7 movies and series that have mad and unpredictable scientists

It is quite probable that if we talk about scientists and cinema, some strange, asocial and quite crazy characters come to mind. Like the original mad scientist, Victor Frankenstein, they all seem to lack empathy or concern for how their actions affect those around them. 

This stereotype can be misguided, especially if we talk about reality, but it turns out that film directors love this idea of ​​eccentricism in all its forms. 

In the movies, the mad scientist is usually visually identified by his messy or generally mistreated hair, bad manners, white coat and always in his laboratory and, certainly, you will find one as described in this report. However, there are a thousand and one ways and they can even be attractive.

They don’t have to be evil, although that touch of taking science further and losing one’s sanity generates a lot of morbidity in the writers. As you can see, from adorable weirdos to crazy murderers, it’s what you’re going to find in this list of movies and some other series.

Emmett “Doc” Brown (Back to the Future, 1985)

Madness, as we have already said, does not always equal evil and this scientist is a great example of this. Here, if we find the stereotype in its pure essence. However, this becomes even adorable.

Of course, with that Einstein hair and his funny phrases, we can say that he is absolutely crazy. “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd) will not hesitate to carry out criminal activities to obtain objects and components for his inventions that, apparently, cannot be purchased through legal means. 

Let’s just remember his episode with the plutonium, needed to power his DeLorean time machine, which is stolen from Libyan terrorists. Here the luck factor is a great point in his favor, since his complete unawareness of danger leads him to a thousand and one stories.

We leave you the link to Netflix so you can see the entire trilogy.

Dr. Finkelstein (The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1983)

While Tim Burton drives us all a little crazy and completely subverts the figure of a skeleton, turning him into a very likeable hero, with the scientist who appears in this great film he does not get wet and gives him typical characteristics and evil.

Dr. Finkelstein is going to be in a wheelchair and is made up of spare mechanical parts instead of organic tissue. This villain, while not entirely evil, is totally unlikable both in appearance and character. 

Looking like a cross between Dr. Frankenstein and the monster of the same name, Finkelstein terrorizes his creation, Sally (reminiscing on the aforementioned), in a way that is both a very strict father and a controlling husband, Which of course makes the whole thing even creepier and weirder.

How could it be otherwise, it is available for your enjoyment on Disney +.

Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang, 2007)

Of course we are facing a science-themed comedy in its purest essence and Sheldon Cooper would be the one that best fits our profile, although physically he has little to do with a mad scientist. However, many of the attitudes that are attributed to these characters, take them as standard.

“The Big Bang Theory is the best and finest fictional portrayal of scientists in any current media, and a series that is carving its way into the annals of television comedy,” he wrote in the Los Angeles Times in 2009.

And it is that, they do not lack reason. Sheldon Cooper is smart, curious, but then he fails in many social aspects. Despite the great points in his favor, he has serious problems with simple tasks that he refuses to acknowledge, for example physical exercise, driving a car or socializing.

His personality is strongly characterized by egomania that makes him consider himself intellectually superior to everyone around him. All 12 seasons of this fun series can be found on HBO Max.

Josef Heiter (The Human Centipede, 2009)

This disgusting movie is based on extreme body horror and explicit representations of what a totally out of control evil scientist is capable of. 

As Dr. Heiter gets closer to making his dream of creating a human centipede come true (you can already imagine how he connects people with others), the girls he has previously captured for it are going to be subjected to all kinds of tricks.

Just to give you an idea, this scientist became famous after managing to separate two conjoined twins. After decades of crazy surgeries, he’s now interested in doing the exact opposite. Prepare your stomach if you want to give it a try. Of course, this is one of the craziest movies ever made.

Note that it has three parts, each worse, and uniting more and more people. “Sadly” is not available at the moment on any platform.

Herbert West (Re-Animator, 1985)

Some mad scientists think they are going to fix the world. Others intend to destroy humanity for one reason or another. And another faction just doesn’t care and just wants to keep trying weird experiments. This is the one Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) belongs to. And, this medical student is going to discover how to bring dead things back to life. 

Based on a short story by HP Lovecraft, the film portrays the comically graphic results of the manipulation of natural processes. It turns out that even though the serum reanimates what West injects, they all come back as zombie-like creatures with an insatiable hunger.

Just to mention one crazy moment in this film, West is going to decapitate another scientist trying to steal his serum. His phrase, “”yes, parts, I’ve never done parts” and then start injecting the serum into the head of the beheaded man, is crazy.

This will turn out to be an even worse plan than one might imagine, since not only does the head come back to life, but it does so with telekinetic powers. 

Tony Stark (Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015)

Although Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) eccentricities have been evident since the first Iron Man movie, it’s Ultron’s fiasco in the second Avengers that really cements Stark’s position on this list. 

In an attempt to make the world a safer place through technological development, he instead destroys a large city and things go wrong.

It is true that Bruce Banner would also enter here as the Hulk, but he is too thorough and mature, even being that green mass, to include him in this report. He is the voice of reason within the Avengers to be labeled a mad scientist. Of course, Stark is the height of eccentricity.

Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty, 2013)

Last but not least, we found a mythical cartoon series that could not be missing from this list. This series is against everything politically correct and its main character, Rick, picks up all the stereotypes of a mad scientist.

Rick is the perfect definition of crazy. He is alcoholic, irresponsible, but a genius. This, who has just moved into his daughter’s house, remembers that he has a grandson named Morty and decides to take him on all his adventures in order to turn him into another genius and prevent him from falling into the idiocy of the father of him 

This is how both will begin to live experiences through the galaxies quite bizarre. We find all kinds of themes: alcoholism, drugs, relationships, suicide, depression, violence and, above all, black humor. So beware of the extremely susceptible.

In 2013 the first season came out and it has continued until 2021 with number five. Its next season already has a premiere date and we can see it on September 5. Meanwhile enjoy the rest, through the following Netflix link.