The Best Film Performances of 2023

We came to appreciate actors more than ever in 2023. Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, all movie and TV stars were off screens and on the streets for nearly four months, causing us to question how their absence would affect entertainment well into 2024.

This year’s acting crop was some of the best, in performances both large and small. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling made one of pop culture’s most famous couples, Barbie and Ken, funny as well as painfully relatable in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.”

Coldhearted potential sociopaths like Michael Fassbender’s unnamed killer in David Fincher’s “The Killer” and Barry Keoghan’s Oliver Quick in “Saltburn” had us questioning our society. And Lily Gladstone’s heartwrenching performance in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” or Danielle Brooks’ performance of Sofia in “The Color Purple,” showed audiences why representation, as well, matters.

Below are 18 performances TheWrap deemed the best of the year.

Emma Stone, “Poor Things”

When people talk about an acting performance that leaves everything out on the floor, we need to be looking at Emma Stone’s performance as Bella Baxter in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things.” Stone has to play a character that, outwardly, is a grown woman but mentally has the brain of a baby. So it’s one thing to hear Stone talk in an affected baby talk (“Bella go out now”) but it’s another to watch her jerky gyrations as she mentally tries to figure out her coordination.

As she, and the movie, develop, the audience watches Bella become a woman and discover her newfound identity which is at odds with the person/life she attempted to escape from. Her interactions with Mark Ruffalo are especially hilarious as Stone showcases Bella’s simultaneous sexual attraction to him and growing revulsion towards his controlling nature; he becomes “sweary and weepy” around her. It’s a fun, fearless performance that should go up there as the best performance Stone has ever given. – Kristen Lopez

Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Lily Gladstone is the heart of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The film is a tightrope walk as it chronicles these horrendous murders through the point of view of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his wife Mollie (Gladstone), and it’s Gladstone’s work that makes the piece whole in a performance that feels tethered directly to the Native people that the film encompasses. Gladstone is soulful and, at times, extremely funny (the levity is key in a film as dark and long as “Flower Moon”). The performance feels lived in in a way that makes its magic difficult to describe. Perhaps that’s it. There’s something spiritual stirring in Gladstone’s work. – Adam Chitwood

Charles Melton, “May December”

In a film led by two Best Actress winners, relative newcomer Charles Melton is the heart of “May December” and walks away with the movie. That’s not to undersell the work of Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, who are transfixing; it’s to scale how magnificent and effective Melton’s work is and how central it is to Todd Hayne’s masterful drama.

Best known for “Riverdale” and “The Sun Is Also a Star,” Melton transforms that teen heartthrob presence into something misshapen and stifled, timid and slouching through his own home, a man nipped in the bud, his sense of self less established than his own teenage children. It’s wrenching and unmistakable, but so gentle and understated in a film full of moments of melodramatic excess. It’s no wonder Melton has already started stacking up wins and honors as awards season gets underway. –Haleigh Foutch

Michael Fassbender, “The Killer”

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Michael Fassbender, with his last movie being 2019’s dreadful “X-Men: Dark Phoenix.” This year we got two leading man roles from the talented actor. Truly, an embarrassment of riches. The better performance of the two was in David Fincher’s icy assassin story “The Killer.” Fassbender plays the title character, a hired gun meant to take down some anonymous bigwig in Paris. But when the hit goes wrong it sends him on an international quest for revenge.

There’s only a dozen or so lines of dialogue that Fassbender speaks, but large swathes of the movie are wallpapered by his sardonic narration where he comments on everything from the lack of dining options in New Orleans, to the perks of using Amazon to buy gadgets for illegal break-ins, to his preferred playlist for murdering humans. Paired with his steely physical performance, which sees him slither through environments like a poisonous snake, Fassbender brings to life a fully dimensional character without a single emotional soliloquy or drop of backstory. Fincher was interested in creating a purely subjective film, where we’re very much in the shoes of the main character. That wouldn’t have been possible without the richness of Fassbender’s performance. He is The Killer and The Killer is him. –Drew Taylor

Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”

Playing a character initially performed by Oprah Winfrey is probably the highest level of intimidation possible. But to watch Danielle Brooks play Sofia in “The Color Purple” makes you wonder how she could have been initially terrified to take the character on; it feels like it lives in her bones. That could be because Brooks played the character in the Broadway version first, securing a Tony nomination for her performance.

