2023 has been a pretty great year for film, even though it hasn’t been particularly profitable. Hell, this year’s Oscars might’ve been one of the best in a long time because every one of the actors who got honoured was someone that people love and they all delivered some great performances, and this year everyone seemed to up their game and bring even better performances than last year.
What follows is a list of 20 performances (plus honourable mentions) that I quite liked in 2023. You might not agree with the people I picked, you might think I’m stupid for picking some of them and you would be right on that but it’s my blog and this is my list, to make it you just have to be wildly entertaining in some way and if you can get here by being absolutely batshit crazy, well good for you. We’re only going with films released in Australia that I’ve been able to see, same as the best and worst lists except this one is longer because sometimes there are good performances in bad films and they deserve a special list of their own. Also, one person per film for the main list because it makes for more of a challenge so any extras go straight to the honourable mentions list
But first, with no explanation, honourable mentions!
- Rosamund Pike – Saltburn
- Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr – Oppenheimer
- Bex Taylor-Klaus – Trim Season
- Nathan Lane – Dicks: The Musical
- Melissa Barrera – Scream 6
20: Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid
Halle Bailey had possibly the most thankless role of the year, appearing as the live-action version of a Disney Princess. Hell, the job was probably harder for her than most other live-action Disney princesses because she also had to deal with a certain contingent of the internet getting irrationally angry about race-swapping in a movie about a mermaid (remember when some people tried to use mermaid science to justify what was obviously just bigotry? The internet was a mistake, I don’t know why we haven’t destroyed it yet).
Of course, if everyone knew what kind of a powerhouse performer Halle was, perhaps we would’ve been prepared because Halle took the classic character of Ariel and made it her own. She got the humour, the sweetness and the charm of the character down to a science and showed she is a talent to be reckoned with… and that’s before she decided to sing and sound like a goddamn angel. Every time they let Halle sing was an event to remember, she outsang the original performer which is not an easy thing to say but damn it if Halle didn’t pull off a magic trick here. Hopefully, there’s a string of musicals waiting for her to show off just what she can do because the world should not be denied a chance to enjoy that talent.
Best Scene: Part Of Your World
19: Heather Graham as Dr Elizabeth Derby in Suitable Flesh
Heather Graham was gifted with the role of Elizabeth Derby and she made damn sure to enjoy every single part of that gift. From start to finish, every second of Heather Graham’s performance is fascinating and worthy of study. From her mousy nervous Doctor to the in-charge badass she becomes when possessed, it’s a wild ride. She bounces about between a dominating sex demon and a victim of someone horribly abusing her body and does it effortlessly.
It’s hard not to be in awe of what she pulls out, managing to tell the audience with a single look who exactly is in charge of her body at any time and clearly having a blast while she does it. Honestly, this is the kind of role that should make you pissed off that Heather hasn’t been in a dozen horror films before, she clearly belongs in this genre and hopefully does so many more like this.
Best Scene: The Second Possession
18: Jorma Tommila as Aatami in Sisu
It seems like every year there’s one performance that’s done almost entirely in silence but it ends up being one of the most fascinating things possible, this year that performance is by Jorma Tommila who creates the powerhouse that Sisu revolves around. With little more than his face, Jorma can go from being a quiet prospector who just wants to get by to the best Nazi-killing motherfucker you’ve ever seen. He switches on a dime and it’s delightful to witness him just focus on a target and take them out.
You thought John Wick could kick ass? John Wick is great but you always can just see that it’s Keanu being a badass, this is Jorma giving himself over to the character of Aatami and it’s truly something special.
Best Scene: Finding the gold
17: Nicholas Cage as Dracula in Renfield
Nicholas Cage as Dracula is the kind of casting that should’ve been done decades ago because anyone with half a brain knew it would be great and sure enough, it’s fantastic. From the moment Nicholas appears on the screen until the last second he has, he chews the scenery as only Nicholas Cage can and has a blast with being the most villainous vampire to walk the earth.
He’s scary, he’s hilarious, he’s imposing, he’s a puppy, he’s everything you need him to be and then about 12 other things just because it might be fun for him to try and do more.
