For my analysis of the actual Oscar nominees (Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe), here you go.
Honourable Mentions: Tom Skerritt, Lucky; John C. Reilly, Kong: Skull Island; Romain Duris, All the Money in the World
I'd just like to give mentions to these three actors for making so much out of so little. Skerritt only has one scene, Reilly has an absurdly exposition-heavy role in a mediocre blockbuster film, Duris' plays one of the kidnappers in a film where he could very easily have been just a paper-thin cipher. All three men do wonders with their roles, with Skerritt infusing such beautiful eloquence into his rendering of his character's unique perspective on life and death as a war veteran; Reilly, as a different sort of war veteran, making so many unfunny comedy one-liners somehow work, and managing to infuse such poignancy into his character's plight the film does not deserve; and Duris, for bringing such complexity to his 'villain' that makes him arguably the most honourable character in the whole film. They could all go up my ranking in the future, well Reilly might be harder since I would not want to re-watch the film, as they give fantastic performances in potentially simple roles.
Honourable Mentions: Michael Keaton, Spider-Man: Homecoming; Mark Rylance, Dunkirk
Also, shout outs to the likes of Michael Keaton in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Mark Rylance in Dunkirk who give such unique spins on characters that could have been just another generic villain, or overshadowed by Christopher Nolan's vision.
10. Terry Notary, The Square
I'm not quite sure what to make of the film as a whole - give me some time to ruminate on it - but Notary's one-scene wonder performance - one of the many great ones this year, don't forget Carlos Sanz in Stronger - as Oleg, a literal ape-man, is splendid, and makes for one of the most hilarious, disturbing, controversial scenes of the year. The man often hidden behind the mo-cap - this year in War for the Planet of the Apes and King Kong - realizes the insanity and madness of this fellow as he prowls around the room in search of his 'prey'. The spectators, soon turning from amusement to bemusement to outright fear, can do nothing but sit with heads down with abject horror as the ape-man ramapges across the room, and you can't take your eyes off Notary as he performs a masterclass in physical acting. He may not have much of a character to work with, but it's nevertheless one of the most compelling performances of the year.
9. Jason Mitchell, Mudbound
Honestly, one of the most overlooked performances of the year, given that Mudbound certainly found quite a bit of love in the awards race, yet Mitchell's powerful portrayal of young African American war veteran Ronsel, displaced out of society and reminiscing about the respect he had as a tank commander, is powerhouse work that would have been very deserving of an Oscar nomination. Mudbound is a good film, but I think it could have been a great one if it had honed in a bit more on Ronsel's story, which is a fascinating examination of defiance against racism, as Mitchell creates this certain amiability and comfort in the man with his fiery nature, alongside this uneasiness in the bigoted society he's in, and creates a real poignancy in his friendship with a white fellow veteran (Garret Hedlund) and his romance with a German woman. Everything that happens to his character hits you hard, and it's a great performance of a fascinating character that deserves his own film.
8. John Boyega, Detroit
While he was severely underused in The Last Jedi, Boyega had a more substantial role in Detroit, though actually with not all that much more focus. Melvin Dismukes is one of the central characters of the film, but during the Algiers motel incident he wasn't actually as involved in the proceedings as much of the ensemble. - the trailers made him out to play a bigger role than advertised, but it doesn't matter because he does great with what he has here. He's such a charming and likeable presence as the good-natured security guard doing his job, and doing his best to keep the peace between police and civilians, but with the right sort of unease at being somewhat at odds with the black community. Then he does so much with often just silent reaction shots, contributing so much to the emotional crux of the film by showing the different way his character goes through the wringer and becomes a victim himself. It's a hard-hitting portrayal of a good man trying to do the right thing in the worst circumstances, helplessly watching the Algiers incident escalate, and is particularly superb in the interrogation scene where he is forced to relive the events of the night while being accused as a suspect.
