12 Most Terrifying Action Movie Villains
9. Max Cady - Cape Fear
In a far cry from his most famous gangster roles, Robert De Niro took on the role of convicted rapist Max Cady in Scorsese's remake of Cape Fear in 1991, and you can tell De Niro went to town with the part, really being let off his leash. Cady is a vicious killer and just to look at his appearance - De Niro looking far more unkept than in his mobster films - you become aware that he really is capable of everything he's accused of in the film.
What makes him more frightening though is his level of intelligence that goes hand-in-hand with his sadistic nature. His knowledge of the legal system allows him to prey on defence lawyer Sam Bowden and his family in ways many other serial killers can't, and his legal mind allows him to plague the Bowden family in an extremely predatory manner.
It makes the boat scene in particular absolutely heart-stopping.