5 Origin Story Films To Match Cruella and Her Dalmatians

Disney’s live-action feature on 101 Dalmatians villain Cruella de Vil, Cruella, hit cinemas in Australia this week and the first round of reviews are out.

If we’re working off Rotten Tomatoes alone, the Tomatometer reads at 72 per cent (fresh!).

And if we’re going off my personal opinion, not that you asked, I can say that it’s visually stunning – the costumes are worthy of a museum exhibition – the storyline is exciting and just deep enough to hit you in the feels, but it is a little long. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson are phenomenal together, however.

If you’d like to watch it you can check it out in cinemas or on Disney+.

After checking out Cruella, if you’d like to continue in the theme of epic origin stories, we’ve got a bunch to add to your list. Who doesn’t love a good villain, after all? To be clear, we don’t think origin stories should act as a means of excusing villainous behaviour – there’s no defending that – but it can be interesting to see these stories play out. As long as lines are clearly drawn.

Here’s our list of top villain origin stories for your viewing pleasure:

Maleficent

Rotten Tomatoes synopsis reads:

As a beautiful young woman of pure heart, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life in a forest kingdom. When an invading army threatens the land, Maleficent rises up to become its fiercest protector. However, a terrible betrayal hardens her heart and twists her into a creature bent on revenge. She engages in an epic battle with the invading king’s successor, then curses his newborn daughter, Aurora — realising only later that the child holds the key to peace in the kingdom.

Watch it on Disney+.

The Dark Knight

This gives a backstory to the birth of Two-Face as a villain.

Rotten Tomatoes synopsis reads:

With the help of allies Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman (Christian Bale) has been able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City. But when a vile young criminal calling himself the Joker (Heath Ledger) suddenly throws the town into chaos, the caped Crusader begins to tread a fine line between heroism and vigilantism.

Watch it on Netflix.

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith

You may not be a fan, but this is the film that details Anakin’s transformation into Dark Vader.

Rotten Tomatoes synopsis reads:

It has been three years since the Clone Wars began. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) rescue Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from General Grievous, the commander of the droid armies, but Grievous escapes. Suspicions are raised within the Jedi Council concerning Chancellor Palpatine, with whom Anakin has formed a bond. Asked to spy on the chancellor, and full of bitterness toward the Jedi Council, Anakin embraces the Dark Side.

Watch it on Disney+.

Batman Returns

You could choose to watch Catwoman to get Selina Kyle’s backstory, but you would probably be dissatisfied. Batman Returns is a far more enjoyable watch, all while giving you the history of how Kyle became Batman’s coolest nemesis.

Rotten Tomatoes synopsis reads:

The monstrous Penguin (Danny DeVito), who lives in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with wicked shock-headed businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) to topple the Batman (Michael Keaton) once and for all. But when Shreck’s timid assistant, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), finds out, and Shreck tries to kill her, she is transformed into the sexy Catwoman. She teams up with the Penguin and Shreck to destroy Batman, but sparks fly unexpectedly when she confronts the caped crusader.

Watch on Netflix.

X-Men: First Class

This film looks at the relationship shared between Professor X and Magneto in the X-Men universe.

Rotten Tomatoes synopsis reads:

In the early 1960s, during the height of the Cold War, a mutant named Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) meets a fellow mutant named Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender). Despite their vastly different backgrounds — Charles grew up with a wealthy family, while Erik lost his parents at Auschwitz — the two become close friends. As the world teeters on the brink of a nuclear war, Charles and Erik with other mutants join forces to save humanity. However, a situation soon tears the friends apart.

Watch it on Disney+.