enjoys dragging out his conversations with his victims, which makes every scene with him unbearably tense.
Waltz won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this Quentin Tarantino film. Watch on: Prime Video and JioHotstar.
3. Amon Goeth, Schindler’s List (1993)
Ralph Fiennes plays Amon Goeth, the Nazi commandant of a labour camp in Steven Spielberg’s film. He shoots prisoners from his balcony as casually as someone having breakfast. He may be the most disturbing figure on this list.
Fiennes was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Liam Neeson plays Oskar Schindler. Watch on: Prime Video and JioHotstar.
4. Alonzo Harris, Training Day (2001)
Denzel Washington plays Alonzo Harris, a corrupt cop who takes rookie Jake, played by Ethan Hawke, under his wing. Alonzo manipulates everyone around him and switches from friendly to dangerous in seconds.
Antoine Fuqua directed the film, and Washington won the Oscar for Best Actor. Watch on: rent on Amazon or Apple TV.
5. Tommy DeVito, Goodfellas (1990)
Joe Pesci’s Tommy is a short-tempered gangster in Martin Scorsese’s mob classic. He can be the funniest man in the room one minute and kill someone over a joke the next.
Pesci won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta co-star. Watch on: rent on Amazon or Apple TV.
6. Mr. Blonde, Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Michael Madsen plays Mr. Blonde, also called Vic Vega, in Quentin Tarantino’s first film. After a robbery goes wrong, he treats cruelty as entertainment, and his most infamous scene is hard to forget.
Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi co-star. Watch on: Prime Video.
7. Begbie, Trainspotting (1996)
Robert Carlyle’s Francis Begbie is the friend everyone is scared of in Danny Boyle’s film. He goes from amusing to vicious in a split second, often over nothing.
Our earlier version wrongly named the film “Transporting”. Watch on: rent on Amazon or Apple TV.
8. Alex DeLarge, A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Malcolm McDowell plays Alex, the leader of a violent gang in a future London, in Stanley Kubrick’s film. He commits brutal crimes with a grin, which makes him both fascinating and frightening.
It remains one of the most debated films ever made. Watch on: not streaming in India right now.
9. Buffalo Bill, The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Ted Levine plays Jame Gumb, known as Buffalo Bill, the serial killer that Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster, is trying to catch in Jonathan Demme’s film. He is the film’s main threat, while Hannibal Lecter is its most famous face.
Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for Best Actor for playing Lecter. Watch on: Prime Video.
10. Catherine Tramell, Basic Instinct (1992)
Sharon Stone’s Catherine Tramell is a glamorous, dangerous woman at the centre of a murder investigation in Paul Verhoeven’s thriller. She is sharp, manipulative and always a step ahead of Michael Douglas’s detective, Nick Curran.
Our earlier version misspelt her name. Watch on: not streaming in India right now.
Why we love watching movie psychopaths
Most of these characters are frightening because they are calm. They do not shout or lose control, they plan. Great actors make them believable, which is why so many of these roles won awards. They let viewers explore the darkest side of people from a safe distance.
For more lists like this, see our Hollywood section and other listicles.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the most famous psychopath in movies?
Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men is often named the best, along with Hannibal Lecter. Javier Bardem won an Oscar for playing Chigurh.
Which actors won an Oscar for playing a psychopath?
From this list, Javier Bardem, Christoph Waltz and Joe Pesci won Best Supporting Actor, and Denzel Washington won Best Actor for Training Day.
Who played Hans Landa?
Christoph Waltz played Colonel Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009).
Where can I watch No Country for Old Men in India?
As of October 2026, No Country for Old Men streams on Netflix in India.
Sources: Wikipedia: Best Supporting Actor, Wikipedia: Best Actor, JustWatch India.
