Great acting was everywhere in 2021. While we received the usual assortment of great performances in festival standouts and end-of-year awards contenders, we also found inspired performances in big-budget multiplex movies and no-budget horror.
READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2021
We cast a wide net for our list of the Best Film Performances of 2021. Every list has its omissions – no doubt some of your favorite roles just missed appearing on here – but if you wanted to see the full range of modern cinematic acting, you could do a lot worse than starting with the actors we’ve assembled.
And do you want to know a secret? Each of the movies named on this list has multiple good performances, so crack open your Letterboxd list and start smashing that Watchlist button.
Niamh Algar, “Censor”
This is the year Hollywood finally caught up with Niamh Algar. While the Irish actress has been bumping up against the spotlight for a few years now, it was her performance as a repressed government censor in Prano Bailey-Bond’s debut feature that solidified her status as a breakout star. “Censor” is not afraid to take some mighty big swings, but Algar is the one to make sure they land. We have seen plenty of characters like Enid Baines in horror these past few years – damaged people who are sucked into the worst outcomes of long-held trauma – making it difficult for anyone to stand out from the crowd. But Algar imbues Baines with a self-righteousness that allows the character to sing. When her world begins to fracture, both her professional and personal identities succumb to the darkness, allowing the actress to develop a more well-rounded psychosis than we usually see on-screen. – Matthew Monagle
(Read Charles Barfield’s review of “Censor”)
Ben Affleck, “The Last Duel”
Two factual statements: Ben Affleck is a wildly talented actor, screenwriter, and director, but the peculiar nature of his career is such that we only have cause to celebrate two of these personas at a given time. And since Director Ben Affleck has been on an unfortunate hiatus since the underappreciated “Live By Night,” let’s take a brief moment to appreciate “The Last Duel” for combing his talents as both writer and star. In Ridley Scott’s historical feature, Affleck wrote the perspective of Adam Driver’s Jacques Le Gris, whose scenes offer Affleck his most significant chunk of screen time. In the film, he provides a much-needed splash of color – literal and metaphorical – and even claims a piece of metatextuality in his portrayal of a deeply unhappy medieval lothario. If there’s a better piece of comedy in 2021 than Pierre forgetting his son’s name, I have yet to see it. – MM
(Read Jessica Kiang’s review of “The Last Duel”)
Nicolas Cage, “Pig”
As a baseball fan, I often find myself comparing Nicolas Cage to Ichiro Suzuki. The longtime Mariners outfielder had a skillset best described as an athletic anachronism; while most players added muscle and hit home runs, Ichiro was a scion of speed and bloop singles. But before every game, Ichiro would put on a show in batting practice, reminding everyone that he could be a more conventional performer if he had any interest in doing so. So goes the career of Nicolas Cage. Robin Feld is undeniably among the best characters Cage has brought to the screen, but one cannot shake the impression that this is a caliber of character always lurking just beneath the surface. For all his love of genre cinema and impressionistic modes of acting, Cage can always pivot to heartbreaking vulnerability on-screen. Like Ichiro, he could play the game a more conventional way if he had any interest in doing so. – MM
(Read Andrew Crump’s review of “Pig”)
Penelope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers”
Pedro Almodovar swings for the fences in “Parallel Mothers,” a movie that attempts to thread Spain’s past political turbulence and traumas, many ghosts the country would like to forget, and a story about two mothers, who by fate and chance, give birth to their respective children on the same day, then become best friends, lovers and more. It’s a lot to take on and arguably doesn’t work as seamlessly as it should, but the ballast which keeps the entire thing together is Penelope Cruz. She is never better when working with her old muse Almodovar and the two of them cannot help but create such swelling emotion, heartbreak, and genuine anguish when working together. Cruz is just a powerhouse in Almodovar’s latest, and if it’s a little messy in spots, well, damn, she makes the entire thing worthwhile regardless. – Rodrigo Perez
(Read Jessica Kiang’s review of “Parallel Mothers”)
Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”