7. David Lynch, Lucky
One of the many great things about Lucky beyond the obvious one is how many little gems there are in it. One of them is Lucky's (Harry Dean Stanton) interactions with the many quirky townsfolk. I'll discuss a few more of them in a future post but the standout is David Lynch's wonderful portrayal of Lucky's best friend Howard, whose entire arc is devoted to him coping with his missing tortoise President Roosevelt (don't ask which one). Lynch gives one of the funniest performances of the year as a man so distraught about the escape of Roosevelt, who's 'outlived two of my wives' and been 'eyeing that gate' for some time, yet is surprisingly heartbreaking when he reveals how much his tortoise meant to him as a friend, and a symbol of perseverance and determination, and accepting the decisions of his lifelong friend. The character could have been an overly quirky blind spot in the film but Lynch makes him such a wonderful icing on the cake to the film, and I love his interactions with Stanton as the two real-life friends add a certain layer of poignancy to these scenes, the last we'll ever see the two of them together. Lynch gives a fantastic performance, his second great performance this year after his excellent work as GORDON COLE on Twin Peaks.
6. Algee Smith, Detroit
Smith gives a fantastic performance in a largely reactionary role, that is the closest we get to a leading character in the stellar ensemble of Detroit. Smith captures the gentle purity of Larry Reed through his wonderful singing voice and earnest drive towards his dreams of making it big, and in the Algiers motel sequence brilliantly depicts how this crumbles down under the terrible situation he's facing. His reactionary work is impeccable in every regard, and his chemistry with his onscreen best friend (an excellent Jacob Latimore) ends up being one of the most moving relationships in the film, as is the journey of his stardom that was never to be. I know many people have issues with the final act of Detroit, I love the film but I'd have to concur with a few of them - it is a bit rushed, and it doesn't explore the repercussions of the incident to its full potential - but Smith is absolutely essential to it having a strong impact for me nothentheless. The way he shows the wear, tear and utterly broken state of Larry Reed, particularly through his singing voice, is exceptional, and makes the conclusion to the film powerful despite the minor nitpicks one might have with it.
5. Paul Dano, Okja
Dano gives an excellent performance, as has been the norm for quite the while now, as Jay, one of the animal activists who embark on a mission to help Mija (Ahn Seo-Hyun) reunite with her titular super pig. Dano is for lack of a better word, a delight in any given scene as the determined yet pacifist leader of the ALF, and brings such a unique, off-beat yet entirely genuine earnestness in his devotion to animal rights, Okja's plight, and his care for all beings great and small. He provides some of the most heartfelt moments in the film when he defies all the odds and puts himself on the line to comfort and rescue Mija, which provide a great contrast to the hilarious scenes where he has to somewhat force himself to get 'angry' with people. This is a great example of how to make a kind and gentle soul so compelling to watch, and Dano makes such a 'good' character thoroughly enjoyable to watch., finding humour and poignancy within this very 'genuine', yet quirky and fascinating character.
4. Sebastian Stan, I, Tonya
Stan gives one of the funniest yet disturbing performances of the year as the not-so-famous ex-husband of Tonya Harding, Jeff Gilooly. He's a hoot in subverting the usual trope of the 'supportive' husband by showing himself to be anything but, as his character goes through terrible decision after terrible decision, exacerbated by the 'help' of his friend Shawn (an equally funny Paul Walter Hauser). I really love how Stan, the handsome heartthrob, disappears so seamlessly into the role of this meek yet abusive person, and is equal parts pathetic and horrifying in showing his extremely negative influence on Tonya.
Stan balances the side of the bumbling idiot who romances Tonya in the meekest way possible with the darker underlying side of the abusive and bitter wife-beater, and in the 'interview' scenes shows a Jeff Gilooly who has certain regrets about the past, but is still in many ways the dumb brute the film has depicted beforehand. I think the reason this performance has been so underappreciated is, on one hand it's been overshadowed by praise for Margot Robbie (very deserved) and Allison Janney - eh, well she's good, but out of the supporting performances in the film I think Stan is the easy standout.
3. Mark Hamill, The Last Jedi
We'll never truly know the extent to which Hamill disliked the writing behind Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi, but what can't be questioned is how invested and compelling a performance Hamill gives, regardless of how he felt towards what Rian Johnson had in store for him. Hamill follows on from that haunting stare at the end of The Force Awakens with a moment that can be best described as 'anticlimactic', I don't hate it like some but it is certainly my least favourite part of the performance. I mention that because aside from this one scene, I found that Hamill gives a spectacular performance. In terms of playing the wry, scraggly old mentor to Rey (Daisy Ridley), with some of the sardonic wit of Yoda coupled with the deadpan of Obi-Wan, I found him quite entertaining and helps sell each of the 'lighter' moments of his character chastising her, or giving a dispassionate introduction to the Force and its ways.
