Today I’m wrapping up my look back at the best performances of 2024 with what I believe is the strongest category of the bunch – Lead Actor. It’s a group filled with exciting contenders making it tough to narrow them down to only five. But that’s how these silly lists work so let’s get to it. Here are my five favorite Lead Actor performances along with some worthy honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions: Cillian Murphy (“Small Things Like These”), Victor Clavijo (“The Wait”), Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”), Jonas Dassler (“Bonhoeffer”), David Dastmalchian (“Late Night with the Devil”), Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”), Jesse Eisenberg (“A Real Pain”), John David Washington (“The Piano Lesson”), Nicholas Hoult (“Juror #2”), Austin Butler (“The Bikeriders”), James McAvoy (“Speak No Evil”), Kevin Costner (“Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1”), Michael Keaton (“Goodrich”)

#5 – Hugh Grant (“Heretic”)

I’m loving this current phase in Hugh Grant’s already superb movie career. His latest performance in the horror thriller “Heretic” only emphasizes why. “Heretic” is unquestionably the talkiest horror movie of the year but that plays right to Grant’s strength. He’s disarmingly funny, devilishly charming, and utterly terrifying once the movie calls for it. This is easily one of the most entertaining performances of the year.

#4 – Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”)

In “The Brutalist”, Adrien Brody continues his trend of consistently delivering top-tier performances regardless of the genre he’s working in. Here he plays an accomplished architect and Holocaust survivor who emigrates to the United States. Brody pours himself into the role with the same intensity as he did in “The Pianist”. While this film isn’t as good, Brody’s performance is worthy of the same attention.

#3 – Jean Dujardin (“On the Wandering Paths”)

Many people on this side of the pond were introduced to Jean Dujardin through his Oscar-winning performance in 2011’s “The Artist”. But the actor has made many notable films before and after that highly acclaimed feature. Take this year’s “On the Wandering Paths”. Dujardin has always had charisma to spare, but it’s the humanity that shines brightest in his best work. We certainly get that in this rich and soulful performance.

#2 – Jude Law (“The Order”)

I’ve long appreciated Jude Law. His latest series of projects have only made my appreciation grow. None have been better than “The Order” where Law gives one of the best performances of his 35-year career. Sporting a thick mustache and a world-weary veneer, Law is completely convincing as a dedicated but flawed FBI agent on the trail of a rural white supremacist group. “The Order” is one of 2024’s best surprises, and Jude Law is a crucial part of the film’s success.

#1 – Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”)

To be honest, I had no real expectations when it came to Timothée Chalamet playing Bob Dylan. But much as he did in this year’s “Dune: Part Two”, the young actor bowled me over. In addition to his impressive committed acting, Chalamet sings and plays his own songs which only enhances his overall work. It’s easily one of the most challenging roles of the year, and Chalamet’s seamless fusion of music and drama puts this on the top of my list.

And that wraps up another celebration the best performances of the year. Thanks for following along. I’d love to hear what would have made your list in the comments section below.

With the supporting performances in the books today we began the task of looking back at the very best lead performances from 2024. As usual we’ll start with lead actress, a category chock-full of worthy considerations. There were several very deserving leading ladies making this a challenging category to narrow down. But such is the nature of these silly lists so let’s get to it.

Honorable Mentions: Kate Winslet (“Lee”), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”), Saoirse Ronan (“The Outrun”), Kirsten Dunst (“Civil War”), Jodie Comer (“The Bikeriders”), Lily-Rose Depp (“Nosferatu”), Adria Arjona (“Hit Man”), Angelina Jolie (“Maria”), Cate Blanchett (“Rumours”), Daisy Edgar Jones (“Twisters”), Lupita Nyong’o (“A Quiet Place: Day One”), Maika Monroe (“Longlegs”), Pamela Anderson (“The Last Showgirl”), Vicky Krieps (“The Dead Don’t Hurt”)

#5 – Soheila Golestani (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”)

There’s A LOT going on in Mohammad Rasoulof’s captivating political thriller “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” and lead actress Soheila Golestani is the linchpin that holds it all together. She plays a wife and mother torn between her loyalty to her husband and the well-being of their two daughters. Golestani navigates the simmering political and domestic drama with remarkable control which is essential to what Rasoulof is going for.