She’s played Queens, police detectives, and hotel managers with strange responsibilities, but if Olivia Colman has proven anything, she can consistently surprise. Thanks to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s brilliant adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel, she’s given a gem of a role with Leda, a middle-aged professor who is not as quirky and politely jovial as you might think. One of Colman’s strengths is to break down that welcoming facade and to pull a grounded pain to the surface. And she does that here, once again, to marvelous and haunting effect. – Gregory Ellwood
(Read Tomris Laffly’s review of “The Lost Daughter”)
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”
This may be a controversial opinion, but before “The Power of the Dog,” I had never quite found a Benedict Cumberbatch role that resonated for me. There was an inauthentic quality to his mannerisms – overly precise, overly performative – that prevented me from appreciating him as an actor. So when I say that Cumberbatch is just that good in “The Power of the Dog,” let it be known that this came from a place of supreme skepticism. As with many great performances, the character of Phil Burbank draws as much on the actor’s celebrity as his talent. Burbank feels off from the beginning; Cumberbatch is not often coded as physically masculine on-screen, and his toxic cruelty sometimes seems at odds with the character. But as the film unfolds – and we learn more about Burbank’s lessons from his mentor – we begin to see the intentionality in each of these mannerisms. – MM
(Read Tomris Laffly’s review of “The Power of the Dog”)
Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”
For over 60 years, “West Side Story” has been a hallmark of high school musical theater productions worldwide. So what is most surprising about Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation is not the quality of the production design or even the standout choreography. Instead, it’s the sense of urgency and timeliness that Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner find in a decades-old narrative. And a big part of that urgency comes in the person of Ariana DeBose. The film may nominally belong to Tony and Maria, but it is DeBose’s Anita who must bear the brunt of their consequences. From the jubilance of “America” to her impotent rage following Bernardo’s murder, her character’s arc is the heart of Spielberg’s adaptation. Whenever DeBose steps up to speak or sing, the light seems to dim around her. In her hands, Anita is a tragic bridge between the world of “West Side Story” and the world of today. – MM
(Read Jason Bailey’s review of “West Side Story”)
Colman Domingo, “Zola”
Colman Domingo specializes in seductive, dangerous men. That was the key two his breakout performances in 2021: one as a trusted neighborhood avenger in “Candyman” and the other as X, a code-switching pimp in Janicza Bravo’s “Zola.” The latter performance, in particular, takes something well-established in the annals of true crime films and evolves X into something more elusive. In his hands, a stock character becomes the twisted heart and soul of the entire movie. Domingo has spoken in interviews about the approach he took with X, noting that this character is someone who has “watched and appropriated African American culture.” That makes Domingo’s performance a fascinating nesting doll of American masculinity, one that filters the ingrained violence of the character through the more performative violence he displays. And through it all, Domingo flashes his enormous charm, practically purring as the narrative goes further and further off the rails. – MM
(Read Jessica Kiang’s review of “Zola”)
Jasna Djuricic, “Quo Vadis, Aida?”
In 1995, more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men were killed as an act of ethnic cleansing by Serbian soldiers. This act of genocide remains a fresh wound for the people of Bosnia; it also became the subject of one of 2021’s best films, the anti-war drama “Quo Vadis, Aida?” The film puts its drama squarely on Bosnian actress Jasna Djuricic, who navigates a clean course around the sensationalism inherent in such a powerful setting. The power of “Quo Vadis, Aida?” is that it is more interested in the breakdown of bureaucracy and governance than the recreation of the killings. As a UN translator, Aida is tasked with smoothing over the lies told to the leaders of the town of Srebrenica. Djuricic imbues Aida with a bit of real-world practicality; she serves her people but looks to her family first, and the slow grind to film’s inevitable outcome is a masterclass in ratcheting tension. – MM
(Read Carlos Aguilar’s review of “Quo Vadis, Aida?”)
