Every year, I try my best to put together a list of the 20 best performances of the year, though last year I was only able to make a 10-person list due to personal reasons. This year, I more than made up for it with a 20-person list of performances that were the best of the year. Now, as usua,l I wish to bring up that “Best” is a marketing term which really just means “Shit that I liked a lot”, these aren’t going to be the award winners or things that might be considered the height of the craft but they are the most fun, interesting or jaw dropping performances of the year that I just couldn’t stop thinking about. Of course, every list needs some honourable mentions, so here’s mine with no explanations for why they’re here (Ask nicely and maybe I’ll explain them… or not)
Blake Lively – Another Simple Favour
Theo James – The Monkey
Rachel Zegler – Snow White
Martin Portlock – Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare
Rohan Campbell – Silent Night, Deadly Night
And now, the list
20) Indy as Indy in Good Boy
Yes, the performance by the dog in Good Boy is on this list because it’s one of the best performances of the year, not even a joke. To get the kind of performance out of Indy that they did is a testament to the directors/owners of this furry thespian, but also just to how expressive Indy’s adorable face is. It’s the performance that the film lives and dies on, either you buy this dog is seeing and being haunted by a terrifying demon or it doesn’t work. Indy makes this film soar, it’s truly incredible just what this performance even exists.
And before anyone questions it, yes I consider this performance to be on the same level as any of the human actors out there. All performances are made in the edit, the one in Good Boy is just a little more up front about how much the edit made it work, but you can’t edit something that wasn’t there, and Indy’s natural performance is incredible.
Best scene: Hiding Under The Bed
19) Bill Skarsgard as Eddie Barrish in Locked
Doing an entire film where you’re the only character on screen for most of the film is hard, doing it when you’re the only character on screen AND you’re locked inside a car for almost the entire runtime is absolutely insane. Bill Skarsgard has been really proving himself to be an absolute icon in the horror genre, his work as Pennywise is iconic, his Nosferatu performance was great, his appearance in Barbarian was used as a fakeout because of his history and I have no doubt that he’s got another half dozen truly great Horror performances coming soon, but his worked in Locked is just incredible.
Bouncing off the voice of the legendary Anthony Hopkins, Bill manages to make being locked inside a car entertaining for over an hour. It’s truly wild how so many scenes with Bill could be boring in any other hands, but he makes them captivating. It’s probably his most underrated performance, but it’s one of his best.
Best Scene: Confronting William at the end
18) Nina West as Ginsey in Queens Of The Dead
RuPaul’s Drag Race used to be an underground show that was really just there to help drag queens increase their booking fee at the clubs, and now it’s producing world-famous comics, Broadway superstars and film stars. Nina West appeared on two seasons of the show, Season 11 of the main series and Season 9 of the All Stars franchise. She was a majorly beloved queen on that show and ended up getting a role in Weird: The Al Yankovich Story and touring with Hairspray. This year, she played Ginsey in the underground film Queens of the Dead and stole the show.
Her larger-than-life personality, pure heart and sense of comedic timing allowed her to create a character that you absolutely adore within seconds. It’s an over-the-top drag performance that demands attention. It takes a special queen to run around in a Nurse Ratched outfit with giant over-the-top hair and still deliver the emotional highlight of the film, but Nina is a special queen and I genuinely hope she does more films. I hope all the Drag Race girls get a chance to do more films, it’s a constant growing reservoir of talent that someone other than World of Wonder needs to start tapping.
Best scene: Ginsey’s sacrifice
17) Jamie Lee Curtis as Tess Coleman in Freakier Friday
Look, I’ll cop to it, this performance is basically the same one that Jamie did in Freaky Friday… that performance was iconic, so is this one. It’s pretty hard to deny that Jamie Lee Curtis is one of the greatest comedic actresses of all time. She just has such complete commitment to everything she does and when she’s tasked with doing comedy, she has no shame which makes for some incredible moments.
Her airhead valley girl character is endlessly entertaining, it’s hard to deny she was the comedic highlight of the film… and besides, I didn’t have a blog or this list when the original Freaky Friday came out, let me have this.