Her work in the film is incredible all around, equally parts funny and heartbreaking. Her introduction to the movie, kicking the door open to confront Colman Domingo’s Mister, sets the tone: she is dominating and won’t take no for an answer. She’s a character everyone should respect, male or female. Yet Brooks is equally adept at breaking your heart, particularly in an emotionally charged scene where a mob of white people attack her. I haven’t even talked about her singing yet (spoiler, it’s fantastic). I’m ready for the year of Brooks! -Kristen Lopez

Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things”

“Poor Things” is bananas. And while Emma Stone is rightfully shouldering most of the praise for the film, given how utterly fearless and enchanting she is as a woman brought back from the dead by a Frankenstein-like scientist (Willem Dafoe), it’s Mark Ruffalo who has the most fun playing in Yorgos Lanthimos’s singular world.

Ruffalo plays Duncan Wedderburn, an egomaniacal lawyer working for Dafoe’s Dr. Godwin Baxter. After meeting Stone’s Bella, he decides to whisk her away on a debauched world tour – drinking, screwing and gambling all the while. Ruffalo is an underrated comic performer and here he gets to do it all – scream, fall down, gesticulate. His line readings alone should garner him a Best Supporting Actor nomination; they are a treasure. But his performance is more than mere goofiness, as he serves Bella’s journey of self-discovery and also highlights how empty the modern world can make us all feel. We can have it all and nothing at all, fabulous mustache be damned. –Drew Taylor

Margaret Qualley, “Sanctuary”

If you like watching an actor absolutely relish in a role that challenges them, you can’t miss Margaret Qualley in “Sanctuary.” The two-hander follows Qualley’s Rebecca, a dominatrix spending the night with her most loyal client (Christopher Abbott), until he tells her he plans to stop seeing her. After that, the night cascades into all-out chaos when she demands he pay her what she’s really worth first.

It’s a wild, kinky ride with a constantly evolving sense of stakes and reality, and Qualley finds an intricate balance between Rebecca’s performances and the truth behind them. She never flinches from any of the script’s hard-left moments, no matter how manic or intimate. It’s a brave, relentless performance and she’s perfectly matched by Abbott, who swings for the fences with her – the only reason he’s not landing on this list is the script doesn’t ask him to swing quite as hard or as often. But the bottom line is, if you love watching actors tear it up, “Sanctuary” is a must-watch. –Haleigh Foutch

Barry Keoghan, “Saltburn”

Celebrating just one performance from Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” is a challenge because the entire twisted ensemble is perfect. But the wealthy Catton family would be nothing without the manipulative Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) there to find out what makes them tick. Keoghan has played creepy conmen before – if you liked this go watch Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Killing of a Sacred Deer” – but what works about his performance here is his desperate neediness.

He is so committed to obtaining the friendship of Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) that it’s cringe-inducing, yet Keoghan is game for everything that’s thrown at him to accomplish that. Whether that’s dropping to his knees to suck water out of a bathtub drain (and whatever else happens to be in it) or desecrating a grave, Keoghan’s expressions and body language sell everything. He’s frightening, he’s compelling, he’s charismatic, he’s pathetic. It’s a masterful performance. And that’s not to mention the fantastic finale where Keoghan dances nude through the halls of Saltburn. That scene, especially, shows Oliver’s confidence in all its glory. -Kristen Lopez

Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”

Cillian Murphy’s performance in “Oppenheimer” may be one of the most central performances of the year. Not only was Christopher Nolan’s screenplay written in the first person, and not only is Hoyte van Hoytema’s stunning IMAX cinematography often right up in Murphy’s face, but the title of the movie is literally “Oppenheimer.” The whole thing rests on Murphy’s shoulders, and while he’s surrounded by an incredible ensemble it’s ultimately he who has to deliver the goods. He does so beautifully, layering the dilemma-riddled performance with equal parts confidence and doubt, playing so much of Oppenheimer’s most crucial thoughts in wordless meditation. The best faces tell a story and in “Oppenheimer” Murphy tells an epic. -Adam Chitwood

Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction”

Jeffrey Wright is one of our greatest performers, and every time he’s on screen something miraculous happens. Thankfully, this year gave us an honest-to-goodness starring vehicle for Wright in Cord Jefferson’s whip smart, elegantly directed “American Fiction.” Wright plays a college professor who goes home to visit his family (part of a somewhat forced sabbatical after his teaching style is deemed too aggressive) and gets entangled in the lives of his mother and siblings.

He also decides to write a stereotypical “Black novel” under a pseudonym that winds up earning him critical acclaim and a large paycheck. That’s a lot for any actor, especially given the way the script (based loosely on the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett) nimbly flits between tones and genres. But Wright pulls it off with aplomb, giving the more comedic moments unexpected pathos and the more dramatic sequences the lightness of comedy. What’s more, Wright makes the whole thing seem effortless. Which might be the greatest magic trick of them all. –Drew Taylor

Sabrina Wu, “Joy Ride”

The entire ensemble of Adele Lim’s “Joy Ride” is stellar, but if I had to pick out a character I quoted relentlessly this year it was Sabrina Wu as the deadpan Deadeye, the socially awkward cousin to the crass Lolo (Sherry Cola). The film plays with expectations immediately, with Lolo introducing her cousin as cool while a beautiful, confident young woman walks into the frame. This isn’t Deadeye, though. Deadeye, instead, is desperate for friends and has a penchant for being in the center of a deluge of vomit.

Every line reading Wu gives is hilarious, from their performance of “WAP” in an airport to just yelling “I see you, Bao Bao” during a heated card game with a child. The minute Deadeye comes out with a group of adorable teddy bear coffee drinks, only to discover their friend group has disintegrated, the look on Wu’s face is enough to make you immediately want them as your friend. For all the ways the audience wishes they were like Ashley Park’s Audrey or Cola’s Lola, most of us are Deadeyes, and that’s wonderful. –Kristen Lopez

Margot Robbie, “Barbie”

In a film full of Barbies and Kens, it might be easy to overlook Margot Robbie’s central performance in the title role of Barbie. But it’s her easy charm, comedic chops and resonant sincerity (not to mention her producing instincts) that provide a sturdy emotional backbone for Greta Gerwig’s splendorous comedy to unfold around.

Barbie is one of the world’s most iconic characters. As “Stereotypical Barbie,” Robbie had to bring to life a commercial concept and endow her with humanity, despite having essentially no backstory or traditional character profile in which to dig a foothold. Playing Barbie is a much trickier task than it initially looks on paper and Robbie surmounted the challenge with grace. Just look at “Barbie’s” bus stop scene, which became one of the most discussed film moments of the year. There are a few reasons for that, from Gerwig’s script to that thoughtfully cast cameo, but it all hinges on a closeup of Robbie’s face and her ability to walk the audience through a profound, lovely moment of revelation. -Haleigh Foutch

Christian Friedel, “The Zone of Interest”

There were a number of projects and performances this year that were built around the idea of the banality of evil. But Christian Friedel’s performance as Rudolf Höss is arguably the most chilling manifestation of this idea. He’ll make your blood run cold. As Höss, a real-life Nazi who served as the commandant of Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp (and lived next door to it), Friedel portrays a man who is inherently invested and quite good at his job. It’s just that his job is exterminating Jews. (In real life Höss was tried after the war and hanged in 1947.)