Where he really excels though is in the powerful moments where we see Luke re-examining his past and what has caused him to fall into this state. His moments where he re-encounters figures from his past - Leia, Chewbacca, his lovely little moment with C3-PO, charming little scene with Yoda, and his fantastic scene with R2-D2 - where he goes back to the idealistic, passionate Luke who cherishes his loved ones above all. He's equally great in the scenes involving the arc of his character Hamill disliked, that of having perhaps inadvertently contributed to Kylo Ren's downwards spiral, well if you hadn't told me I wouldn't have noticed as Hamill really gives it all in these scenes as well. His performance is one that just gets better and better as the film goes by, ending on a particularly high note with his final confrontation with Kylo which I loved every second of. A fantastic performance, and perhaps the best performance in a Star Wars film, even though this is far from the best Star Wars film.
2. Patrick Stewart, Logan
I've never been a huge fan of the X-Men, nor have I ever been a particularly big fan of Patrick Stewart - good actor, undoubtedly, but I didn't see the greatness many saw - well, until this final reprise as Professor X, a role which he was quite frankly born to play, but this is the one film where I feel he's finally given the opportunity to fully explore the character to its full potential. Where X-Men: Days of Future Past thankfully helped remove that godawful 'farewell' to his character, Logan gives both Stewart and the character fitting sendoffs for the franchise. The state we find Charles, as he is more commonly referred to here, in this film is a far cry from the usual Professor X: coarse and crass, and suffering from some mysterious seizure as he hides on the border between the U.S. and Mexico with Hugh Jackman's Logan. Stewart goes all in in showing the brilliant mind and abilities of Xavier diminished down to the broken man whose mind is falling apart in quite the lethal fashion, with every stroke he has causing potentially fatal shocks to everyone in his presence. The exact point of where Charles became trapped in this state isn't directly verbalized till much later on but he's incredible in nevertheless showing the long and painful history of this ailment, as the man who reads minds now becomes besieged with the inability to control his own. His constant cursing, and delusional state could have come across as false or contrived, but Stewart makes it a completely believeable and haunting portrayal of a great mind collapsing in on himself.
(WARNING: spoilers)
Stewart is phenomenal in every moment he has in the film. He finds the brutality of his disappointment in Logan while bringing a certain warmth in their mutual suffering, and a fear of Logan for something he has done - though the twist is that it's not Logan who has something to hide, it's Charles who has subconsciously repressed memories of horrific deeds. Then in his interactions with the young mutant Laura (Dafne Keen) he's equally great at showing just the glimmer of hope in the mentor. I have particular affection for the scene where he describes the film Shane to her, when his powers come back to him briefly, his heartbreaking quiet apology to people he's affected with his seizures, or when he angrily chastises Logan for being overly harsh to Laura. Stewart is equally powerful whether he's showing the decrepit old man or the wise and kindhearted professor, often times within the same scene, and even when his character makes some bad decisions or somewhat delusional comments, you really feel the dignity and power in every word he says. Most remarkable are the last few scenes of his performance where Stewart gives such a magnificent portrayal of a man finding some solace in imparting kind words and advice to Logan even in his decaying state, and his very final scene where he so remarkably brings out the haunting power of being presented with his demons of the past, and his imminent fate. A captivating performance, and one which has only gotten better with each re-watch of the film.
1. Will Poulter, Detroit
I will say that part of the effectiveness of this performance comes down to the casting choice. I've previously known Will Poulter from his roles as bratty little Eustace Scrubb in the Narnia film series, the cheeky rascal from Son of Rambow, sweet and innocent Kenny from We're the Millers, and the wise beyond his years older brother in Wild Bill. In all these roles Poulter's youth played a big part in the characters, and here too his boyish looks do their part in making the role of Philip Krauss far more memorable than just your standard movie racist cop. We are introduced to Krauss callously making the decision to shoot an unarmed man fleeing with stolen groceries in the back. Poulter depicts the decision-making and subsequent explanation of his actions with the self-presumed 'intelligence' of a man who believes he's doing the right thing, and the only thing, that could be done in the circumstances. Unlike say, Michael Fassbender in Twelve Years a Slave, or James Woods in Ghosts of Mississippi, Poulter depicts his character's racism and violent hatred contained in a very different package, where he seems to genuinely believe that his actions help the police force in instilling a sense of order in the riots, and teaching 'them' a lesson. Poulter never loses his cool in these scenes where he explains his actions, instead he shows something altogether more chilling in his character's stringent belief that the African-American community, rioters or not, are an inferior mode of being who need to be taken care of in his own particular way.