Best Scene: Invading the AA meeting
16: Stephanie Hsu as Kat in Joy Ride
So last year I put Stephanie on the honourable mentions list due to the ‘1 actor per film’ rule I imposed but if I hadn’t done that, she’d have been second on that list because her work last year in Everything, Everywhere All At Once was revolutionary and probably should’ve won her an Oscar. This year she decided to take it a little easy by doing a fun little road trip comedy but even there she stole the show, playing a heightened version of the kind of fancy actress that people might accuse her of being (if they’re stupid) and stealing scenes left and right like it was her job.
Every single moment on camera that she could steal, she would. She proved she’s one of the best comedic actors working and probably needs to be put in as many comedies as humanly possible because she’ll absolutely destroy anything handed to her
Best Scene: “It’s not a bop it, it’s my asshole”
15: Ray Liotta as Syd in Cocaine Bear
One of the greatest actors of all time turned up to play a character he was well versed in, a gangster and for the final time, Ray Liotta showed us why he always wanted to be a goodfella. In a film full of silly shenanigans and wacky characters, Ray Liotta is the only sane person to be found and somehow that makes everything funnier.
We know Ray could play the role of a gangster well and he delivers a performance here that would work in just about any gangster film ever… just one that’s made funny because it’s a crime lord going up against a giant bear. RIP Mr Liotta, we will never forget you
Best Scene: Under the waterfall
14: Patti Lupone as Mona Wassermann in Beau Is Afraid
Some characters are one-scene wonders, barely even getting 10 minutes of screen time to make an impact and this year the best of those was Patti Lupone in the absolutely insane Beau is Afraid. Patti’s job was simple, create the kind of mother that explains why Beau behaves the way that he does, and sure enough, she does that.
Within minutes of her entrance, you get the sense that no one could turn out well with her raising them, every second of the screen she has is absolutely fascinating, it’s the kind of performance that no one else could have done even half as well. She’s the kind of character that’s worth sitting through the two-and-a-half hours of film that precedes her just so you can fully appreciate her gloriousness.
Best Scene: Mona confronts Beau post-coitus
13: Iman Vellani as Ms Marvel in The Marvels
Once again, the Marvel casting department has hit it out of the park with the discovery of Iman Vellani. She managed to steal the hearts of a fandom with her work in last year’s Ms. Marvel TV show but this year she hit the big leagues with The Marvels and managed to steal the show just on pure charm alone. She proves that some people were born to play certain characters, and Iman was destined to be Ms. Marvel.
There’s a certain purity to the performance, a kind of childlike wonder in everything going on that is impossible to look away from and makes her a delight to see. No wonder this is the character who is going to lead the young Avengers in the future, she’s got the star quality to give this era of MCU the jumpstart it needs.
Best Scene: Any scene where she’s fangirling
12: Lulu Wilson as Becky in The Wrath Of Becky
A few years ago, Lulu’s co-star from the first Becky movie was on one of these lists but I want it known that even back then Lulu was amazing. The Wrath Of Becky is fully realised, creating the kind of female revenge-taking badass that belongs in conversations with The Bride from Kill Bill in terms of absolute badassness.
She’s able to be a snarky asshole going through hell, alternate into a quippy joke teller pulling the audience along and just kick a whole lot of white supremacist ass all while being so confident that you go along with the sillier aspects. Of course, this character can kill an entire squad of fully grown adult men, who the hell else could? She’s a badass and she knows it and that’s always fun to watch.
Best Scene: The Coffee Shop
11: Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin in Rustin
Colman Domingo should be in awards conversations next year for his work in Rustin but based on how the Golden Globe nominations went, that seems unlikely which is a shame because Colman delivers some glorious character work in this one. This is going to be a lot of people’s introduction to Bayard Rustin and there’s no one I would trust more with the task of bringing that figure to a modern audience than Colman Domingo, he shows off every facet of this fascinating person from not-to-distant history and lets us respect him and love him as he should’ve been in his time.
