The list has been finalized, and the Oscar nominees are set in stone.
For four of the five nominees, this is the first time they have ever been able to call themselves an Oscar-nominated actor. Our list this year includes Yura Borisov (Anora), Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown), Guy Pearce (The Brutalist), and Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice). Each actor gave varying performances in their respective films; no one on this list is like the other.
First, I wanted to name a few performances that deserved a nomination but came up short: Denzel Washington for Gladiator II, Clarence Maclin for Sing Sing, and Bill Skarsgård for Nosferatu. Denzel was menacingly fun in Gladiator II, playing the main antagonist in a role that let one of the greats shine. Clarence Maclin played himself in Sing Sing, but that doesn’t diminish his emotional and engaging performance; at least he picked up a nomination for Original Screenplay. Bill Skarsgård was terrifying in Nosferatu, delivering a performance that was as physical as mental. He has been typecast in this kind of freak-esque role, and the commitment for Nosferatu, even going as far as permanently altering his voice, proved there was no one else for the role. However, the actor I would have most liked to see in Oscar contention is Adam Pearson for his work in A Different Man.
Pearson played Oswald in A Different Man, a film that cleverly toes the dark comedy line, and Pearson is a total rock star. From his first moment on screen, you are brought in by his charm, wit, and compassion; it’s easy to see why Sebastian Stan’s Edward was so envious of Oswald. The writing of the character works well, but the natural performance from Pearson is not what only makes Stan’s performance (maybe the best of his career) work, but what also makes the film itself work as well as it does. There were many great supporting performances both in the Oscar conversation and not, and this was one that never received the accolades it should have.
5. Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown)
Edward Norton’s turn as Pete Seger is number five in my personal rankings. Norton is an outstanding performer, and his turn as the late folk singer is more than deserving of attention; however, of his now four Oscar nominations, this one is at the bottom. Norton thrives in eccentric characters who put his entire personality on display in whacky ways. While his turn as Seger in A Complete Unknown was strong, it was drastically different and more restricted than anything we had seen from the performer before. While his singing voice worked well for the role, his character constantly felt like he was playing catch up to Timothee Chalamet’s Bob Dylan. He is the only actor on this list who didn’t give one of the two or even three best performances for their respective film.
4. Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice)
Jeremy Strong earned his first, of what I can only assume will be many, Oscar nomination for playing the villainous Roy Cohn in The Apprentice. Strong is magnificent in playing a monstrous figure who eventually is overshadowed by an even more significant, meaner, and uglier monster. Strong comes in at number four on my list because even though he owns the first half of the film, once Sebastian Stan’s Donald Trump makes his switch from pupil to Sith Lord, Cohn is relatively overlooked. One moment towards the end of the film is painfully brilliant from Strong, but overall, there were better performances and villains on this list.
3. Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
One of those villains is Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr., played by Guy Pearce. Pearce broke onto the scene starring in Christopher Nolan’s breakout hit Memento, but since then, he has been almost sidelined to bit or character roles, especially in the past 10 years. However, The Brutalist changed that as Pearce was finally given a role with enough heft to exercise his talents. His role and performance in The Brutalist is on par with Michael Shannon in The Shape of Water as one of my favorite villain performances in the past 10 years. He is not overtly evil throughout the entire film, but like some of the best-written and performed villains in cinema, he slowly wears down the protagonist, taking advantage of them at their absolute lowest, using them for their gain, and making them feel like without their help, our protagonist would be nothing. That’s what Pearce captures so hauntingly in The Brutalist; he is a villain that does everything not to act villainous as he makes Adrien Brody’s László Tóth, a refugee with a storied past in architecture, feel like he is nothing. However, he does it in a way where he acts as though he is defending the wants and needs of Tóth. It’s a complex and timely performance, and what Pearce displays is masterfully horrifying.
2. Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
I understand the argument that this is a case of category fraud and that Culkin should be considered the co-lead of A Real Pain; it makes sense, given his extensive screen time and the centrality of his character to the plot.
However, I don’t see this as category fraud, as he is not the point of view of the film’s story. When categorizing performances, I consider the narrative and what the film is telling us. In the case of A Real Pain, we discover Culkin’s Benji through the lens of Jesse Eisenberg’s David, and even if the plot is about Benji, it isn’t Benji’s story. With that out of the way, this performance truly is immaculate. Culkin has been consistently building a stellar career, especially in more minor bit roles, but thanks to Succession, he was able to display what a talent he truly is, and what A Real Pain does best is show us all that Culkin is not a one-hit-wonder. His Benji is full of eccentricities, such as getting his entire tour group to take photos in front of war statues, that make him and, by extension, Culkin as a performer, a unique, vulnerable human. However, he isn’t afraid to take the performance into dark and sad places. You can tell he is hurting, and the film does a great job displaying this through his more quiet moments – especially the ones at the airport. What makes this performance stand above is the care that not only Benji has, but that Culkin has for the performance as well. Benji cares about everything and wants to say whats on his mind, but at the same time he holds back how he feels It’s a rare performance that perfectly blends subtlety with eccentricity, where the loudest person in the room is also the most tragic. If he does manage to sweep this season, it will be more than deserved for Culkin.
1. Yura Borisov (Anora)
While I loved Kieran Culkin’s performance in A Real Pain, nothing can top how perfect Yura Borisov was as Igor in Anora. I have been on record saying Borisov’s role in this film might be one of the hardest I have ever seen on film, at least that I can remember recently. This is due primarily to the subtlety needed to make this performance effective, and that is because the entire character is built around subtlety. Igor doesn’t care much about himself; he even spends his birthday chasing Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) around New York. He doesn’t overshare, not because he doesn’t want to, but because no one ever asks. However, none of that phases him. When Ani (Mikey Madison) first speaks to Igor, you can see the softness that Borisov gives the character, even saying congratulations when Ani snarkily responds to Igor’s introduction with, “I’m Ani, Vanya’s wife.” On paper, the character might not seem like much, but through Borisov’s gazes, you can tell he is the only one who truly cares for Ani and what she is going through, and the performance shines immensely. The care that Igor displays for Ani is fully realized when he speaks up against Vanya’s parents, telling them their son should apologize for what he put Ani through. No one in the film cares about what happens to Ani except for Igor, and through a superbly subtle performance, he can display so much care, emotion, and heart.
