History LightIsNotGood / Film

* ''Film/AWrinkleInTime2018'' shows the planet Camazotz as a pastel colored, beautifully sunlit place, even though it’s a planet where individuality and creativity are capital sins.
* In ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore'', El Indio. In some scenes he wears with white clothes, but this does not mean that he is a good person. In fact, he is an AxCrazy, cold-blooded maniac.
* In ''Film/AmityvilleTheEvilEscapes'', a demon-possessed lamp is the primary antagonist.
* While not present in the actual film (unless you count the ice and snow), the most common poster for ''Film/TheThing1982'' depicts a man with a white radiance emanating from and obscuring his face, implying he was assimilated.
* ''Franchise/StarWars''
** The Stormtroopers are dressed in shiny white armor.
** On Kamino, [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas everything and everyone is]] [[ShiningCity shiny]] [[PartlyCloudyWithAChanceOfDeath except outside]].
* In ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'', Francisco Scaramanga wears a white suit for most of the film's second act. Although he briefly earlier weared a black suit, his white suit is his most iconic outfit from the film, as he always wears it when he appears as a playable character in James Bond videogames.
* In ''Film/MastersOfTheUniverse'', when Skeletor absorbs the power of the Great Eye, he transforms into a golden-armored warrior god with golden powers.
* ''Film/{{Immortals}}'' has the villain Hyperion, the titan of light, from Myth/GreekMythology.
* In ''Film/TheProphecy'', the allegedly good angels like Gabriel and Uriel, who express affection abundantly, love kids and can't stand to see people cry, are the villains on an anti-human crusade to destroy and rebuild heaven as it was before the creation of man. The devil has to offer his aid to the humans who end up getting involved in the war (which he does for his own ulterior reasons).
* The main villain of the ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' movie. While [[spoiler:the halfblood Gabriel]] turned out to be the main cause of the problems, Lucifer (Satan) was dressed in an immaculate white business suit and yet was not the major villain.
** There was that black goo clinging to his feet, though....
*** Though you can take it as a moment of FridgeBrilliance, since Satan was once an angel who was cast out of Heaven. It's a fitting look for a sullied angel.
* The escape from Crematoria scene in ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick''.
* Doctor Cocteau in ''Film/DemolitionMan'' wore conservative white robes, was a moral pillar... and responsible for releasing a psychopathic murderer in order to maintain his perfect pearl of a society.
* The main villain in ''Film/TheLegendOfZorro'' kills people because he believes he is doing God's work, and often quotes the Bible.
* The fundamentalist minister in ''Film/{{Footloose}}''. Although, at least in the original, he's not as bad as most of the examples here. As a WellIntentionedExtremist AntiVillain, aside from his ''idee fixe'' about dancing, he is fairly reasonable.
* In ''Film/NightWatch'' and ''Day Watch'', the good guys are called Night Watchers, while the bad guys are called Day Watchers. This is because the Night Watch are the side of the Light Others, whereas the Day Watch are the side of the Dark Others. The names are literal; Night Watch keeps a watch on the dark, and Day Watch keeps a watch on the light. The books and movies make it clear that when you get down to it, both sides are just people with jobs, and the Night Watch have quite their share of dicks.
* In ''Film/TheGodfatherPartIII'', the Vatican is revealed to be in cahoots with the Corleone crime family.
* ''Film/{{Sunshine}}'' (2007). As the Icarus II gets closer to the Sun, the latter begins to take on the impression of an all-powerful god, and not a friendly one either. Several people, notably psychiatrist Searle and the NietzscheWannabe villain, are [[SpaceMadness affected]].
* A glowing, beautiful, angelic version of BigBad Sauron [[WhatCouldHaveBeen would've]] appeared in the climactic battle in TheMovie of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings The Return of the King'' had the design team not decided that making the omnipotent Eye corporeal [[WhatCouldHaveBeen would've been silly.]] Still, the idea of Kate Winslet as a TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}} character would've been something.
** Then there's Galadriel showing why giving her the One Ring would be a bad idea:
---> '''Evil!Galadriel:''' And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair.
** Saruman the White, as listed in the literature section. Though he isn't particularly nice looking and is surrounded by dark forces, he still has some light related symbolism, most notably in the scenes where Gandalf (then [[DarkIsNotEvil Gandalf the Grey]]) is present.
** In the realm only perceivable by those wearing The One Ring, the Nazgul appear as bone white harbingers of death (in contrast to their typical [[DarkIsEvil black shrouded profiles]] most everyone sees).
* In ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'', King Einon always dresses in white. In contrast, hero Bowen is dressed in black.
* ''Film/TheGoldenCompass'' seems to love this trope, to the point that Mrs Coulter (who was black haired in the books) became blonde (to which the author said: "I was clearly wrong. You sometimes are wrong about your characters. She's blonde. She has to be."), and intercision is not done with a blade as in the books, but with lasers.
