As the Oscars approach and I check over the stats in the category that matters most* (Best Actress), I can't help but marvel again at Rosamund Pike's performance and long for more female roles that destroy us with sheer nerve and a dollop of evil. Bring me the diabolical ladies. The unscrupulous doyennes. The terrors who bewitch us with insane smarts and dubious intentions. Give that to me always.

With that mind, let's take a stroll back in time and remember 10 Best Actress-winning roles that are, at their core, horrifying. These are 10 Oscar-worthy dames we wouldn't want to meet in a back alley because they'd either shoot, shank, or reduce us to nothing with a dismissive cackle. 

*This is subjective, arguably.