Poulter thus lays the seeds with his character's reprehensible philosophy, and once the action moves to the Algiers where he and his fellow cops (Jack Reynor and Ben O'Toole) converge upon the motel when gunshots are heard, we see the terrifying result of these vile sentiments, coupled with his frustration at being possibly pressed with murder charges. Krauss once again decides to shoot an unarmed man in the back, a despicable and stupid decision, yet Poulter's performance evokes the mentality of the man who believes he's once again done the 'right' thing, and in planting a weapon on the dying man is merely facilitating this 'right' choice. Which leads to the best, but also most horrifying scenes of the film, where we see Krauss line up the African-American males and two Caucasian females at the hotel, and interrogates them about the whereabouts of a gun. In terms of the character itself, Krauss is utterly revolting, yet Poulter's performance is magnetic, and deeply disturbing in how he orchestrates the brutal beatdown of the suspects. He states that he holds no ill-will towards 'you people', yet in his eyes there is nothing but disregard for them. There is no overt malice in his violence and verbal attacks on them, rather there is something altogether more chilling in how precise and 'dutiful' each blow is delivered with, as he acts upon his own delusions of righteousness. It isn't even the typical rabid, violent racist we find here - which Reynor and O'Toole handle well albeit in a simpler fashion -, rather it is the racism couched in a presumption of calculated inferiority which is even scarier, for example when O'Toole's foulmouthed slimeball brutally assaults one of the suspects, it is Poulter's chilling expressions which really amplify the horror of the scene.
What I think takes Poulter a step further from just being a terrifying presence is the hints of what lies beneath the surface of this monster, that doesn't humanize him but rather makes him get even more under your skin. Bigelow's direction of the tortuous ordeal, and the excellent reactionary performances of the ensemble, all contribute to the claustrophobic atmosphere, but it is Poulter's physical performance where he shows every bit of the man's being directed towards keeping 'them' in order, that creates the intensity despite his hollow approach to it. He even finds some nuances within the man's methods, for example the nasty attempt at a comforting smile to the two women, as if he's playing the role of some guardian angel to save them, his laughter towards Larry's singing, and his memorable reaction to one of his fellow officers taking the torture methods too far where he shows the human beneath the monster, but still a human without humanity. Poulter's performance is tremendous in what must have been a tough, tough role to play. He plays a walking pile of racist shit with absolutely no conscience, yet always feels like a horrifyingly believable character and not just some twisted caricature. Even as the film winds to a close, we get the same man defending his actions to the authorities, and finding such disgusting smugness when he is let off for his crimes. It is not just a lack of remorse, but a horrible pride at his belief in a job 'well done'.
Reel and Roll's BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
This year came down to the two racist cops, one with a conscience and one without. Both Sam Rockwell and Will Poulter both give amazing performances, and I hate to choose between them, but while Poulter's phenomenal, chilling portrayal of social ills manifested into evil is one of the scariest villains in recent memory, Rockwell's stunning work which goes through such an incredibly tricky arc is my choice for the time being. Although, honestly, I could make a case for any of my top 5, or Sebastian Stan, to be my personal winner.