Best scene: Shopping at the pharmacist
16) Meghann Fahy as Violet in Drop
Violet in Drop might be the horror heroine of the year, the jury is still out on that front but what’s undeniable is that Meghann Fahy manages to deliver one of the most complex performances in the genre. A mother getting terrifying messages to convince her to murder her date that she can’t tell anyone about, you watch this woman go from terrified victim to determined badass with so many genuinely intelligent moments that it’s kind of staggering.
This is another film where one performance basically decides if the entire film works, and my god does this work. Meghann’s best moments are just her reacting to the disturbing texts, her eyes tell everything going on in her head and what’s in there is absolutely terrifying.
Best scene: Violet gets the first messages
15) Tony Todd as William John Bloodworth in Final Destination: Bloodlines
Tony Todd had exactly one scene in Final Destination: Bloodlines. He spent most of that scene sitting down because the cancer that eventually took him from us had advanced so much that he couldn’t really do much. His entire job was to explain to this film’s protagonists how to foil death’s plan and then leave the film… and anyone who saw the film was in tears by the time he closed that door for the final time.
In one scene, Tony Todd made the audience realise what a legend he was, delivered a fantastically layered performance that blended his reality with a beloved character from the franchise and gave his own eulogy to the audience who have loved him since he asked us to be his victim back in his Candyman days. Tony Todd took his shot, outacted everyone else in the room, then left. We miss you Tony, we always will.
Best Scene: His final speech (AKA Tony speaks to the fans)
14) Lea Myren as Elvira in The Ugly Stepsister
The Ugly Stepsister was one of those films that should’ve been a bigger hit than it was, a weird body horror exploring the beauty industry might not be the most mainstream film in the world but a year after The Substance was an awards darling, The Ugly Stepsister should’ve had a similar reaction.
Lea Myren absolutely should’ve been given more praise than she was, creating an ugly stepsister going to some truly obscene lengths to try and make herself as beautiful as her sister and making every minute of her transformation both horrifying and emotionally devastating. A genuinely great horror performance that must be seen to be believed
Best Scene: Elvira tries to make sure that the shoes fit
13) Jack Quaid as Nathan Caine in Novocaine No Pain
Jack Quaid is quickly turning into the internet’s favourite nepo baby and with good reason, his undeniable charm alone can power him through just about any film he’s in. He’s had a pretty good year with two performances that I could’ve put here, his work in Companion was captivating and fun but the real display of his ability as a fascinating leading man is Novocaine where he portrays a man who literally cannot feel pain who tries to save a girl he likes.
His combination of comedy and charm just powers us through the film and his way of reacting to the various injuries he ends up getting without feeling anything is genuinely hilarious. It’s a fun action lead performance that hopefully we’ll get many more of in this man’s career.
Best Scene: Nate fakes being tortured
12) Robert Pattinson as Mickey in Mickey 17
Robert Pattinson is probably one of the finest actors working today because he is willing and eager to take on so many incredibly weird projects and this year he really flexed his acting muscles with Mickey 17.
Playing every single version of Mickey, Robert makes sure each version is different enough to make them unique and fun, even if they only get to be on screen for a minute before dying. Any moment where he has to do a scene by himself is honestly kind of brilliant, Robert is so good that he’s his own best scene partner.
Best scene: The first meeting between the two Mickeys
11) Elijah Wood as Fritz Garbinger in The Toxic Avenger
Elijah Wood has one of the best careers in Hollywood. He made it big as a child actor, essentially made all the money he’ll ever need with things like Lord of the Rings and now just does whatever weird shit he wants… Apparently, he wanted to put on the greasiest wig ever and play one of the most disgusting creatures in cinema and we should be thankful that he did.
In a film full of wild, over-the-top characters, Fritz Garbinger is one of the most gloriously over-the-top evil henchmen that we’ve seen. He leads his band of bastards known as The Nuts to do anything their boss commands and it’s such a completely wild and committed slimy performance that you can’t help but be stunned in remembering that this is the same guy who once threw the one ring into Mordor.