Writer/director Jonathan Glazer never goes into the camp; his focus is on the domestic life of Höss and his wife (the equally mesmerizing Sandra Hüller). You get glimpses of the horror – the servant washing off Höss’ boots in the sink, with blood running down the drain; the Höss children playing with human teeth. You never quite get an emotional read on the character until a sequence where he’s sent away to confer with Nazi brass. That’s when the real Höss is revealed. It must have been difficult to wrangle with such an internal character, but Friedel puts in a perfectly calibrated performance, full of nuance and mystery. This is a man capable of unthinkable madness. And yet he remains, strangely, human. –Drew Taylor

Jason Momoa, “Fast X”

If you read my inclusion of “Fast X” in our Best Movies of 2023 list then you know most of what makes the movie truly sing is Jason Momoa’s villainous turn as Dante. What makes Dante work is just how gleefully wacky Momoa plays the character. This is both a man with an elaborate plan who seems incredibly petty and every move he makes is just meant to annoy. The minute he started holding court with two dead guys, while rocking a pink bathrobe and his hair in buns, I knew we were working on a level that transcended even the insanity that is the “Fast and Furious” universe. If The Joker just wants to watch the world burn, Dante wants to burn it down and play with the corpses. -Kristen Lopez

Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”

Bleach blonde and clad in denim, but still ready to hit the beach at any moment, it’s difficult to imagine Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” without Ryan Gosling as the main Ken. It goes without saying that he is Kenough and he shattered the ceiling of Kenergy. The Grammy nomination for “I’m Just Ken” says it all. Whether it be taking the patriarchy to an extreme or forcefully serenading Barbie by a bonfire, Gosling embodied a “harmless” version of toxic masculinity and oppression of women, all while goofing around and delivering one of the funniest performances of the year. -Dessi Gomez

Jennifer Lawrence, “No Hard Feelings”

In 2023, nobody went for it more than Jennifer Lawrence in “No Hard Feelings.” The all-but-extinct A-list, raunchy rom-com returned to theaters on the back of Lawrence’s charismatic screen presence, impeccable timing and willingness to go for broke. “Good Boys” filmmaker Gene Stupinsky delivers the laugh-out-loud comedy of the year, but it absolutely doesn’t work without a performer like Lawrence, who can hold onto the audience’s sympathy despite some heinous behavior and navigate the murky waters of indecency inherent in the film’s premise. No one made me laugh harder this year, and Lawrence resoundingly established herself as a generational talent who can do comedy just as well as her signature award-winning dramas. –Haleigh Foutch

Benicio Del Toro, “Reptile”

This fall, Grant Singer’s “Reptile” came out and quickly became one of the most watched Netflix movies of the year. That wouldn’t have been possible without Benicio del Toro’s singular performance. Del Toro plays Tom Nichols, a detective in a small town investigating the murder of a young real estate agent’s wife. While the murder seems straightforward, solving it could expose the town’s dirty laundry and a web of intrigue Nichols was not prepared to uncover.

What makes his performance so mesmerizing is how multifaceted the character is – yes he’s a hardboiled detective, but he also takes line dancing with his wife (a flinty, equally amazing Alicia Silverstone) and is obsessed with his kitchen remodel, looking at fancy faucet options on his work computer. He’s so real, so human, so knowable, that when he’s put in danger you feel it. Watching the movie, it’s enough to wonder how he came up with all of these details, but the question is answered in the closing credits: del Toro co-wrote the screenplay. Because of course he did. This is one of del Toro’s greatest performances ever and it’s a shame that the movie, weirdly attacked by critics, hasn’t been given more love. It’s worthy of an investigation. –Drew Taylor

Cailee Spaeny, “Priscilla”

Playing one half of the most famous couple in history, Cailee Spaeny showcased both her own talent and why Priscilla Presley is such a fascinating person in her own right. Already youthful in her appearance, Spaeny uses that to create a teenage girl who is sweet and innocent, but not necessarily naive. Priscilla understands that her burgeoning relationship with Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) isn’t conventional but, like most teen girls, doesn’t care.

But from there the audience watches Spaeny turn the character from a shy girl desperate to please, to a strong young woman looking to please herself more than anyone else. Like any good Sofia Coppola film, the best performances lie in silence and watching Spaeny look at a love letter or walk down a hallway showcases the love, torment, and stress of being a woman in this type of relationship. It’s masterful work that reminds us why Priscilla Presley is her own icon and why Spaeny was the perfect person to inhabit the character. -Kristen Lopez

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