Winner/Nominees in bold:
- Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*
- Will Poulter, Detroit
- Patrick Stewart, Logan
- Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project*
- Mark Hamill, The Last Jedi
- Sebastian Stan, I, Tonya
- Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*
- Paul Dano, Okja
- Algee Smith, Detroit
- David Lynch, Lucky
- John Boyega, Detroit
- Jason Mitchell, Mudbound
- Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water*
- Terry Notary, The Square
- Romain Duris, All the Money in the World
- Tom Skerritt, Lucky
- Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World*
- Mark Rylance, Dunkirk
- Michael Keaton, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- John C. Reilly, Kong: Skull Island
- Jack Dylan Grazer, It
- Brendan Gleeson, Paddington 2
- Hugh Grant, Paddington 2
- Jerome Flynn, Loving Vincent
- Gil Birmingham, Wind River
- Daniel Craig, Logan Lucky
- Paul Walter Hauser, I, Tonya
- Ray Romano, The Big Sick
- Caleb Landry Jones, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Jacob Latimore, Detroit
- Bruce Greenwood, Gerald's Game
- Lil Rel Howley, Get Out
- Stephen Merchant, Logan
- Carlos Sanz, Stronger
- Bradley Whitford, Get Out
- Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name
- Michael Rooker, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Cillian Murphy, Dunkirk
- Ewan Bremmer, Trainspotting 2
- Thomas Kretschmann, A Taxi Driver
- Idris Elba, Molly's Game
- Gael García Bernal, Coco
- Rory Cochrane, Hostiles
- Lakeith Stanfield, Get Out
- Tracy Letts, Lady Bird
- Kenneth Branagh, Dunkirk
- Austin Stowell, Battle of the Sexes
- Armie Hammer, Free Fire
- Michael Shannon, The Shape of Water
- Dave Bautista, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Clarke Peters, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Jason Isaacs, The Death of Stalin
- Sharlto Copley, Free Fire
- Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name
- Anthony Mackie, Detroit
- Ben Mendelsohn, Darkest Hour
- Bob Odenkirk, The Post
- Jeff Goldblum, Thor Ragnarok
- Michael Stuhlbarg, The Shape of Water
- O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ingrid Goes West
- Peter Dinklage, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Jack Reynor, Free Fire
- Laurence Fishburne, John Wick Chapter 2
- Danny McBride, Alien Covenant
- Marcus Henderson, Get Out
- Steve Buscemi, The Death of Stalin
- Robert Carlyle, Trainspotting 2
- J. Quinton Johnson, Last Flag Flying
- Ben Safdie, Good Time
- Simon Russell Beale, The Death of Stalin
- Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lady Bird
- Michael Palin, The Death of Stalin
- Jon Hamm, Baby Driver
- Buddy Duress, Good Time
- Jamie Foxx, Baby Driver
- Dave Bautista, Blade Runner 2049
- Bill Skarsgård, It
- Tom Hiddleston, Thor Ragnarok
- Woody Harrelson, War for the Planet of the Apes
- Boyd Holbrook, Logan
- Jean-Louis Trintignant, Happy End
- Jonathan Majors, Hostiles
- Harrison Ford, Blade Runner 2049
- Bill Nighy, Their Finest
- Wes Studi, Hostiles
- Steven Yeun, Okja
- Ryu Jun-yeol, A Taxi Driver
- Tom Hardy, Dunkirk
- Ben O'Toole, Detroit
- Jacob Batalon, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Aneurin Barnard, Dunkirk
- Jeffrey Tambor, The Death of Stalin
- Yoo Hae-jin, A Taxi Driver
- Robert Pattinson, The Lost City of Z
- Luke Evans, Beauty and the Beast
- John Boyega, The Last Jedi
- Steve Zahn, War for the Planet of the Apes
- Oscar Isaac, The Last Jedi
- Jack Lowden, Dunkirk
- Hugh Bonneville, Paddington 2
- Josh Gad, Beauty and the Beast
- James Darren, Lucky
- Bradley Cooper, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- CJ Jones, Baby Driver
- Ralph Fiennes, The Lego Batman Movie
- John Hawkes, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Harry Styles, Dunkirk
- Jeremy Ray Taylor, It
- Simon Farnaby, Mindhorn
- Cillian Murphy, Free Fire
- Lucas Hedges, Lady Bird
- Jack Reynor, Detroit
- Jason Statham, Fast & Furious 8
- Ian McShane, John Wick Chapter 2
- Taika Waititi, Thor Ragnarok
- Jesse Plemons, Hostiles
- Graham Greene, Wind River
- Garrett Hedlund, Mudbound
- Ian Hart, God's Own Country