Best Scene: Leading the Nuts to chase after Winston
10) Pamela Anderson as Beth Davenport in The Naked Gun
Pamela Anderson has been a gifted comic actress for decades and people have been sleeping on that. Go watch the two roasts she took part in, and you’ll see someone who understands how to deliver a joke better than most other actresses of her era. The Naked Gun is probably the best display of her comedic capabilities in a while and every single scene is improved by having her in it.
She goes for the gusto with every joke, her wide-eyed innocent look when the most vulgar jokes are thrown about is hilarious to witness and she absolutely gets this kind of character, possibly because it’s the kind of character they would’ve given her back in the 90s only this time it’s turned up to 11 and she’s in on every single joke. She plays around with the standard femme fatale character in a way that’s just intriguing and shows what some people have always known, that this is a comedic genius who deserves so much more work in this genre.
Best scene: Scatting scene
9) Jacob Elordi as The Creature in Frankenstein
Playing the role of The Creature in Frankenstein can either make you a star or be so forgettable that no one ever talks about it. If Jacob wasn’t already a major rising star, this would’ve made him one. A largely physical performance, The Creature has to go from being childlike (while being the size of Jacob Elordi!) to being this terrifying creature who could destroy a ship of fools and Jacob pulls it off fantastically.
Every scene with him is absolutely captivating; the man pulls focus with an effortless ease that really does explain why he’s one of the current major rising stars. I once said that one of the big things about Saltburn was that it filmed Jacob like it was waiting for the Hallelujah Chorus to play. It turns out that Guillermo must love him even more than that film did because this film makes Jacob look incredible from start to finish.
Best Scene: First Meeting with Victor
8) Sally Hawkins as Laura in Bring Her Back
Next year’s big entry in the “list of great female horror roles that don’t get the awards love they deserve” is going to be Sally Hawkins for her intense and layered work in Bring Her Back. The reason that film works at all is because of just how great Sally is, her ability to blend the awkward kindness with her real sinister motives is unmatched.
Laura can make your heart break while also terrifying you at the exact same moment and it’s all because of how Sally imbues this character with so much intense heart-stopping emotion. If you aren’t crying by the time the movie ends because of Sally’s performance, I don’t know what to do with you.
Best scene: Trying to finish the ritual
7) Dave Franco/Alison Brie as Tim/Millie in Together
It feels fitting to have these two tie since the reason the performances are so great is because of how well these two work together. Dave and Alison have been together for 13 years, saying that they have chemistry is an understatement (you have to have chemistry to be together for that long) but that chemistry is on a whole other level here.
Their trust with each other makes the scenes of them being stuck together so much more intense, their banter is elevated because they just bounce off each other so well. Any other combination of actors wouldn’t dare go as far as these two go. It’s wild that they’ve only worked together on a few things because they just bring the best out of each other and should be in as many films together as humanly possible.
Best Scene: The Hallway fusion attempt
6) Jai Courtney as Tucker in Dangerous Animals
To use a little bit of modern slang, Jai Courtney has reheated Wolf Creek’s nachos to create Tucker, but by god they are some fucking amazing nachos. A wild, over-the-top, balls-through-the-wall performance that starts at a 10 and goes even further. It’s the kind of glorious horror villain performance that could carry a dozen movies on its shoulders, hilarious and terrifying all in the same scene, sometimes in the same line of dialogue.
Jai Courtney’s been one of those actors who has always been good but never really stood out before now, except in bad movies like Suicide Squad (the 2016 version), so it’s really nice to see him finally get to show off just what he can do in a wild, glorious, over the top role that makes Dangerous Animals an enjoyable film.
Best Scene: Dancing to Evie by Stevie Wright
5) Ariana Grande as Glinda in Wicked: For Good
In the first Wicked movie, it was undeniable that the standout was Cynthia Erivo, who still absolutely shines in the sequel but this movie was where Ariana went from a great comedic performer to one of the best comedic performers working today. Her work in this film is staggering, portraying the complex layers of someone who is desperate to just be normal while fascism takes over around her, trying to pull Elphaba into the Wizard’s good graces even though she knows he’s a liar.