It’s the kind of biopic performance that should just be on the top of everyone’s awards list this year, it’s a shame it probably won’t be
Best Scene: PB & J Sandwiches
10: Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary in Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol 3
Marvel has always had a villain problem, but sometimes they manage to hit it out of the park and The High Evolutionary is one such character. This is a character that wants you to hate it, a performance that demands nothing but revulsion because nothing redeeming can be found in this character’s personality. That could become unwatchable if handled wrong but Chukwudi takes the idea of creating a hateable character and runs with it as far as he can go.
The High Evolutionary is a nightmare eugenicist with a god complex the size of a planetary system, he could’ve been a single-note villain but Chukwudi found an entire symphony to play with this character. You will hate absolutely every single thing this character does, but you can not look away for even a second because you might miss something truly horrible.
Best Scene: “THERE IS NO GOD! THAT’S WHY I STEPPED IN!”
9: Hugh Grant as Forge in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Whoever let Hugh Grant just turn into a fun character actor is my favourite person because once again, Hugh Grant steals a film from a talented ensemble by playing a deliciously evil borderline pervert. The entire cast of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a joy, but Hugh Grant is the perfect adversary for them to come up against with an almost casual wickedness in every line. He can sound sincere even when you know he’s lying, which creates some of the funniest moments in the film.
Even at his most silly, there’s a sense of realism just barely holding everything back so that it doesn’t become a farce. Hugh Grant might be one of the best comedic actors we have today, and anyone who grew up in the 90s will not believe that’s a thing that was possible but I assure you it’s true.
Best Scene: “I’m going to leave the room”
8: Dave Bautista as Leonard in Knock At The Cabin
Dave Bautista is turning out to be the best wrestler-turned-actor of this generation because he’s the one taking the biggest swings and trying things that none of his contemporaries are even thinking about. To take a script about the apocalypse and play the leader of a strange cult who kill themselves to bring on the apocalypse could be done so badly but Dave is somehow able to be the most physically imposing human being you’ve ever seen while also being as threatening as a kitten, talking so calmly and rationally that you lean in to hear him and every word he says is heartfelt and heartbreaking.
He sells the insane ideas of Knock at the Cabin, he makes it work without anyone else even coming close to his level. I am placing my bet now, we will one day be referring to this man as an Oscar winner because he is the only wrestler-turned-actor who is taking the chances required to get to that kind of performance.
Best Scene: The Final news bulletin
7: Brendan Fraser as Charlie in The Whale
Yep, 2023’s Best Actor Oscar winner isn’t even in my top 5 performances of the year. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a jaw-dropper of a performance where Brendan reminded the world of the unending amount of talent that he has been holding onto for years and every scene is just astounding to watch with him handling the material with incredible care, it’s just held back because of the cliche where every scene has him eating and the bad script that weighs him down considerably.
Still, even with no one meeting him where he is, Brendan shone in this role and managed to win everyone back… not that he ever lost us to begin with. It’s no shock this was the Oscar performance of last year, it was well-deserved on every level.
Best Scene: “I just want to know I did one thing right in my life”
6: Casper Van Dien as President Meili in Mad Heidi
Someone told Casper Van Dien that he had to play a mad cheese dictator and he decided to play the most insane cheese dictator that you’ve ever seen in your life and it’s glorious. It’s a performance that’s almost fueled by liquid insanity, every choice is the most extreme choice you could come up with and Casper makes it work.
The phrase “Cheese Dictator” is so stupid that it only works if someone completely commits to the bit and Casper absolutely should be committed for what he’s done here. Endlessly funny, wild as hell and unlikely to be forgotten any time soon, this is one un-brie-lievably great performance… no, I do not regret that pun, be glad I kept to only one cheese pun in this section!
Best Scene: The Tournament
5: Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick in Saltburn
How on earth was Barry talked into making this film? This is a film where Barry Keoghan is asked to pull off so many extremes at the same time and he does it all. He has to both be a naive virgin and the sexiest person in the history of the planet, a scared little mouse and a terrifying sociopath, an awkward nobody and the ruler of his domain. He dances through all these extremities and more with such casual ease that it’s hard to know what he will do, it’s clear that there were no limits set on what he’d say yes to, and sure enough he does a little of everything.