#4 – Nathalie Emmanuel (“Megalopolis”)

You won’t find much awards talk about Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis”, but I’m not ashamed to say I loved it. One of its strengths lies in the performance of Nathalie Emmanuel which is a significant piece of the film’s audacious story. Emmanuel’s character offers us a distinct perspective on the many themes Coppola is exploring and she brings some much-needed heart amid the corporate and creative chaos. Emmanuel is our emotional anchor and deserves recognition for what she’s able to pull off.

#3 – June Squibb (“Thelma”)

Now here’s a more lighthearted yet equally deserving pick. June Squibb brings heart, humor, and incredible personality to “Thelma”, one of the most enjoyable comedies of the year. Squibb has an effortless charm that once again shows itself in her latest film. But she’s also strikingly authentic which makes a movie like this even more endearing. Don’t miss her in “Thelma”. She’s an absolute delight.

#2 – Christiana Dell’Anna (“Cabrini”)

It seems so long ago, but one of the year’s best performances came in March in director Alejandro Monteverde’s biographical drama “Cabrini”. A fiercely committed Cristiana Dell’Anna offers a subdued yet powerful portrayal of Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini who tirelessly worked on behalf of immigrant children in 1889 New York City. It’s a stirring and deeply empathetic performance that has stuck with me since first seeing it.

#1 – Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”)

Among the easiest choices for this list is Fernanda Torres. She is the emotional force behind “I’m Still Here”, the Brazilian political thriller that tells the true story of Eunice Paiva, a wife and mother navigating through a harrowing political whirlwind. Torres is fearless but also remarkably restrained which fuels some of the movie’s most heart-wrenching scenes. This was an eye-opening turn for me, and how Torres isn’t topping every Best Actress list is beyond me.

And that does it for the Lead Actress category. See something I miss? Let me know in the comments. There’s only one category left – Lead Actor. Look for it tomorrow.

Last night the Hollywood Foreign Press returned with the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. 2024 wasn’t the greatest year for movies and the current awards season has certainly reflected that. But to the show’s credit it did shake up what looked to be a fairly predictable evening. There were a few surprises (one really exciting one) and an interesting choice or two that hopefully will set up a little drama for Oscar night.

As I do every year, here are a few random thoughts on this year’s Golden Globes awards...

• One of the two biggest awards of the night went to “The Brutalist”. It won Best Picture – Drama which punches its ticket as a legitimate contender for the Best Picture Oscar. It’s a mostly good movie but not one I’d vote for.
• Far more bewildering is “Emilia Perez” winning for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. I’ve had a hard time believing the film ever had a shot. But apparently it does (for reasons that escape me). Now it looks like the stage is set for it to duke it out with “The Brutalist”.
• To the credit of the Hollywood Foreign Press, they didn’t get onboard with the wild “Anora” hype. Sean Baker’s numbingly messy film had been touted as a possible big winner but it went home empty-handed. I wouldn’t be upset if the same thing happens on Oscar night.
• Best Supporting Actress goes to Zoe Saldaña for “Emilia Perez”. Again it’s movie I didn’t love that somehow received ten nominations. That said, Saldaña was terrific and well deserving of the award. She’s always been an underrated actress and this was a big moment for her.
• Zoe Saldaña also gave one of the best acceptance speeches of the evening. It was so full of humility, excitement, and gratefulness. It was hard not to be moved.
• Adrien Brody won Best Actor – Drama for “The Brutalist” and followed it with another moving speech. While I’m not as in love with the movie as many seem to be, his performance was absolutely brilliant and among the year’s best.

• The very best surprise of the night came in the Best Actress – Drama category. The phenomenal Fernanda Torres wins for “I’m Still Here”, a movie that didn’t receive its due from the critics group awards (mine included). It’s easily among the year’s very best performances and hopefully this will be the first of several nods it’ll get over the next few weeks.
• Nikki Glaser was a solid host, opening the show with some pretty good zingers. It was nothing especially memorable, but she got some laughs and did what she could to keep the show rolling.
• Less impressive were the comedy bits from the presenters. They routinely went on for way too long and the attempts at comedy often fell flat. How about next year we replace those with actual clips from the nominees?
• Best Supporting Actor goes to Kieran Culkin for “A Real Pain”. He beat out Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”) and Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II”) who were the strongest of the bunch. But there’s no denying Culkin gave a really good performance.
• The cantankerous Harrison Ford was hilarious. Whether presenting or any time the camera caught a glimpse of him in his seat, Ford looked like he’d rather be anywhere other than where he was. I couldn’t help but laugh.
• In a category with several head-scratching nominees, “Conclave” wins for Best Screenplay. It’s a movie that I loved right up until it comes unglued in its sloppy final 15 minutes. I’m not sold it will take home the Oscar, but this is big win for it.
• One of the more obvious yet still frustrating wins went to “Emilia Perez” for Best Non-English Language Film. How it beat such strong movies as “I’m Still Here” and “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” continues to baffle me. But it’s that kind of year.
• Best Animated Feature went to “Flow” which beats out “The Wild Robot”. It’s somewhat of a surprise and it’ll be interesting to see if it plays out the same way at the Oscars.
• Demi Moore beats Mikey Madison to win Best Actress – Musical or Comedy. Madison had been winning everything until Moore begin shaking things up. I wasn’t a fan of either movie, but it does make things interesting come Oscar night.