Amir El-Masry, “Limbo”
Each year a few films slip through the cracks; such was the case for Ben Sharrock’s “Limbo,” a powerful dramedy that transplants a Syrian refugee in the most remote regions of the Scottish countryside. Equal parts fish out of water and scathing political commentary, “Limbo” is also an excellent showcase for British-Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry, whose stoic sense of otherness is essential to the film’s success. While crucial moments in “Limbo” use absurdity to highlight the failures of the refugee system, El Masry is tasked with grounding the humor in genuine empathy. There’s more than a little Buster Keaton in the performance, and the actor’s stone-faced approach to Omar prevents the film from becoming too twee for its own good. El Masry emotes with his oud is also an essential element of his character; the instrument oscillates between salvation and burden in any given scene. – MM
(Read Marshall Shaffer’s review of “Limbo”)
Rebecca Ferguson, “Dune”
Like “Mad Max” before it, Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” is a rare bird: a blockbuster arthouse film that achieves box office and critical success in equal measure. And while there is much to appreciate in a movie that looks as gorgeous as “Dune,” the human element is surprisingly never far from the screen. This is mainly to the credit of Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica. She adds an element of Greek tragedy to the proceedings and gives us a vested interest in space opera. For much of the movie, Lady Jessica is the audience’s guide, exploring the political machinations of both the Emperor and the Bene Gesserit. Ferguson is no stranger to this type of character – her track record over the past few years is ironclad – but here, she finds the perfect outlet for her talents. Even if audiences do not understand the elements of worldbuilding on-screen, they sure as hell understand a committed mother willing to watch empires burn to protect her son. – MM
(Read Rodrigo Perez’s review of “Dune”)
Michael Greyeyes, “Wild Indian”
If you ever wondered how the Independent Spirit Awards stack up against the Oscars, consider: both Michael Greyeyes and Chaske Spencer have acting nominations in the Spirit Awards this year. Despite being one of the more complex films of the year – with one of the standout lead performances – “Wild Indian” is unlikely to generate any real Oscar buzz. That pretty much says everything you need to know. In “Wild Indian,” Greyeyes’s character embodies generations of internalized racism. Michael is torn between his hatred of his First Nations heritage and the desire to exploit it for personal gain. Greyeyes embraces these contradictions head-on, leaning into the darkness without ever entirely obscuring the victim that Michael once was. The line Greyeyes must walk as an actor is razor-thin, but as he peels back the layers, a complex tragedy partially of his own making emerges. – MM
(Read Carlos Aguilar’s review of “Wild Indian”)
Rebecca Hall, “The Night House”
How often can an actor say that they directed one of the year’s best films and offered one of its best performances in another? Rebecca Hall has had quite the 2021, and while her work on “Passing” can and should warrant serious award season recognition, her work as the grieving widow Beth in David Bruckner’s “The Night House” is no less deserving of praise. The film’s highlight is the afterschool happy hour, where a drunken Beth begins to indulge the morbid curiosity of her colleagues. From reading her husband’s suicide note aloud to chastising others about their choice of Shakespeare, Hall gives Beth an almost predatory air throughout the sequence. She is hurt and bewildered in equal measure, but most of all, she’s angry, and this anger forms like a grotesque mask around her. In Hall’s hands, the stages of cinematic grief are anything but rote. – MM
(Read Jessica Kiang’s review of “The Night House”)
Alana Haim, “Licorice Pizza“
Paul Thomas Anderson said fuck it, trusted his instincts, and pulled off one of the most daring tricks of 2021: hiring two non-actors, who had never acted before for the lead roles of his new movie, “Licorice Pizza” (much of it inspired by the people he loved and wanted to work with and be damned if they haven’t acted before). A coming-of-age story in the San Fernando Valley in 1973, with a tentative romantic edge, “Licorice Pizza,” centers on a young hustler (an excellent Cooper Hoffman, the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and the reluctant, aimless 20-something girl (Alana Haim from the pop band Haim), who becomes enamored with his ambition and chutzpah and gets sucked into the world of his various schemes. Hoffman is pretty terrific, but Haim is the incandescent revelation here, a funny, believable, charismatic soul seemingly magnetically drawn to Hoffman’s character and all his goofy allure. There’s a ton of running in “Licorice Pizza,” and when you see it through a racer’s lens, you realize it’s Haim’s story of trying to escape her life and finding herself in the strangest but most welcoming circumstances. She’s absolutely wonderful. -RP
