Jerkass vs Jerkass Films

Many films feature either a plucy or poor protagonist having to deal with some JerkAss. Sometimes they triumph over them other times they fail.

Are there any films out there that feature more of a Jerkass vs Jerkass type story. Maybe some jerk who is used to bulling people around (since dealing with such people can be very difficult in modern society) only to finally come up against someone who is just as good as skirting around the law and bullying. And that person focuses on the other Jerkass. Maybe Jerk with a Heart of Gold who may normally be a nice person, but may know how to be a Jerkass and uses those qualities to maybe defend a friend from another Jerkass.

Any films like this? I would imagine they might be black comedies though I am open to other genres.

thanks

Neighbors.

That movie comes off as that sort of premise based on its Gray and Grey Morality with characters.

The main protagonist (two parents who just had a baby) want to reasonably get rid of their rowdy neighbors (a fraternity) for the well being of their daughter. However, as the film moves along, they really want to get rid of the frat due to some thrill seeking midlife crisis they are going through and use the parent instinct card to justify their sociopathic actions upon the frat.

The frat who are the antagonist are made of lazy, party loving stoners who play off a lot of stereotypes seen in Animal House. In spite of that, they are relatively well meaning individuals who just want to have a good time and all their antagonistic actions were in retaliation to the parents sociopathic actions.

i'm pretty sure everyone in Snatch is a criminal, swindler, or at minimum, extremely dishonest.

In Bruges. All the characters are jerks (and killers). Very dark comedy.

edited 10th Aug '15 4:24:07 PM by Galadriel

The Prestige. Just two very obsessed illusionists trying to upstage the other. Or is it just two...

After referencing it in Neighbors, I might as well add the classic movie Animal House.

The villains are a bunch of elitist who would gladly kick out a group of students off of their campus to keep up with their prestige image.

The heroes are surprisingly worse as they are a bunch of lazy, party obsessed, rule breaking sociopaths who committed acts of vandalism, disturbance, assault and (possibly) rape (or is that Revenge of the Nerds I am thinking of for the last one). As lovable they are, the heroes clearly deserve to be kick out years ago.

Now that I think about all Snob vs. Slob comedies count as Jerkass vs. Jerkass films.

Nah, the main character (not flounder, the other freshman) definitely committed statutory rape with a girl who looked adult but was actually 13. She introduced him to her parents as "the boy who molested me."

If depression was peanut butter and humor chocolate, In Bruges would be the ultimate Reses cup.

Seconding the mention of Snatch. Some characters in it are much worse then others, but everyone in the film is an asshole and a criminal {And incidentally it's hilarious}. Same goes for Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

edited 19th Aug '15 11:00:20 AM by marston

Hmm, the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie vehicle, "Mr and Mrs Smith", the one with the feuding assassin couple, springs to mind. Both of those characters were unmitigated jerk asses towards each other and most other people they came into contact with. Usually they shot the latter category as well.

There's a trope for this.

Oh, right.

Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy

Can't believe no one has mentioned Rush.

Thought you was going to go link to Grey-and-Grey Morality or Black-and-Grey Morality on this.

Because In Bruges is totally a movie where the word that comes to mind is apathy?

There's a trope for this.

Oh, right.

Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy

I don't see the idea of Jerkass vs Jerkass as a case where it is always Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy. I found Animal House to be very funny and have seen a couple of films over the years where this idea has been played out where one character is still likable enough or the storyline done well enough. Of course, it is very easy to have nobody to root for and have that very problem.

Thank you for all the suggesstions.

edited 2nd Sep '15 4:52:19 PM by seekquaze1

The Campaign? I haven't seen it in a while but I'm pretty sure both characters were equally Jerkassy. (Will Ferrel punches a baby)

Kicking And Screaming, another Will Ferrell vehicle, becomes this, as the protagonist takes a level in Jerkass when he finally figures out how to make a winning team, set against his dad, who was a jerkass from the start.

I'd say "Bio-Dome", if only that the scientists are jerks to the "protagonists" as they destroy everything they've worked for, harass the female staff, and more.

There's a trope for this. Oh, right. Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy

I'll see your trope, and raise you a Black-and-White Insanity.

On topic, are we talking about intentional or unintentionall jerkasses?

edited 2nd Nov '15 11:35:04 AM by TheFarmboy

Most examples that are being given so far are intentional, iirc.

edited 2nd Nov '15 1:02:37 PM by Quag15