One of Disney’s most infamous and ghastly villains, a Cruella de Vil origin story seems like an odd choice. When the film was first announced, many wondered if Cruella would try to redeem its titular character, much like Disney did with Maleficent. To quote Cruella herself, that didn’t sit well with some people.
Judging by the trailer, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Indeed, the Cruella shown in those two and a half minutes seems as villainous as ever, but it is also implied that there is a reason for such. It would hardly be the first time this happened. Many movies took this approach before and the trailer made it clear that Cruella clearly took inspiration from them.
Birds Of Prey
As soon as the trailer for Cruella made its debut, many compared the character’s portrayal to that of the Joker and Harley Quinn. From the moment Suicide Squad premiered in 2016, Harley Quinn became more popular than ever, which led the character to get her own movie.
Birds of Prey might not be the most popular movie in the DCEU, but it’s one of the most consistent ones. It has real and enduring sympathy for Harley and presents her as more of an anti-hero. Her self-described ‘craziness’ isn’t romanticized and the character’s actions are praised (even if they are decidedly immoral and reprehensible).
101 Dalmatians
A live action Cruella de Vil already exists, played with elegant perfection by screen legend Glenn Close in 1996’s 101 Dalmatians. Close’s performance was so wicked and spot on that it remained the definitive version of the character for a long time.
It’s still unclear if Cruella is a direct prequel to the 1996 movie or if it’s a standalone origin story. However, it’s impossible that Emma Stone didn’t at least take some inspiration from Close’s iconic portrayal. 101 Dalmatians was very much a children’s movie, though, and Cruella seems to be going for a more mature tone.
Maleficent
The film that arguably inspired Disney to give Cruella de Vil an origin story, Maleficent gave one of Disney’s most terrifying and powerful villains a heart. Starring Angelina Jolie, the movie provides a cruel backstory to the Mistress of Evil, turning her into a tragic villain.
The film received mixed reviews but was an overwhelming commercial success. And while many disagreed with Disney’s choice to turn Maleficent into a heroine, the movie’s success proved that audiences didn’t entirely dislike the idea. Still, taking Cruella de Vil in a similar route might be a tad too much.
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is one of the best and most unnerving portrayals of mental illness in mainstream cinema. It tells the story of Travis Bickle, a war veteran working as a taxi driver, whose mental state declines further with each night.
A chilling character study, Taxi Driver is famous for its depictions of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, set in a morally bankrupt New York City. It’s obvious that Disney will never do something as dark or provocative as this film, but Taxi Driver‘s influence is felt in nearly every single portrayal of loneliness, anger, and extremism (which is what Cruella seems to be aiming for, albeit in a much more lighthearted way).
Bates Motel
If there’s one project that could be a sibling to Cruella‘s apparent purpose, it would be Bates Motel. Centered around one of cinema’s most infamous villains, Bates Motel tells the story of a young Norman Bates, digging deeper into his dependent relationship with his mother and his increasingly violent mind.
Bates Motel never attempts to excuse or redeem Norman. Instead, it aims to provide answers to the lingering questions audiences had since Psycho premiered in 1960. Cruella seems destined to do the same, which is the best possible route for this specific origin story.
Gone Girl
At first sight, there aren’t a lot of similarities between Cruella and David Fincher’s 2014 psychological thriller Gone Girl. The latter centers on bar owner Nick Dunne, who becomes the main suspect in the disappearance of wife, Amy. For many audience members, the movie features a more unnerving and noir-ish tone.
Thematically speaking, both films are explorations of female rage and inconformity. Both Amy and Cruella are amoral and conniving individuals, who go to great lengths to get what they want. And while Amy, and surely Cruella, commit despicable actions, audiences still root for them, even if they are still terrified of them.
The Devil Wears Prada
Ever since The Devil Wears Prada premiered in 2006, it seems that every and any fashion-themed movie takes inspiration from it. Starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, the film tells the story of Andy, a recently graduated journalist, who accepts a job as the assistant to powerful and demanding editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly.
Streep’s Priestly is an ice queen with killer fashion instincts, a boss lady if there ever was one. Emma Thompson’s Baroness von Hellman, described as the head of a prestigious fashion house, seems cut from the same cloth, but Stone’s Estella isn’t quite as demure as Hathaway’s Andy.
Breaking Bad
Arguably television’s greatest anti-hero, Walter White has hordes of fans around the world. Breaking Bad sees the sheepish and mild-mannered high school teacher turns into a ruthless drug lord and murderer, which perfectly summarizes the idea that everyone has darkness within.
Like with Taxi Driver, there’s no way that Disney would ever do something as dark as Breaking Bad. However, the show’s central thesis and Walter’s character journey can be replicated in Cruella.
Bonnie & Clyde
A groundbreaking and landmark film in American movie history, Bonnie and Clyde centers around the titular couple, and follows their crime spree during the Great Depression. Starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, the film was controversial at the time of its release because of its graphic violence.
The characters of Cruella and Bonnie could share several similarities, mainly a taste for danger and recklessness. They also had a propensity to commit small thefts before moving on to larger, more ambitious schemes. Cruella, however, is the leader of her gang, as both Jasper and Horace follow her around and do her bidding.
Joker
One of the moments from the Cruella trailer that stood out the most is the way the titular villainess drove the car with a sort of distant look in her eyes. It’s very reminiscent of many portrayals of the Joker, Batman’s archenemy and one of pop culture’s most famous and complex characters.
If the writers decided to follow a similar story structure to Phillips’ Joker, Cruella could also open the door for future and similar portrayals of female rage. The Joker is often named one of the best villains of all time because of his complexity and allure, and there’s no reason why the same couldn’t be said about Cruella de Vil.
