TAKING STOCK

All great protagonists need a worthy foe. John McClane matches wits with Hans Gruber, Ripley battles the Xenomorph and the Ghostbusters go head-to-head with Zuul. But while these big bads provide the satisfying climactic confrontation, there’s a separate smaller antagonist we love to see our heroes vanquish: the movie douchebag.

Also known as the jerk or the sleazeball, this jobsworth in a suit is the petty bureaucrat of the story who’s a legend in their own mind, and they found their heyday in the ’80s and ’90s. The character usually occupies a middle manager or administrative role that allows them to wield the slightest amount of power in a zealous way, boosting their own fragile ego. The role is a minor, often comedic, obstacle, a character oblivious to the true danger the hero faces while viewing themselves as the celebrates the cinematic arseholes we love to hate...