20. Eliza Scanlen as Amma Crellin in “Sharp Objects” – [minor spoiler alert]
Australian soap operas “Home and Away” and “Neighbours” may not be that well-known in the U.S., but from Russell Crowe to Margot Robbie to Chris Hemsworth to Naomi Watts, they’ve become something of a breeding ground for Hollywood talent. And they’re not letting up: Eliza Scanlen, the revelation of Jean-Marc Vallee‘s acclaimed miniseries, starring Amy Adams and adapted by Marti Noxon from Gillian Flynn‘s book, has a 15-episode arc on “Home and Away” as her only other major credit to date. That’s going to change following her definitive turn as Amma Crellin. Perhaps the show’s most complex character, she encompasses legions between demure Mommy’s girl, hot-pant-ed, boozed-up wild child and secretive, doomy enigma. Scanlen is so chameleonic that it can almost be difficult to recognize her in her various guises, which is of course a hallmark of a sociopath. It feels strange to say she has yet to make her feature debut, but when she does it’s going to be a big one: she’s playing Beth March in Greta Gerwig‘s dazzlingly starry “Little Women,” which will arrive, like a package from Marmee, on Christmas Day 2019.
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19. Sonoya Mizuno as Dr Azumi Fujita in “Maniac”
Co-star, alongside Oscar Isaac of the ubiquitous dancing gif extracted from Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina” Japanese-British dancer/model/actress Sonoya Mizuno was also one of Emma Stone‘s color-coded flatmates in “La La Land.” And this year, prior to appearing in the star-minting ensemble of “Crazy Rich Asians,” she re-teamed with Garland for “Annihilation,” in which she played two small roles — a med student and the “humanoid” double of Natalie Portman’s Lena. But the first time we got to spend significant time with Mizuno when she wasn’t dancing, (often literally mirroring someone else — seriously, compare the climactic scene in “Annihilation” to the robot dance of “Ex Machina” to see Garland’s uncanny obsession with mimicry made manifest through her) was in Patrick Somerville‘s Netflix mindfuck “Maniac,” directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. The show is spikily surreal and it’s not always clear that all the cast understand what key they’re playing in (cough Jonah Hill). But Mizuno, as the chainsmoking scientist running the experiment, and fencing a failed relationship with Justin Theroux‘s pervy kook is perfectly offbeat-yet-in-sync with its bizarre rhythms. Next up is a main role in Garland’s TV show “Devs,” so yes, Mizuno’s stunning, she can dance, she can act and she has an ongoing partnership with one of the most exciting directors working. Let’s pray she can’t sing.
18. Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky in “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”
From Millie Bobby Brown to Lena Waithe to the ‘Queer Eye‘ guys, Netflix shows already have a deep track record as spawning grounds for new stars. But Susan Johnson’s delightful adaptation of Jenny Han’s bestseller might be their first original film to have that same effect for its young leads. Lana Condor (above) has been boosted immeasurably, but her co-star Noah Centineo, due to a combination of savvy social media presence and the market’s insatiable demand for crushable teen heartthrobs, has gone supernova. It helps that his character, Peter Kavinsky, is such a dreamboat (indeed Centineo also starred in Netflix’s “Sierra Burgess is a Loser,” and is a main cast member on something called “The Fosters” on Freeform/ABC Family, neither of which had nearly the same impact). But his easy charm and smoldery hotness in the role are undeniable, and he and Condor have such great chemistry that even the well-worn “let’s date each other to make other people jealous uh-oh we’re in love now” plot feels honest, and his resultant success well-earned. Basically, everything ‘To All The Boys’ touches turns to gold — even probiotic yogurt brand Yakult reported a spike in sales after its brief cameo — and so Centineo’s casting in the new Kristen Stewart “Charlie’s Angels” film comes as no surprise.
17. Yalitza Aparicio as Cleo in “Roma”
Alfonso Cuarón’s stunningly achieved, novelistic love-letter to the maid/nanny who raised him is such a singular project that it feels a little odd to put its star, Yalitza Aparicio, on a list like this. The recently qualified teacher, who was found after a huge casting search across Mexico, herself told the Guardian, “I don’t think I am an actor.” But though Aparicio may not have a Marvel movie lined up or whatever, there’s no doubt she turned one of the defining performances of the year. Projecting a careworn, naturalistic grace far beyond her 24 years, and exuding an air of capable, quiet watchfulness, the conundrum is that although her character is the entire reason for the film, and though she is the center of every scene, Aparicio retains a tiny, impregnable remove. Where a trained actress might be tempted to emote, Aparicio observes; where an experienced player might be expansive, she holds back. Somehow that sliver of unknowability, whether intentional or not, is the film’s most fascinating asset, reminding us that even if you recreate an entire era, choreograph it perfectly in sync with your memories and focus on all the things you missed the first time round, no matter how much you love them, other people are always their own mysteries.
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16. Brady Jandreau as Brady in “The Rider”
How strange it must be to be Brady Jandreau right now. The ex-rodeo-star, whose path to greatness abruptly dead-ended when he suffered a near-fatal accident, has to be one of the few people who has ever made a second career recreating the events that curtailed his first. Who knows what levels of deja vu he is experiencing in those quiet stretches when the camera lingers on his face in Chloe Zhao‘s mesmerizing debut, and who knows how she managed to get this recalcitrant young man not just to relive painful memories on camera, but to perform them. Given his history, we could expect his physicality to be convincing, his ease around horses, his fluid mastery of a lasso, his deeply touching relationship with his autistic sister Lily, who is played by his real-life sister Lily. But Jandreau is also psychologically supple in the hands of the director, turning in as finely calibrated and as nuanced a performance as we’ve seen this year. It remains to be seen if he decides to pursue a career in acting, but even if “The Rider” is the only film he makes, his turn will be a wonder. And if it’s not, well, next time, it won’t be his first rodeo.