It takes a truly talented actor to be told to gulp down someone’s bath water and make it work as a plot point. Barry is that kind of talented actor and god I can’t wait to see who tests his limitations next.
Best Scene: Murder on the Dance Floor
4: Megan Mullally as Evelyn in Dicks: The Musical
Dicks: The Musical literally introduces the character of Evelyn with a joke about how she’s the cliche crazy lady and Megan took that and ran with it, creating a character that is somehow even more twisted and weird than Karen Walker ever was. She’s probably the strangest character in the film, which is saying a lot considering how weird Dicks: The Musical can be, but she plays it perfectly.
Her delivery of every line is so unique that it pulls out laughs from even the most mundane bits of dialogue, her physical comedy using her wheelchair never gets old and whenever they get her to sing, she can alternate between kitschy fun comedy numbers and just belting out to the back row like it’s what she was born to do. It’s probably the most unique character to be put in film today, and not just because she has no pussy.
Best Scene: Evelyn’s Song
3: Jason Momoa as Dante in Fast X
Look, sometimes a performance is just so charismatic that it’s undeniable and Jason Momoa’s performance as Dante is raw charisma that’s left unchecked and just explodes on screen. Any time Momoa is not on screen, the audience is actually asking “Where’s Dante?” because Dante is the best thing the franchise has ever given us. An absolutely insane hyperactive caricature of a human being, this is a cartoon character come to life and it’s glorious. The franchise went to space last time and decided the only way to top that was to let Jason Momoa go ham… and yep, that works
Momoa doesn’t need scene partners, he has the voices in his head to act across from and that’ll do the damn job just fine. He can saunter in in the stupidest outfit you’ve ever seen and on pure charm alone he will own that entire scene. It’s wild, I made this ranking by taking the 20-name shortlist and whittling it down one by one. Every single time I went to pick a new position, Momoa’s charm offensive just kept pushing him up. Give Momoa more insane villain roles, he is fantastic in them and we deserve to enjoy it in all its glory.
Best Scene: Giving the corpses a pedicure
2: Tobin Bell as John Kramer in Saw X
Tobin Bell has been delivering quality performances as John Kramer for 20 years now, at 81 years old you would think that he would be hanging up the character because he found every element of it to play… you’d be wrong. John Kramer in Saw X is one of the most fascinating characters in modern horror. A villain we have been conditioned to fear is turned into an anti-hero, a cancer patient scorned by con artists and robbed of precious time who decides to put those who wronged him to the ultimate test. It’s a performance that’s more layered than it needed to be, you see his heart and his hope, the joy of potentially making it and getting to live another day, and how much it hurts when all that is ripped away.
This could’ve been phoned in and no one would’ve cared, but Tobin brought everything he had and then some. If the awards season were cool, he’d be in the conversation for an Oscar this year and I am not even slightly joking about that. This is one of the greatest performances in horror, a true masterclass in how to take a villain and flip him in a way that somehow works.
Best Scene: Repairing The Bike
1: Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie
Ryan Gosling delivered a masterclass in comedic performance when he took on the role of Ken. By Ryan’s own description in several interviews, this was a character that no one cared about and by the end of Barbie, everyone loved him. Every single element of Ryan’s performance is perfection, from the little looks he keeps shooting Barbie just to make sure she notices him to the bigger moments like the iconic musical number that blows the doors off the cinema.
Ryan created the ultimate Himbo that everyone who saw the film (who was being honest with themselves) instantly fell in love with, every line was hilarious and every scene was stolen like it was nothing. There’s a reason why this strange little comedy performance is considered a front-runner for the Oscar next year and that’s because Ryan brought everything he had to the party and created a performance that was, to quote the man himself, SUBLIME!
Best Scene: I’m Just Ken
Any great performances you think I missed? You’re probably right, tell me about them so we can all enjoy them together.
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