Why do filmmakers insist on including such obnoxious characters?

Yeah, when he ripped a page out of the comic book because he blamed the pilot's boyfriend even though it was her fault, I actually almost quit watching the movie. More than him ruining the comic, I think I hated the others' reactions to it; everyone treated it like he was only being mildly annoying, when what he did was ruin someone's personal property. I don't care what HE thinks about the comic, it matters TO ITS OWNER (and was a gift from his girlfriend), so that was a severe line he crossed. If someone did something like to something I owned, nothing that guy said or did would make me ever like them again. If he'd PRETENDED to tear it (which, honestly, I initially thought he was doing), that'd be fine, but to actually rip it up just... ugh.

As to your question... I dunno, I wish I knew the answer myself. All I can figure is they feel they need an antagonist. Which is odd, considering the situation itself is enough of a threat. We don't need an added douchebag cartoon bully stereotype. If anything, having such characters detracts from the horror because rather than being afraid for the plane's occupants, I'm too busy being aghast at this Biff Tannen wannabe.

"I mean, really, how many times will you look under Jabba's manboobs?"

This is my biggest annoyance in a horror film like this.

Every time we get this sort of setup (people holed up trying to fend off evil, the Night of the Living Dead scenario), they insist on forcing in an arbitrary human antagonist character. Nearly every zombie film ever made does this.

There are plenty of movies about mundane evil. When you're making a film about zombies, or lovecraftian horror, or whatever...MAKE THE MOVIE ABOUT THAT. I love a multiple villain setup if it's played right, and it feels genuine, but in a case like this it just reeks of lazy writing. Rather than do anything interesting with the premise, they just play out the same tired old "people stuck in a place with a jerk" motif that we've seen 12 million times before. It's boring and horrible.

I thought the jock guy (Sal?) was a douche but ultimately sympathetic. Loved Mel <3

Death Awaits you (Horror forum)
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Two reasons:

Either they think a$$hole are automatically entertaining, or they are using the a$$hole character to wok out their own personal "bully" issues.

I couldn't stand Sal. I just finished watching this flick about an hour ago, and I was ecstatic when he got thrown out of the plane. He was a major jerk, and the scene with comic enraged me. If I were his GF that alone would be reason enough for me to dump him. I don't date jerks. Who acts this way? I know ppl can be jerks but that was so OTT to me!

It personifies the notion that our greatest enemies are internal. Monsters on the inside are worse than the ones on the outside.

I didn't like Sal at all and the comic bit solidified it for me.

I've met people that selfish before. They are borderline clinical narcissist. They don't respect boundaries at all. They demand respect but don't give it. And to top it off their viewpoint is so myopic they don't think they've done anything wrong. My only question was why were they friends with him?