The performances of the actors here run the full gamut: true American heroes and truly vile villains; fathers and sons; those seeking redemption and those committing the unforgivable.
The following Top 5 list was compiled by Dylan Blight and Ashley Hobley.
5.) Leonardo DiCaprio
After finally winning his Oscar in 2016 for The Revenant and going through hell to film it, DiCaprio took a well-deserved break and slowed his output. Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood was his first movie in four years, and he didn’t disappoint in his return to director Quentin Tarantino after Django Unchained.
As a fading TV star trying to break into film while an event that will ripple through Hollywood looms, our time with Rick Dalton is full of laughs, terror and shocking surprises. DiCaprio brings something special to Dalton—nuances like his stutter when not acting—and watching him mess up lines on set alongside Timothy Olyphant as James Stacy was one of my favourite performances of the year.
– Dylan Blight
4.) Chris Evans
In Avengers: Endgame, Chris Evans played Steve Rogers/Captain America for the final time. It’s a fitting swansong, showcasing his never-quit attitude to save the day once more—and proving himself worthy of fans’ admiration (and other honours).
In Knives Out, Evans sheds the hero shackles as the black sheep of the Thrombey family, Ransom Drysdale (or “Hugh” to the help). He looks like he’s having a ball as the multi-faced, spoiled playboy—telling people to “eat shit,” laughing at their misery and generally acting like a jerk. He also sparked a huge uptick in sales of white knitted sweaters. It’s true. Google it.
– Ashley Hobley
3.) Brad Pitt
After several years of hit-and-miss roles, Brad Pitt returned with two standout turns in two standout 2019 films.
Reuniting with Quentin Tarantino, Pitt plays an out-of-work stuntman in Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood—a role Tarantino has said he once imagined for a more gruff-looking actor, but now couldn’t picture with anyone else. It’s a reserved performance that explodes at the end, leaving you with many questions about Cliff Booth.
In James Gray’s space drama Ad Astra, Pitt is the emotionally stilted astronaut Roy McBride. It’s an often quiet, measured turn that makes Ad Astra pay off—especially in a beautiful, emotional final act that fulfils the film’s dramatic promise.
– Dylan Blight
2.) Joaquin Phoenix
Whatever your feelings on Joker, there’s little doubt that Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck is the primary reason the film is in awards contention. Taking on a role played brilliantly by Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson and Mark Hamill, Phoenix created a Joker all his own.
With his gaunt frame and singular laugh, it’s hard to look away as Arthur’s world unravels and he transforms from social outcast into true villain. His talk-show appearance caps a performance that often deserved more from the film around it.
– Ashley Hobley
1.) Adam Driver
When they cast Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I was thrilled as a huge fan of HBO’s Girls. Five years on, his career has grown by leaps and bounds—he’s one of the best actors working today.
This year Adam appeared in the finale of the Skywalker Saga, delivering his best turn as Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and elevating an underwhelming finale. In The Report, he played the real-life Senate staffer tasked with investigating the post-9/11 interrogation program, and in The Dead Don’t Die he fought the undead beside Bill Murray in a horror-comedy.
His standout performance is in Noah Baumbach’s drama Marriage Story, opposite Scarlett Johansson, as Charlie, a theatre director navigating divorce. Adam brings the necessary duality to a grounded story like Marriage Story. It’s one of the standout performances of his career—and one of the year’s best.
– Dylan Blight