* ''Film/{{Transformers}}'': Soundwave's robot mode vaguely resembles an angel. His satellite mode (well, at least the [[MerchandiseDriven toy version]]) also continues this theme somewhat.
** And his car mode in ''Dark of the Moon'' as well.
* ''Film/{{Daybreakers}}'': When Edward Dalton parks his car under a tree in the full heat of the day, the whole scene does a great job at equating light with fear.
* When we are introduced to the BigBad in ''Film/HeroicTrio'', he is wearing a gold, glittery outfit and is illuminated in the middle of a dark lair.
* Hilary Faye in ''Film/{{Saved}}'' is a pure, virginal, devout Christian... and also a HolierThanThou AlphaBitch who makes the main characters' lives a living [[IncrediblyLamePun hell]]. In [[ExecutiveMeddling the original ending]], she even pulls a UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} on the [[HighSchoolDance senior prom]].
* ''Film/{{Poltergeist}}'' - '"Don't go into the light', Carol Ann!". In this case, the light is not good for Carol Ann because she is a living girl sucked into the beyond. The light however ''is'' good for the spirits hovering around there. Going into the light allows them to leave their bitterness behind.
* Commodus, the villainous emperor in ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'', wears a pure white gown while battling the hero Maximus, [[DarkIsNotEvil in dark armor]], during the final battle.
* In a rather bizarre scene from ''Film/{{Gordy}}'', the villain is shown with a heavenly, golden glow around him as overlaid footage of what he believes is sabotaged clips of the title pig is being shipped off.
%%* Castor and Gem in ''Film/TronLegacy''.
%%* The premise of ''Film/TheDarkestHour''.
* The pagans worshipping the Sun God in ''Film/TheWickerMan1973''.
* Storm Shadow from ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseOfCobra''. Subverted in that he is also shown to be one of the few on the side of Cobra with a moral code (he doesn't kill women or children and is angry when Zartan does so, and in ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'' [[spoiler:he pulls a HeelFaceTurn]].
* The white-suited humans in their clean, sterile towers in ''Film/{{Oblivion 2013}}'' . Sure, they're more-or-less good people, but [[spoiler: they're unwittingly maintaining the Tet's ongoing obliteration of humanity]]. Similarly, the shiny, white, disturbingly TriggerHappy AttackDrones.
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
** ''Film/XMenFirstClass'': Emma Frost, who is ([[MsFanservice scantily]]) clad in white and can turn her body into a mass of shining diamonds, but has no discernible morals.
** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': Archangel with his angelic motif and being a Horseman of Apocalypse.
* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': The Peacekeepers wear pristine-white helmets and armor. Capitol, the heart of the decadent Panem, is an imposing ShiningCity. Even the rooms in the participant's rooms have bright white crystalline lights.
** In ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart1'', compared to District 13, the Capitol has its people dressed in bright lavish colors, the President is named after white snow, and its Peacekeepers wear bone white armor, but the Capitol is anything but good.
** In ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart2'', [[spoiler:tellingly, President Coin's outfits grow ever lighter and less utilitarian even as she's revealed to be evil]].
* Frank Nitti, Al Capone's hired assassin from ''Film/TheUntouchables'' wears a pure white suit.
* In ''Film/AlienAbduction2014'', the presence of the aliens is marked with a blindingly bright light glaring out of the darkness in pursuit of the fleeing family.
* Mehmet II from ''Film/DraculaUntold''. When he fights Vlad, he is surrounded by silver coins, wields a silver sword, and dresses in bright gold armour. This is still the same guy who demanded a thousand boys to use as soldiers. The silver is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by being a vampire's weakness.
* Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'s ArchNemesis King Ghidorah is bright gold in color, in contrast to the charcoal-gray Godzilla. But whereas Godzilla tends to be a rage-filled AntiHero, Ghidorah is an OmnicidalManiac who simply likes killing so much that he wipes out whole planets [[ForTheEvulz for the fun of it]].
* ''Film/InTheMouthOfMadness'': Sutter Cane, a [[AGodAmI godlike]] horror writer who uses his works to spread chaos and insanity, emanates light during his conversation with Trent about the power of belief in the {{Confessional}}.
* In ''Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': ''The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'': Much like in the [[Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe book]], the White Witch wears pure white and is a SatanicArchetype. Also in the movie, in the final battle her chariot is pulled by [[BearsAreBadNews polar bears]] and she has white tigers as minions, contrasting Aslan who has a grizzly bear and various great cats (including regular tigers) on his side.
* The murderous stalker in ''Film/ABridesRevenge'' wears an all-white bridal gown - including a long dress, identity concealing veil and elbow length gloves.
----

