The latest trailer for the November 2022 release of The Menu confirms that Ralph Fiennes is once again set to terrify audiences. Throughout his extensive and acclaimed career, Fiennes has indeed earned a reputation for playing some disturbing characters.
Fiennes has played characters that ranged from mildly disturbing to downright terrifying. Each performance provided its own nuance, resulting in characters that have eerie staying power.
Mr Kendrick - Cemetery Junction (2010)
After the success of The Office, creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant set their sights on a feature film. The result was Cemetery Junction, a coming-of-age story set in 1970s England. The film focuses on Freddie Taylor (Christian Cooke), an ambitious young insurance agent who looks up to the success that his boss, Mr. Kendrick (Ralph Fiennes) has found.
While Mr. Kendrick isn't terrifying in a traditional sense, he is the picture of a man who has gone cold to everything but financial success. He ignores his family, all while looking down his nose at the people he deems as beneath him. Fiennes is adept at bringing this unnerving callousness out of the character, making Kendrick a highlight in a film that doesn't live up to the charm or success of The Office.
Heathcliff - Wuthering Heights (1992)
Emily Brontë's classic novel has received numerous adaptations of varying quality over the years. This 1992 adaptation failed to win over critics but found a decent amount of approval among audiences. Its tale stretches for years but ultimately ends in unrequited love for orphan turned wealthy gentleman Heathcliff.
The Heathcliff character is a complex one, perfectly suited for an actor with Fiennes' range. Though audiences initially sympathize with him, his love for Catherine begins to chip away at his rationality and morality. He is a wholly destructive character, with the intent to remove any and all obstacles to Catherine's love. Fiennes's portrayal is a haunting one that is well worth a look.
Professor James Moriarty - Holmes & Watson (2018)
This attempt to find comedy in the iconic world of Sherlock Holmes was a box office disaster, despite comedic favorites Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as the famed detective and his assistant John H Watson. Embroiled in stopping a plot to kill Queen Victoria, Holmes and Watson do everything within their dim-witted power to save the day.
While Holmes & Watson is far from a classic, Fiennes still manages to bring considerable menace to the role of Moriarty. It's a testament to his strengths as an actor, particularly as a villain, that the film has any legitimate sense of antagonism at all. And although Fiennes isn't exactly terrifying as Moriarty, he is unsettling in a way only he can be.
Hades - Clash Of The Titans (2010)
Clash of the Titans was originally released in 1981 and rebooted in 2010. The reboot did well at the box office, and this updated version tells the story of Perseus, son of Zeus, who endeavors to stop Hades from conquering Earth and Olympus.
As Hades, Fiennes brings audiences a taste of the macabre lengths that the god of the Underworld will go to in order to satisfy his own destructive ego. It's arguable that Fiennes is simply channeling the same sort of evil personality that fuels his portrayal of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series, but a deeper look at Hades proves that Fiennes has given this character a little something different - the likes of which is unsettling in its own right.
Rameses - The Prince Of Egypt (1998)
The Prince of Egypt found considerable box office success and took home the Oscar for best original song. The film tells the story of Moses as he struggles to lead the Hebrew people from Egypt and the iron-fisted rule of his adoptive brother Rameses.
Perhaps one of his lesser-known roles, Fiennes is no less threatening as the voice of Rameses. In fact, animation seems to play well to Fiennes' talents, as the extent of Rameses' power is undoubtedly easier to portray in a world where everything is possible. There's engaging wickedness to Fiennes' Rameses and fans of the actor will likely enjoy seeing (and hearing) Fienne's villainous talents in animated form.
Lord Victor Quartermaine - The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005)
Multi Oscar-winning animated filmmaker Nick Park won the best animated feature Oscar for this 2005 effort, despite the film not having been as successful as Park's previous animated hit, Chicken Run. The film follows inventor Wallace and his trusty sidekick Gromit as they become entangled in a were-rabbit situation that threatens the local gardens of Tottington Hall.
It's true that The Curse of the Were-Rabbit isn't exactly spine-tingling terror, but Fiennes voicing of the arrogant Lord Victor Quartermaine adds a healthy dose of impishness to the character. Completely unhinged in of the degree of ruthlessness he's willing to put forth, Quatermaine sums himself up nicely when he states, "There's no mercy with Victor Quartermaine." True, Fiennes' work does make audiences laugh even harder at Quartermaine, but there's no disputing the character's wickedness.
Harry Waters - In Bruges (2008)
Filmmaker Martin McDonagh struck gold with this low-budget black comedy. The film sees two gangsters, Ken (Brendan Gleason) and Ray (Colin Farrell) sent into hiding in the Belgian city of Bruges by their boss Harry Waters after Ray kills a child in a botched hit.
Fiennes is both terrifying and hilarious as Waters, smashing a phone receiver into pieces in a fit of rage one moment, then extolling the moral guidelines of murder the next. He's completely convincing as an organized crime boss and though his role is a relatively small one, it's a key piece of the overall storyline. McDonagh's script is airtight in its characterizations of these underworld figures and the casting of Fiennes was perfection.
Francis Dolarhyde - Red Dragon (2002)
Intended as a prequel to the events of The Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon introduces serial killer The Tooth Fairy, better known as Francis Dolarhyde. The film couldn't quite reach the same levels of acclaim that The Silence of the Lambs did, but it performed well all the same.
Motivated by his belief that each murder he commits brings him closer to becoming the all-powerful Great Red Dragon, Dolarhyde is a remorseless and brutal character. Fiennes is incredibly effective at capturing these traits, leaving audiences disturbed by the raw ferocity of the character long after the film ends.
Lord Voldemort - The Harry Potter Franchise (2005-2011)
As any fan will attest to, there is still plenty of reason to be fascinated by the rich Wizarding World of the Harry Potter franchise. Filled with wonder and warm-hearted sentiment, there is also a very dark side to the tale of boy wizard Harry Potter learning who he is and what his destiny entails.
Things turn dark fast once Voldemort becomes a more prominent character in the eight-film series. Fiennes delivers what is arguably one of his greatest performances as the Wizarding World's most evil wizard. His calm and gentle way of speaking is inherently at odds with his sadistic nature, and the character's placid confidence in his own destructive abilities says more than any evil voice or wardrobe could ever accomplish.
Amon Göth - Schindler's List (1993)
The true story of World War II industrialist Oskar Schindler and his efforts to save predominantly Polish Jewish citizens from Nazi-perpetuated genocide remains as powerful as ever today. One of the darkest, most horrific periods in human history, the Holocaust has been depicted in a variety of films over the years and Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List is one of the best.
In short, Fiennes is absolutely gut-wrenching as real-life Nazi concentration camp commandant Amon Göth. The ability to portray a character who has zero redeeming qualities without edging into caricature is no small challenge and speaks volumes about Fiennes' talent. In fact, watching the performance might simply be too much for some to bear. It is indeed one of the most frightening cinematic portrayals of all time.