(Read Rodrigo Perez’s review of “Licorice Pizza”)
Mads Mikkelsen, “Riders of Justice”
There’s something a little special about a longstanding actor-director collaboration. The partnership between Mads Mikkelsen and director Anders Thomas Jensen goes back decades; perhaps because of this, Mikkelsen’s role in “Riders of Justice” manages to subvert expectations and emerge as something of an anti-violent action movie. It may look like another Liam Neeson-style revenge thriller on paper, but nothing comes simple in this script (or in this performance). In many ways, Markus is the quintessential Mikkelsen character – at least within the context of his American work. Markus is stoic and deadly, with a proficiency established more through quiet competencies than grand gestures. But the scene in which “Riders of Justice” entirely breaks through his façade – using his persona as a man of action to breathe life into the old adage about digging two graves when seeking revenge – is one of the best moments of the year. – MM
(Read Andrew Crump’s review of “Riders of Justice”)
Woody Norman, “C’mon C’mon”
While Joaquin Phoenix will undoubtedly receive the bulk of the acting accolades for Mike Mills’ film, young actor Woody Norman gives the feature its biggest lift. Jesse is a character of contradictions; he is too young to understand his father’s mental illness, but he is also old enough to struggle with his own existential sense of dread. More often than not, Jesse chooses to act out his anxiety as disassociation, raising concerns about his behavior in the process. This would be a lot for any actor to take on, but Norman proves himself a more than capable vehicle for Jesse. The young actor quickly finds a balance between these competing interests, allowing him to craft a character that “C’mon C’mon” as a film is constantly in dialogue with and never lecturing to. But, ultimately, it is his fear of losing the moments he shares with his uncle – forgetting – that gives the movie its most potent emotional undercurrent. – MM
(Read Rodrigo Perez’s review of “C’mon C’mon”)
Dev Patel, “The Green Knight”
Nothing makes my heart soar as star power subverted. Some actors have an uncanny knack for twisting their own celebrity into knots on-screen, performing as much against audience expectations as they are in character. But even those actors would do well to take a note from Dev Patel, whose performance in “The Green Knight” is so antithetical to his screen presence that we have no choice but to sit back and admire what he’s crafted. Thanks to his dashing good looks and string of movie successes, nobody would blame Patel if he continued to build roles around his marketability as a movie star. But Sir Gawain is the pinnacle of cowardice. This naive, headstrong young man is almost singlehandedly responsible for his own tragedies. The gap between Sir Gawain’s actions and the sense of honor that entombs him is the film’s crux, and Patel’s panicky performance is an outstanding risk for any younger actor to take. – MM
(Read Carlos Aguilar’s review of “The Green Knight”)
Joaquin Phoenix, “C’mon C’mon”
Yes, while we seemingly brushed off Joaquin Phoenix, in favor of Woody Norman above, in Mike Mills’ terrific and lovely humanist dramedy, “C’mon C’mon,” let’s not get it too twisted, Phoenix is one of the greatest actors in the world right now. And that’s genuinely evinced in “C’mon, C’mon,” where Phoenix is arguably at his most relaxed, his most alive-to-the-moment performances. As a radio journalist and uncle forced into accelerated parenthood when he is forced to look after his young nine-year-old nephew, Phoenix’s Johnny character is initiated into this adventure. Still, he soon gets much more than he bargained for when he realizes the true extent of 24-7, always-on, emotionally exhausting parenting. Mike Mills arguably always makes coming-of-age films for people of all ages, including Joaquin Phoenix’s single, 40-something journalist character who hasn’t quite found himself in life, burying himself in work to avoid grief and life. And Phoenix tenderly and gently communicates all of Mills’ great curious, empathetic, compassionate aims like a golden Stradivarius of humanism. – RP
(Read Rodrigo Perez’s review of “C’mon C’mon”)
Renate Reinsve, “The Worst Person in the World”
