20. Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon
When an actor hits the level of fame that DiCaprio has hit, it can sometimes be tough to blend into a character. However, in his role as Ernest Burkhart, he gets completely lost in it as an easily manipulated buffoon with evil intentions. Maybe one of DiCaprio’s five best performances. Definitely closer to five than one, but very good.
19. Rachel McAdams in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
With only one career Oscar nomination, Rachel McAdams might be the best actress working without an Academy Award. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is just another example of McAdams’ genius as an actress. She does a fantastic job portraying the struggles of womanhood as a daughter, a mother, and as a wife. With how loaded this year’s Best Actress category is, I don’t think she’ll get nominated, but she should.
18. Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon De Niro is the most volatile we’ve ever seen De Niro. His roles in Cape Fear and Raging Bull don’t even hold a candle to how sinister this character is, and because he’s maybe the greatest actor ever, De Niro humanizes and brings a distinct charm to this heinous villain. A true puppeteer that orchestrates this entire film, I can comfortably say this is a top six or seven De Niro performance.
17. Joaquin Phoenix in Beau Is Afraid
Even though I’ve soured immensely on Aster’s third feature film, Beau Is Afraid, I must recognize how great Joaquin Phoenix was in it. The film is a crazy acid trip that you don’t want to be in. With Phoenix at the center, he never goes over the top to be whacky, but does make you feel uncomfortable due to his lack of understanding of the scenario he’s in. When we look back in 10 years on his career, this might be a forgotten role, but right now, it shouldn’t be.
16. Michelle Williams in Showing Up
I wasn’t blown away by Showing Up, and I’ll be honest, that was disappointing. I was looking forward to it a lot and felt let down by how uneventful this Kelly Reichardt film was. One silver lining, however, was Michelle Williams delivering a performance that was packed with silent emotion and benefited from Williams’ facial expressions. A year prior, she was unforgettable in The Fabelmans. She followed 2022 up with another beautiful performance.
15. Charles Melton in May December
Going into May December, I anticipated Julianne Moore or Natalie Portman to serve up the highlight performance, but it wasn’t either. Riverdale alum Charles Melton, stole every scene that he appeared in. Melton straddled the line of a mature husband and vulnerable victim so masterfully that he felt like a seasoned actor. This is the role that’ll catapult Melton into big role after big role for the foreseeable future.
14. Cailee Spaeny in Priscilla
I wrote about how I wasn’t a huge fan of Priscilla, but I did think Cailee Spaeny was magnificent as Priscilla Presley. Her extremely elegant facade as Priscilla, was a great cover up for the characters exposed childhood. A lot like Melton in May December, she straddled maturity and vulnerability beautifully.
13. Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer
A lot of people are pencilling in Downey Jr. for Best Supporting Actor. While I agree that he should win, he didn’t deliver my favorite supporting performance of 2023. Nevertheless, it was refreshing to see Downey Jr. back as a real actor. From around 2007 on, Downey Jr. converted from a guy that was scene stealing in Zodiac to a superhero. Now, he’s reverting back to his old self, and every film fan loves to see that.
12. Sophie Wilde in Talk To Me
I traditionally don’t fancy myself as a horror fan, but Talk To Me absolutely knocked my socks off. While the tasteful gore and emotional narrative were a big reason, I found my eyes to be glued to Sophie Wilde. She was the vehicle for a lot of the emotion we feel in this film and did a great job as a physical actress, contorting her body as she’s being possessed. Just pure dynamite and could join Mia Goth as the future of horror cinema.
11. Scarlett Johansson in Asteroid City
My feelings are still mixed on Asteroid City. On one hand, I feel like it was a nothing burger that Anderson fans have overanalyzed. On the other hand, there was some genius in it that can be appreciated, and maybe I’m missing the point. Push all of that to the side, I thought Scarlett Johansson was outstanding. Her being a method actor in a play was fun, yet also tame in a very cold way that I could still connect to.
10. Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer
It’s wild to me that Emily Blunt does not have an Oscar. This year could change it though if she wins Best Supporting Actress. Blunt brought a brute pettiness that was a great dynamic to Oppenheimer kind of being a pushover when it came time to testify. I was BLOWN AWAY by how real these grudges felt and it was because of how vexed Blunt was.
9. Josh Hartnett in Oppenheimer
Having Josh Hartnett this high is most definitely due to preference. Many individuals probably wouldn’t have him ranked, but I thought he flexed his talent to the absolute max. While Cillian Murphy was the main actor that viewers ogled at, anytime Hartnett came on screen, I was locked in. He had an academic charm that I loved. You could really feel Hartnett blending into this role.
8. Milo Machado-Graner in Anatomy of a Fall
You’d have to go all the way back to Haley Joel Osment in the Sixth Sense if you’re looking for a child actor performance that’d rival Milo Machado-Graner in Anatomy of a Fall. Machado-Graner exudes maturity in this gutting role, but still finds a way to keep his youthful innocence. By far one of my favorite supporting performances of the 2020s thus far.
7. Michael Fassbender in The Killer
Again, more of my rabid biases seeping into my rankings, but that’s why I’m doing it. It’s my favorite performances of the year. Fassbender’s stoicism was insane. Just the way he could look death in the face and not flinch was fantastic. And that stoicism stretches past just his facial expressions. His voiceover work was icy in a way where you knew you couldn’t trust The Killer. Yet, you still gravitated towards his music taste.
6. Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of a Fall
Anatomy of a Fall showcased not one, but two tremendous performances. One came from Milo Machado-Graner. The other was from his mother in the film, Sandra Hüller. I saw Anatomy of a Fall in a packed theater, and I wasn’t alone in this thought, but the audience was always attracted to what Hüller was doing. Whether she was delivering a gut-wrenching testimony or ripping a cigarette, Hüller made you the viewer appreciate her as an actress.
5. Glenn Howerton in Blackberry
There’s a shot Glenn Howerton wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It’s not a great shot, but it’s not a non-zero chance. From the first time we see Howerton on screen, you’re taken aback by how vicious his character is, but also that this is the same guy from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. I’m jacked up for the future of Glen Howerton landing more dramatic roles.
4. Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers
One man could disrupt Cillian Murphy’s Oscar campaign. That man has a lazy eye and played a curmudgeonly prep school teacher. Paul Giamatti was made for this role as Paul Hunham. Initially, he’s very rough around the edges, but beneath all of his unpleasant characteristics, the viewer grew to love him. This is a career defining role for one of the most iconic actors of the 21st century.
3. Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon
Leonardo DiCaprio this. Robert De Niro that. Lily Gladstone is a STAR. Her character’s life was far from happy, and Gladstone displayed the grief that she endured so well. It got to points where it was hard to watch as she was letting out wails in response to the many deaths of her family members. Gladstone, a lot like Melton, has a long career ahead of her, and this role propelled her there.
2. Greta Lee in Past Lives
I’m probably in the minority having Greta Lee over Gladstone, but Lee’s performance in Past Lives made me weep. Her raw emotion and knowing that she couldn’t be with the man she loved spiritually was gutting. When we finally see her breakdown at the film’s conclusion, I was shocked by the ways that Lee made me feel. Her line delivery coupled with her beautiful demeanor made this movie what it is. And what it is is a gorgeous romantic drama that lacks a happy ending.
1. Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer
Cillian Murphy’s performance in Oppenheimer is nothing short of exceptional. With his unparalleled talent and captivating presence on screen, he embodies the complexities of J. Robert Oppenheimer, bringing depth and nuance to the character. His ability to convey the inner turmoil, intelligence, and moral conflicts of Oppenheimer adds a mesmerizing layer to the portrayal. Murphy’s command of the role solidifies his status as a truly remarkable actor, leaving audiences in awe of his remarkable talent and the profound impact of his performance in this production.
