Backstabbings, betrayals, and bald-faced lies, Hollywood has been using the deceitful dearest as a storytelling device forever, and as bad friends turn the tables and twist the plot, audiences can be left with deep anger for those characters which really should never have been trusted in the first place.
Good friends are hard to come by, and even harder so in the world of movie magic. Some pals are unsupportive while others go one step further and willfully support the downfall of their familiars. Don Corleone famously said to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, yet when it comes to these conniving confidants, they were the latter all along.
10 Janis & Damien Are The Most Manipulative (Mean Girls)
Most point fingers at the Plastics when taking a look at bad friends in 2004's Mean Girls, yet Regina George and co. are far more upfront with their bullying and snobbery than faux friends Janis and Damien.
Using new girl Cady for their own personal gains, and then becoming immeasurably jealous when Lindsay Lohan's character gains popularity, Janis and Damien are just as insecure and unlikable as the beautiful bullies, yet they do it all in a far more manipulative manner.
9 When It Comes To High School Pals, Stiffler Is Just The Worst (American Pie)
The reason Seann William Scott's prankster is so memorable amongst viewers is that most people have known a friend like this at some point in their lives. Stiffler thrives on attention and the laughs he gets, and he is assuredly not against using others to get them.
From humiliating his friend with literal toilet humor to persuading one to allow him a pervy peephole in the form of a secret webcam, American Pie's Stiffler houses a fair amount of horror with his hilarity and as fun as he can be to watch, few would want to be on the receiving end of this man's brash brand of bonding.
8 Ferris Bueller Doesn't Really Care How Your Day Goes (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)
Narcissism is a common trait amongst undesirable acquaintances, yet few embody this characteristic quite like Ferris Bueller. The guy wants a day off but isn't prepared to take this alone and his reckless behavior shows he has almost no regard for his friends or their education. Ferris cares for himself and anything else is a second thought.
Matthew Broderick's slacker may be adored by movie fans, but as far as being his best buddy goes, this is one teenager that high schoolers would do well to steer clear of.
7 Angela's Friends Mean Little To Her (American Beauty)
From using her best friend as a confidence boost to seducing said best friend's own father, Mena Suvari's Angela is far from an ideal pal even in the chaotic times of high school life. American Beauty is packed with characters seemingly void of their morals that repeatedly hurt the ones they love, but this cheerleader seems to care so little about others that it's her most defining character trait.
She may have feared being ordinary, yet with her frequent mistreatment of Thora Birch's Jane, it's unlikely that Angela Hayes will be remembered as much more than an evil, narcissistic teenager.
6 Henry Hill Isn't Much Of A Goodfella To His Friends (Goodfellas)
When discussing the worst friends in cinema, the topic is always likely to escalate from hurting feelings to causing actual death and destruction. Henry Hill is a gangster, and with a job title so tightly entwined with murder, it's not surprising that Hill's snitching ends up destroying the lives of so many around him.
Ray Liotta's mob man knew the code, he learned it at an early age, and it's this fact that makes his betrayal all the more frustrating. His downfall was of course well deserved and in a world like that of Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, this type of behavior is sure to be expected.
5 Robert The Bruce Betrayed A Friend & An Entire Nation (Braveheart)
Hollywood enjoys taking liberties with the truth when it comes to movies based on real life, and sometimes it's arguably necessary to do so in order to craft a truly great picture. A truly great picture Braveheart may be, yet its history is about as genuine as Mel Gibson's Scottish accent.
The war epic features a seriously shifty bit of backstabbing by none other than Robert the Bruce. He was a man that William Wallace grew to trust and hold as a friend, and this betrayal directly led to Wallace's downfall and brutal death.
4 Nicky Santoro Doesn't See His Friend's Marriage As Anything Sacred (Casino)
Both sleeping with a friend's wife and plotting to murder him are not tolerated in the mob world, and Joe Pesci's Nicky Santoro found this out the hard way in Martin Scorsese's epic Casino (1995).
Joe Pesci is no stranger to playing detestable characters, from Goodfellas to Home Alone, the Academy Award-winning star knows how to play hateable, yet few of his characters have quite the penchant for backstabbing as Nicky does.
3 Carl Is A Scumbag That Deserves Everything He Gets (Ghost)
Carl's intention may not have been to get Patrick Swayze's poor Sam Wheat killed, yet the sleazy conman certainly revels in the fact his former pal is no longer in the land of the living. Tony Goldwyn's character immediately puts the moves on his best friend's widow, and if not for good old Oda Mae Brown, played to perfection by the iconic Whoopi Goldberg, Carl Bruner may well have gotten away with it all.
Ghost remains one of the '90s finest love stories, and as atrocious as Carl's deceitful acts are, without them, Unchained Melody wouldn't still conjure up images of pottery making for so many movie fans worldwide.
2 Robert Ford Lives Up To His Moniker (The Assassination Of Jesse James)
Casey Affleck's cowboy has his personality spelled out quite clearly in the movie's title, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford may be a mouthful, but it perfectly sums up the final moments of the legendary outlaw's life.
James seemingly wanted to cement his legacy by dying with his boots on, but a bullet from a man you've recently befriended is always going to hurt that little bit more, especially when that man would never be capable of filling those boots you leave behind. Brad Pitt's stellar performance made this snide shooting even more hurtful to watch. An act of such cowardice no one would ever anticipate from one they deem a friend.
1 When It Comes To Backstabbing Buddies, Calrissian Is King (Star Wars)
Perhaps cinema's most iconic backstabber, to the point where brandishing a person "Lando" is a label that establishes them as one, the smooth-talking smuggler may have gained some sympathy with the clear regret of his actions in betraying his friend Han Solo, yet Lando Calrissian is proof that there really is no honor amongst thieves.
Lando's double-cross in The Empire Strikes Back has rarely if ever been topped in the years since the second installment in George Lucas' everlasting space opera, and when it comes to bad friends in movies, Billy Dee Williams' intergalactic gambler remains the gold standard.