In a perfect world, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Renate Reinsve in the near future. The Norwegian actress delivered a stunning and, at times, euphoric performance in Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Performance in the World.” A turn so impressive, she took the Best Actress prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. As Julie, Reinsve has to portray a decade or so of a woman’s life, beginning with her early 20s. It’s the arc of a woman subconsciously searching for a career and a partner (like many) and finally finding herself as an adult who understands not everything works out in the end. And, in the highest compliment we can give her, rarely has an on-screen tear felt so real. – GE
(Read Iana Murray’s review of “The Worst Person in the World”)
Simon Rex, “Red Rocket”
In what some describe as the “woke” overcorrection of our culture—getting (often understandably) upset at our heroes for problematic transgressions in their films (see the age-gate dramas around “Licorice Pizza”)—Sean Baker’s “Red Rocket” has been either underseen or just gotten away with murder. In the film, Simon Rex’s suitcase pimp character is a washed-up porn star who sees dollar signs in his eyes and essentially begins to groom a barely-legal 17-year-old (a terrific Suzanna Son, who is one to watch) into becoming a porn star (yes, 17 is apparently legal in Texas). And yes, when you read it like this, it’s pretty gross, and how the hell is it even on this list, what are you nuts? nBut the threaded-needle impossibility of “Red Rocket” and Rex’s live-wire, firecracker, exhausting performance is that the character, Mickey Saber, is a selfish hustler and manipulative schemer, is also somehow charming, despite being repellant. As much as you root for him to get his comeuppance, you also secretly (or not so secretly) root for Mickey to pull it together, achieve some small victory, and maybe turn into less of an asshole grifter. It is an awe-inspiring magic trick of both Baker and especially Rex that the motor-mouthed, cheating, relentless mooch character is someone you actually want to spend 90 minutes with after all is said and done. – RP
(Read Greg Ellwood’s review of “Red Rocket”)
Agathe Rousselle, “Titane”
Agathe Rousselle can do it all. That’s not a claim one can readily make about an actor after one film role, but then again, “Titane” is not like any stories, movies, works of art, or anything else you may want to quantify it as. That slippery, transforming nature comes from Rousselle’s definitive performance, an actor who seems to have been made in a laboratory for the express purpose of breaking out in this heavy metal opera from writer/director Julia Ducournau. Rousselle embodies the extremes of impulse—for a movie that takes you from one ferocious decision to the next—but always keeps a tight grip on how her character Alexia is inexplicably human. Whether she is slaughtering people on a whim, having sex with a car, or pretending to be someone’s son, Rousselle’s calibrated work and unabashed physical commitment is deeply in tune with the movie around her. She is the hunger and warmth that gives “Titane” its everlasting flame. – Nick Allen
(Read Jessica Kiang’s review of “Titane”)
Kristen Stewart, “Spencer”
There are two dimensions to Pablo Larrain’s royal family drama, “Spencer,” the one at the beginning that resembles the work of Peter Morgan and “The Crown”—the frosty British mien and the tyranny of tradition—and the more, nightmarish, horror-movie ghost story half—more about despair, and the horror of imprisonment in a place where no imagination breeds. If one half is more interesting than the other (you can probably guess which one), the connective tissue that tethers them together is Kristen Stewart’s luminous performance as Princess Diana, a radiant, carefree, free-spirit, being diminished day by day, simply by her proximity to the soul-sucking black hole that is the Royal Family, their bloody uninspired customs, their judgment, and control. Larrain’s film is essentially a dark fairytale about a princess trapped in a castle, withering away without real human nourishment and the outside world. And every step of the way, Stewart is there to create that simmering and growing mood of resentment, exasperation, asphyxiation, and madness if she can’t break free. It’s a brilliant film, and Stewart is just luminescent in it. -RP
(Read Jessica Kiang’s review of “Spencer”)
Rachel Sennott, “Shiva Baby”