* The upcoming film ''Film/AWrinkleInTime2018'' shows the planet Camazotz as a pastel colored, beautifully sunlit place, even though it’s a planet where individuality and creativity are capital sins.

* In ''Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': ''The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'': Much like the [[Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe]], the White Witch wears pure white and is a SatanicArchetype. Also in the movie, in the final battle her chariot is pulled by [[BearsAreBadNews polar bears]] and she has white tigers as minions, contrasting Aslan who has a grizzly bear and various great cats (including regular tigers) on his side.

* The upcoming 2018 film Literature/AWrinkleInTime shows the planet Camazotz as a pastel colored, beautifully sunlit place, even though it’s a planet where individuality and creativity are capital sins.

* In ''Film/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': ''The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'': Much like the [[Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe]], the White Witch wears pure white and is a SatanicArchetype. Also in the movie, in the final battle her chariot is pulled by [[BadNewsBears polar bears]] and she has white tigers as minions, contrasting Aslan who has a grizzly bear and various great cats (including regular tigers) on his side.

* Castor and Gem in ''Film/TronLegacy''.
* The premise of ''Film/TheDarkestHour''.
* The pagans worshipping the Sun God in ''Film/TheWickerMan''.

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':

** In the realm only perceivable by those wearing The One Ring, the Nazgul appear as bone white harbingers of death (in contrast to their typical [[DarkIsEvil black shrouded profiles]] most everyone sees.

* Emma Frost from ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', who is ([[MsFanservice scantily]]) clad in white and can turn her body into a mass of shining diamonds, but has no discernible morals.

* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'':
** The AlluringAnglerfish.
--> '''Marlin''': "Good feeling's gone."
** The pretty, sparkly, glowing jellyfish.
* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''. Sunnyside Daycare may sound like a nice place, but it's not. Even in its brightest daytime glory, it is not. Also, there's the famous quote, referring to [[spoiler: almost literal {{Hellfire}}]]:
--> '''Rex''': "Hey, I can see daylight! We're gonna be OK!"
--> '''Woody''': "I don't think that's daylight..."

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'', Lord Shen is a white peacock who is a ruthless conqueror. He is perfectly willing to commit genocide on the Giant Pandas to thwart a prophecy and then kill anyone in the way of his ambitions. Chillingly fitting considering that, in the Chinese culture, white is the color of ''death''.