Glinda has to be funny and strict, hopelessly romantic and absolutely heartbroken, and that’s before we throw in her singing which is nothing short of operatic. It’s a tour-de-force performance that has a good chance of landing Ariana an Oscar this year.
Best scene: Glinda takes down Madame Morrible
4) Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man
Daniel Craig has made Benoit Blanc into the modern Sherlock Holmes, only better. He’s been incredible in every one of the Knives Out films (but I wasn’t doing this list when the first film came out and I genuinely thought Janelle Monae was the standout in Glass Onion) but this one is Benoit Blanc at his most glorious. His desire to solve the case, any scene he shares with Father Jud and of course, his climactic explanation of what happened is all so perfect and fascinating that it’s no wonder this character has captured the hearts of so many people and each moment is delivered with gusto by Daniel Craig, who has managed to find a way to make the eccentricities feel believable.
Sure, it’s a bit over the top to start dramatically playing a church organ to get someone to shut up, but Craig sells the shit out of it and makes you believe Benoit Blanc is just a real person who happens to be a little insane. If we don’t get more movies with Benoit Blanc solving murders, we are missing out because this character is truly iconic in every possible way.
Best scene: Blanc explains what happened
3) David Corenswet as Superman in Superman
Playing Superman is an almost thankless role. You’ll never be as good as Christopher Reeve was, it’s been done so many times that it’s hard to come up with a new take on the character and, after Henry Cavill, some people seem to forget that this character is meant to be a big blue Boy Scout who just wants to help. David Corenswet didn’t forget, he made sure that his version of Superman was a big kind hero who will literally save a squirrel if he can and it was glorious.
The undeniable charm and sweetness he brings to the character lights up the screen, the more dramatic moments are sold through absolute pure earnestness and god damn he’s just funny. It’s a pure superstar performance that leans all the way into that sweet, charming vibe that Superman was always supposed to have and delivers it. If this is the modern Superman that we’re going to get, we’re going to be fine. He’s pretty goddamn punk rock.
Best Scene: “He’s not even a good dog”
2) Michael B Jordan as Smoke & Stack in Sinners
Sinners is one of those rare perfect movies and a large part of what makes it so truly perfect is the dual performance by Michael B Jordan, who makes Smoke & Stack a fascinating pair of characters. They’re both just glorious bastards and have enough subtle differences that it’s not just the same performance twice.
When things go wrong and one of them has to be a hero while the other one becomes a villain, it’s just a staggering difference between the two of them that makes for a captivating film. Michael B Jordan has delivered a bunch of great performances in his time and I have no doubt he’ll deliver a whole lot more, but it feels like Sinners will be listed forever as his masterpiece.
Best scene: Any scene where Smoke and Stack are in the same shot at the same time
1) Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys in Weapons
Aunt Gladys is THE character of the year, I will accept no arguments about this. From the second she struts into the film until her final fate is rendered in all its glorious insanity the film belongs to her and her microbangs. Amy Madigan has created one of the most fascinating takes on the witch character that’s ever been put to film, able to be the most terrifying thing without even raising her voice before making you cackle with just a little look. She’s nothing short of brilliant, she doesn’t turn up in the film (apart from jump scares so quick you don’t know it’s her) for over an hour but from the moment she appears you know that you’re looking at the breakout star of this film.
Sally Hawkins is probably going to be the horror performance the Oscars forget, they can’t be allowed to ignore this one. It’s so unique, so fascinating, it’s like a modern take on Baby Jane only scarier. It’s no shock that they’re talking about making a spin-off for Aunt Gladys because this performance is so truly great that it’d be insane if they didn’t. Of all the performances I’ve seen this year, this is the one I haven’t stopped thinking about and probably never will.
Best Scene: Gladys goes to school AKA her entrance in the film.
And there were my 20 best performances of the year, were there any special performances that I missed? Talk about them, let’s see what you got and what I need to catch up on.
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