• And I’m sorry, but I still have a hard time seeing “The Substance” as a comedy. But apparently some do so…
• Speaking of Demi Moore, she too gave a really good speech. In it she said “I’ve been doing this for 45 years and this is the first time I’ve ever won anything as an actor.” That has now changed and as an proud 80s kid I’m happy for her.
• Sebastian Stan took home the award for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy. He gave a solid performance in “A Different Man” although not what I would consider awards worthy. That said, it’s considerably better than his performance in the hysterically bad “The Apprentice” (which was also nominated).
• “Wicked” won for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement although I’m still not sure that’s much of a feat. I’m also not sure what the criteria is considering there were other nominees that were critical successes and made more money than it did. Oh well.
• And that’s the only award “Wicked” would win which restores a little faith in the process. But fear not, stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were still able to continue their strange and awkward promotional tour which I’m guessing will continue through Oscar night.
• Brady Corbet wins Best Director for his three-hour indie “The Brutalist”. Later on in the night he would say “Final Cut tie-break goes to the director”. I agree, but it’s interesting considering his movie’s lone big flaw is due to that very thing.
• Best Original Score went to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their work on “Challengers”. It wasn’t my favorite, but it’s certainly a propulsive score. And it’s considerably better than the movie its in.

And that wraps up my thoughts on the 2025 Golden Globes Awards. Did you watch the big show? What did you think of this year’s batch of winners?

Continuing my recognition of the best performances from the 2024 movie year (you can see my Supporting Actress picks HERE), today we’re putting the spotlight on the Supporting Actors. Much like yesterday, this was a really good category full of great choices from a variety of different movies. Narrowing them down to five wasn’t easy. So let’s get started…

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Richard Roundtree (“Thelma”), Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), Samuel L. Jackson (“The Piano Lesson”), Edward Norton (“A Complete Unknown”), Boyd Holbrook (“A Complete Unknown”), Jeremy Strong (“The Apprentice”), Peter Sarsgaard (“September 5”), Ray Fisher (“The Piano Lesson”), Willem Dafoe (“Nosferatu”), Adam Pearson (“A Different Man”), Antonio Banderas (“Babygirl”), Josh Brolin (“Dune: Part Two”), August Diehl (“Bonhoeffer”)

#5 – Tom Hardy (“The Bikeriders”)

There hasn’t been much awards chatter for Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” and that’s unfortunate. Among the period biker drama’s many highlights was its superb ensemble which included Tom Hardy. He gives an appropriately gritty, tough-as-nails performance that’s flavored with a surprising amount of humanity. Hardy is always fun to watch because of the commitment he puts into every character he plays. He does it again to great effect in “The Bikeriders”.

#4 – Nicholas Hoult (“The Order”)

What a year it has been for Nicholas Hoult. He has shined in several performances in 2024, one of my favorite being as a committed white supremacist in Justin Kurzel’s exceptional “The Order”. This is such a change of pace for Hoult, but he uses that to make his character more believable and even more chilling. The performance is a testament to Hoult’s diversity as an actor and it’s an exciting sign of what he may have in store for us in the future.

#3 – Chris Hemsworth (“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”)

This was never a performance most awards voters were going to consider. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t deserving. Chris Hemsworth is a fun and charismatic actor who has never been afraid of taking wild and sometimes wacky chances. For proof look no further than his role as Dementus, the preening yet diabolical leader of a post-apocalyptic biker hoard in George Miller’s “Furiosa”. He’s mean, nasty, calculated, and utterly hilarious and Hemsworth savors every delicious moment.