Rachel Sennott often loses in “Shiva Baby,” as her character Dani has to navigate the unforgiving atmosphere of a mourning ceremony, facing the prying minds of friends and family. They comment on her weight, her dating status, her current goals with life, and her college plans—each interaction is the latest attack during a simple quest of surviving the day. Sennott’s performance, agile and forceful, is a vital part of the movie’s immersive, nightmarish experience, especially when our hero is trapped in a close-up with two family members, one on each side, who think they know what is best for her. And for all the secrets that she tries to hide in a place that kills privacy, her little victories are all the more delicious when she can pull others down to her hell, her discomfort. Though the ending may not put her out on top, all of “Shiva Baby” shows how charismatic Sennott can be, even when she’s placing us in a viscerally awkward conversation. – NA
(Read Kristy Puchko’s review of “Shiva Baby”)
Tessa Thompson, “Passing”
If we draw a line between films like “Wild Indian” and “Passing,” 2021 was an excellent year for movies about the deconstruction of identity. Rebecca Hall’s “Passing” may draw our attention with its black-and-white coloring and its use of a 4:3 aspect ratio, but beneath these very classical touches is a complex and nuanced breakdown. And the star of the show is Irene, Tessa Thompson’s character, who struggles with her self-identity as a Black woman in the 1920s. Given the intertwined nature of the two relationships, one could easily single out either Ruth Negga or Thompson for acting accolades (and to be clear, Negga is excellent). In particular, Irene’s breakdown filters these characters through a twisted prism. Everything we learn about the characters is suspect, and Thompson’s performance is calibrated just so to ensure the audience never loses its faith in her. That, combined with the affecting dissolution of her sexual and racial identity, gives Thompson her best performance to date. – MM
(Read Robert Daniels’s review of “Passing”)
Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy Of Macbeth”
While Ethan Coen might be gone, apparently having abandoned cinema for the theater, Joel Coen remains, and his Coen brother-esque fascination with tragic figures who are their own worst enemies has not abated (and yes, the irony is not lost that Ethan departs for theater and Joel, immediately does Shakespeare on the big screen). In Joel Coen’s hands, Macbeth is just another blustering blowhard drunk on his own sense of self-worth, but it’s all rendered like a bleak, stark horror movie this time. And there’s absolutely just no better person to embody the drink-their-own-kool-aid madness like Denzel Washington, who delivers every single shade of nuance to a man who starts out fearful, doubtful, but intrigued, but slowly moving the needle towards his latent, dark ambition within him, as enabled and prodded on by his conniving and power-hungry wife (a terrific Frances McDormand). Lady Macbeth does get a little sidelined, unfortunately in Coen’s ‘Tragedy.’ Still, the net result is Washington, not doing a Pacino 11, but commanding the screen at every single moment, shivering with the fear and excitement of potential evil prophecies coming to pass, trying to keep his emotions in check, that his lust and desire do not belie his steely exterior. Washington tries to keep his daggers close to the chain mail-armored vest until the moment those daggers can no longer sit still, and his anxieties erupt into full-blown mania, that should be said, are still contained and furious. ‘Tragedy Of Macbeth’ may be a little too desolate and minimalist for some audiences, but Washington is just at the top of his game once again. There’s desperation and despair underneath the glassy-eyed, rageful bluster, as if, from the jump, he’s understood he’s made the bad bet, but has to see it through, regardless. – RP
(Read Robert Daniels’ review of “The Tragedy Of Macbeth”)
Honorable Mentions
There were a lot of great performances this year that we could mention so here’s a list of others you might want to check out. Leslie Grace in “In the Heights,” Troy Kotsur in “CODA,” Cate Blanchett is particularly sultry and watchable in “Nightmare Alley,” Saniyya Sidney as a young Venus Williams in “King Richard” is certainly one to watch going forward, Rachel Zegler in “West Side Story,” and to reiterate, Cooper Hoffman in “Licorice Pizza,” and Suzanna Son in “Red Rocket.” In the world of TV, there were some greats to either watch or keep an eye on in the future, including Thuso Mbedu, the lead of “Underground Railroad,” Naomi Ackie, in “Master of None,” season three, Lee Jung-jae from “Squid Game,” all the kids from “Reservation Dogs,” Anjana Vasan from, “We Are Lady Parts,” Christian Convery from “Sweet Tooth,” Clare Dunne from AMC’s “Herself & Kin,” Sheila Atim from “The Underground Railroad,” Murray Bartlett in “The White Lotus,” and Hannah Einbinder from “Hacks.” Happy watching and thanks for reading and being a continued patron of our site.
Follow along with the rest of our Best of 2021 coverage here.