* In ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', not Elsa, [[AnIcePerson as one would expect]], but [[spoiler:Hans, who is a beautiful subversion of the Disney PrinceCharming]]. Not only is he one of the very few Disney villains to not be [[ObviouslyEvil ugly or dark]], but he is also thoroughly associated with the [[spoiler: [[ManInWhite color white]], which every single one of his outfits has to some extent]].

* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': Whenever King Triton's trident glows brightly, it usually signals that something bad is about to happen, as shown when he destroys Ariel's grotto in a fit of rage and when Ursula becomes ruler of the sea. Ultimately subverted at the end, when Triton uses it to [[spoiler: turn Ariel into a human permanently]].

*** Though you can take it as a moment of fridge brilliance, since Satan was once an angel, who was cast out of Heaven. It's a fitting look for a sullied angel.

* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''

* In the ''Film/MastersOfTheUniverse'' film when Skeletor absorbs the power of the Great Eye he transforms into a golden-armored warrior god with golden powers.
* ''Film/{{Immortals}}'' has as the villain Hyperion, the titan of light from Myth/GreekMythology.

* The fundamentalist minister in ''Film/{{Footloose}}'' although, at least in the original he's not as bad as most of the examples here being a WellIntentionedExtremist AntiVillain who, aside from his ''idee fixe'' about dancing is fairly reasonable.

* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3''. Sunnyside Daycare may sound like a nice place, but it's not. Even in its brightest daytime glory it is not. Also, there's the famous quote, referring to [[spoiler: almost literal {{Hellfire}}]]:
--> '''Rex''': "Hey, I can see daylight! We're gonna be OK!"''
--> '''Woody''': "I don't think that's daylight..."''

* ''Film/{{Sunshine}}'' (2007). As the Icarus II gets closer to the Sun the latter begins to take on the impression of an all-powerful god, and not a friendly one either. Several people, notably psychiatrist Searle and the NietzscheWannabe villain, are [[SpaceMadness affected]].

** Saruman the White as listed in the literature section; though he isn't particularly nice looking and is surrounded by dark forces he still has quite some light related symbolism, most notable in the scenes in which Gandalf (then [[DarkIsNotEvil Gandalf the Grey]]) is present.
* In ''Film/{{Dragonheart}}'', King Einon always dresses in white in contrast with the hero Bowen who is dressed in Black.

* ''Film/{{Poltergeist}}'' - '"Don't go into the light', Carol Ann!". In this case the light is not good for Carol Ann because she is a living girl sucked into the beyond. The light however ''is'' good for the spirits hovering around there. Going into the light allows them to leave their bitterness behind.
* Commodus, the villainous emperor in ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'', wears a pure white gown while battling the hero Maximus [[DarkIsNotEvil in dark armor]] in the final battle.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'', Lord Shen is a white peacock who is a ruthless conqueror and perfectly willing to commit genocide on the Giant Pandas to thwart a prophecy and then kill anyone in the way of his ambitions. Chillingly fitting considering that in Chinese culture, white is the color of ''death''.

* The premise of "Film/TheDarkestHour"
* The Sun God worshipping pagans in ''Film/TheWickerMan''.

* In ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'', not Elsa, [[AnIcePerson as one would expect]], but [[spoiler:Hans, who not only is a beautiful subversion of the Disney PrinceCharming,]] and is one of the very few Disney villains to not be [[ObviouslyEvil ugly or dark]], but is also throughly associated with the [[ManInWhite color white]], which every single one of his outfits has to some extent.
* Emma Frost from ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', ([[MsFanservice scantily]]) clad in white and able to turn her body into a mass of shining diamonds, but she has no discernible morals.

** In ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjayPart1'', compared to District 13, the Capitol has its people dressed in bright lavish colors, the President is named after white snow and its Peacekeepers wear bone white armor, but the Capitol is anything but good.