- Kurt Russell, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Barkhad Abdi, Good Time
- Finn Wolfhard, It
- Ron Livingston, Lucky
- Billy Crudup, Alien Covenant
- Paddy Considine, The Death of Stalin
- Kevin Kline, Beauty and the Beast
- Michael Cera, The Lego Batman Movie
- Domhnall Gleeson, American Made
- Christopher Rivera, The Florida Project
- Jason Sudekis, Colossal
- Richard McCabe, Mindhorn
- Seth Rogen, The Disaster Artist
- Paul Scheer, The Disaster Artist
- Chosen Jacobs, It
- James D'Arcy, Dunkirk
- Giancarlo Esposito, Okja
- Zeljko Ivanek, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Bill Pullman, Battle of the Sexes
- Barry Keoghan, Dunkirk
- Stephen Root, Get Out
- Mark Ruffalo, Thor Ragnarok
- Michael Smiley, Free Fire
- Cosmo Jarvis, Lady Macbeth
- Henry Thomas, Gerald's Game
- Steve Coogan, Mindhorn
- Barry Shabaka Henley, Lucky
- Choi Woo-shik, Okja
- Sam Riley, Free Fire
- Kurt Russell, Fast & Furious 8
- Yoon Je-moon, Okja
- Wyatt Oleff, It
- Jason Mitchell, Detroit
- Jack Black, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
- Willem Dafoe, Murder on the Orient Express
- Robert Downey Jr., Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Saïd Taghmaoui, Wonder Woman
- Ed Begley Jr., Lucky
- Jared Leto, Blade Runner 2049
- Timothée Chalamet, Lady Bird
- Kenneth Branagh, Mindhorn
- Peyton Alex Smith, Detroit
- Paul Whitehouse, The Death of Stalin
- Ezra Miller, Justice League
- Owen Wilson, Wonder
- Lucas Hedges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Eddie Marsan, Atomic Blonde
- Takeshi Kitano, Ghost in the Shell
- Sean Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Brian D'Arcy James, Molly's Game
- Sam Claflin, Their Finest
- Karl Urban, Thor Ragnarok
- Colin Firth, Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- Bill Camp, Molly's Game
- Anupam Kher, The Big Sick
- Christopher Læssø, The Square
- Mark Strong, Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- Ronald Pickup, Darkest Hour
- Noah Jupe, Wonder
- Josh Gad, Murder on the Orient Express
- Pedro Pascal, Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- Derek Jacobi, Murder on the Orient Express
- Nicholas Hamilton, It
- Pilou Asbæk, Ghost in the Shell
- Kevin Hart, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
- Russell Tovey, Mindhorn
- Charlie Plummer, All the Money in the World
- Kurt Braunohler, The Big Sick
- Tom Holland, The Lost City of Z
- Ilkka Koivula, The Other Side of Hope
- Tom Glynn-Carney, Dunkirk
- Michael Cera, Molly's Game
- Rob Morgan, Mudbound
- Leslie Odom Jr., Murder on the Orient Express
- Tyrese Gibson, Fast & Furious 8
- Chris Sullivan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- Josh Hutcherson, The Disaster Artist
- Jon Bass, Baywatch
- Jackson Robert Scott, It
- Enzo Cilenti, Free Fire
- Babou Ceesay, Free Fire
- Lance Reddick, John Wick Chapter 2
- Simon Al-Bazoon, The Other Side of Hope
- Samuel L. Jackson, Kong: Skull Island
- David Thewlis, Wonder Woman
- Stephen Dillane, Darkest Hour
- Zach Galifianakis, The Lego Batman Movie
- Jon Bernthal, Wind River
- Eriq La Salle, Logan
- Chris Bridges, Fast & Furious 8
- Tom Hanks, The Circle
- John Goodman, Atomic Blonde
- Zac Efron, The Greatest Showman
- Jacob Tremblay, The Book of Henry
- Donald Glover, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Toby Jones, Atomic Blonde
- Bokeem Woodbine, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Anthony Hopkins, Thor Ragnarok
- Alan Cumming, Battle of the Sexes
- Martin Starr, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Jake Lacy, Their Finest
- Jack Quaid, Logan Lucky
- Brian Gleeson, Logan Lucky
- Richard E. Grant, Logan
- Daniel Henshall, Okja
- Dwight Yoakam, Logan Lucky
- Jon Bernthal, Baby Driver
- Martin Sensmeier, Wind River
- Jordan Rodrigues, Lady Bird
- Byun Hee-bong, Okja
- Lennie James, Blade Runner 2049
- Hannibal Buress, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Idris Elba, Thor Ragnarok
- John Goodman, Kong: Skull Island
- Terry Notary, War for the Planet of the Apes
- Eugene Brave Rock, Wonder Woman
- Ewen Bremner, Wonder Woman
- Patton Oswalt, The Circle
- Chris O'Dowd, Loving Vincent