#2 – Denzel Washington (“Gladiator II”)

We’ve reached a point where we just expect Denzel Washington to be great in whatever he’s in. And wouldn’t you know it, he never disappoints. He is an absolute scene-stealer in Ridley Scott’s period epic “Gladiator II”. The Oscar-winner has a ball playing a power-hungry broker who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty in order to get what he wants. Washington sells every facet of his character, bringing a gravitas that keeps us glued to every scene he’s in.

#1 – Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”)

For decades I have been championing Guy Pearce as an actor who never seems to get the recognition he deserves. That looks to be changing following his performance in “The Brutalist”. While I didn’t quite love the film the way I hoped to, Pearce was nothing short of magnetic playing a devilishly charming yet predatory industrialist. He is such a good fit for the character and the seasoned screen veteran offers an acting masterclass that simply can’t be overlooked.

That wraps up the supporting categories. What did I get right or wrong? Let me know in the comments section below. Stay tuned….the lead performances are coming up next.

And just like that another movie year has come and gone. A few days ago I shared my Top 10 movies of 2024 (check it out HERE). It’s always a fun list to put together, but I also enjoy giving some attention to the year’s very best performances. Over the next few days I’ll be sharing my favorites for each of the four major acting categories. So per usual, let’s kick it off with Supporting Actress.

Honorable Mentions: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“Nickel Boys”), Carrie Coon (“His Three Daughters”), Elizabeth Olsen (“His Three Daughters”), Connie Nielsen (“Gladiator II”), Ariana Grande (“Wicked”), Carey Mulligan (“Spaceman”), Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”), Rachel Sennott (“Saturday Night”), Renate Reinsve (“A Different Man”), Toni Collette (“Juror #2)

#5 – Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Perez”)

It’s unfortunate that “Emilia Pérez” wasn’t a better movie and it’s bizarre that the film’s true lead has been tossed into the Supporting Actress category. But regardless, Zoe Saldaña is fantastic in Jacques Audiard’s messy musical/crime thriller hybrid. The often underappreciated Saldaña routinely elevates the material she’s given through a layered and nuanced performance that proves to be the flawed movie’s biggest strength.

#4 – Saoirse Ronan (“Blitz”)

The wonderful Saoirse Ronan has gotten a lot of attention in 2024, mostly for her outstanding lead performance in “The Outrun”. But I think a case could be made that she’s even better in Steve McQueen’s underrated “The Blitz” where she plays a single mother in search of her young son in the early days of World War II. She nails every facet of her role, conveying a heartfelt tenderness one minute and unflinching determination the next.

#3 – Monica Barbaro (“A Complete Unknown”)

With just a little more screen time Monica Barbaro could have easily been my #1 choice. She is terrific playing Joan Baez in James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown”. Not only does Barbaro wow us with her acting, but she also sings and plays her own songs which only makes her performance stand out more. Barbaro is clearly an actress on the rise and her work in “A Complete Unknown” makes that truth abundantly clear.

#2 – Rebecca Ferguson (“Dune: Part Two”)

Not nearly enough awards consideration is being given to Rebecca Ferguson who was nothing short of brilliant in Denis Villeneuve’s masterful “Dune: Part Two”. Ferguson had a difficult part to play in the film and she delivers everything her role demands. She’s cryptic, mysterious, calculating, and strong. She often lurks in the shadows but makes her presence known when she needs to. It’s an utterly fascinating character and Ferguson is a big reason why.

#1 – Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson”)

By now it shouldn’t be a surprise that Danielle Deadwyler is magnificent whenever she’s attached to a movie. After her well-documented Oscar snub for her powerful performance in “Till”, she comes right back with another dandy in “The Piano Lesson”. Once again she commands the screen and captures our attention with every impassioned word she speaks in this fantastic August Wilson adaptation. It’s terrific work.

And that wraps up Supporting Actress. What are you thoughts on my picks? Let me know in the comments section below. And stay tuned, Supporting Actor is up next.

And that takes care of the Supporting Actresses. What are you thoughts on my picks? What would make your list? Let me know in the comments section below. Next up I take on Supporting Actors.

Just wanted to take a few moments to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. For me personally, 2024 was filled with some enormous highs and a few pretty unexpected lows. But as far as this site goes, it has been a great year. Thank you all for the many visits and comments over the last 365 days. The conversations have been great and the growth has been exciting.

I can’t wait to talk more about movies with you all. I already have three 2025 reviews in the can and a few more ‘Best of 2024’ posts to share. Hope you’ll check them out.

Here’s wishing you and yours the very best in 2025.

Cheers!