- Samuel West, Darkest Hour
- Jon Favreau, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Common, John Wick Chapter 2
- Domhnall Gleeson, The Last Jedi
- Ray Fisher, Justice League
- Ian McKellen, Beauty and the Beast
- Lenny Clarke, Stronger
- Angus Macfayden, The Lost City of Z
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Okja
- Caleb Landry Jones, Get Out
- Trey Parker, Despicable Me 3
- Jason Clarke, Mudbound
- Clancy Brown, Stronger
- Kevin Spacey, Baby Driver
- Wyatt Rusell, Ingrid Goes West
- Eddie Marsan, Their Finest
- Christopher Fairbank, Lady Macbeth
- Seth MacFarlane, Logan Lucky
- Christoph Waltz, Downsizing
- Udo Kier, Downsizing
- John Krasinski, Detroit
- Shea Whigham, Kong: Skull Island
- Kristofer Hivju, Fast & Furious 8
- Matthiew Kassovitz, Happy End
- Henry Goodman, Their Finest
- Henry Cavill, Justice League
- Ewan McGregor, Beauty and the Beast
- Demian Bichir, Alien Covenant
- Billy Magnussen, Ingrid Goes West
- Tom Bateman, Murder on the Orient Express
- Jason Mamoa, Justice League
- Toby Jones, Happy End
- Chin Han, Ghost in the Shell
- Richard E. Grant, Their Finest
- Rupert Friend, The Death of Stalin
- Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Murder on the Orient Express
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Baywatch
- Jesse Plemons, The Discovery
- J. K. Simmons, The Snowman
- Paul Hilton, Lady Macbeth
- Corey Hawkins, Kong: Skull Island
- Channing Tatum, Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- Robert Redford, The Discovery
- Michael Pitt, Ghost in the Shell
- Dominic West, The Square
- Gary Oldman, The Hitman's Bodyguard
- Dan Stevens, Colossal
- Jeff Bridges, Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- John Boyega, The Circle
- Noah Taylor, Free Fire
- Scott Eastwood, Fast & Furious 8
- Ed Harris, Mother!
- Benicio del Toro, The Last Jedi
- Jason Mitchell, Kong: Skull Island
- Kevin Costner, Molly's Game
- Bo Burnham, The Big Sick
- Jack Huston, Their Finest
- Will Oldham, A Ghost Story
- Logan Marshall-Green, Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Toby Kebell, Kong: Skull Island
- Johnny Depp, Murder on the Orient Express
- Sir Anthony Hopkins, Transformers: The Last Knight
- Dean Norris, The Book of Henry
- Jeremy Strong, Molly's Game
- Sergei Polunin, Murder on the Orient Express
- Chris O'Dowd, Molly's Game
- Rob Huebel, Baywatch
- Franz Rogowski, Happy End
- Clive Owen, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
- Josh Duhamel, Transformers: The Last Knight
- Caleb Landry Jones, American Made
- Nick Jonas, Jumangi: Welcome to the Jungle
- John Oritz, Kong: Skull Island
- Danny Huston, Wonder Woman
- Jonathan Banks, Mudbound
- Riccardo Scamarcio, John Wick Chapter 2
- Thomas Mann, Kong: Skull Island
- Peter Ferdinando, Ghost in the Shell
- Elton John, Kingsman: The Golden Circle
- James Jordan, Wind River
- Ellar Coltrane, The Circle
Great list and I love to see Stan and Hamill in the Top 5, but I’d have Hammer in Call Me By Your Name much higher.
ReplyDeleteHe's pretty high for me considering the strength of the performances I ranked ahead of him (i.e. Merchant and Elba are performances I quite love despite their limited material), so I liked him a great deal, though perhaps not as much as you.
DeleteStill haven't seen Poulter and Hamill, but Dafoe and Rockwell are pretty hard to leave out of the list honestly.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Rockwell's work as per usual, but I think the writing of his role, which could've worked perfectly for a more intentionally absurd/less "realistic" setting like in Seven Psychopaths, made his character way too cartoonish (even if I appreciate that he kept Dixon an idiot to the very end, and as a performance it was good). I know I'm not the only one who thinks this, and I'm very happy that he's getting recognition because I loved many of his performances and he's always been very underrated in the awards circles, I just wish I could get behind the praise for this particular role. Like someone perfectly put in a review, for me it's "Clancy Wiggum but angry".
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