Why is so much emphasis put on a performance in a film? Aren’t there so many other components? Well, there are a few reasons why acting is put on such a pedestal. Firstly, as I can see it, acting is the final on-set checkmark waiting to go off. All of the words have been written. All of the sets and costumes have been made. The lighting is set. All that’s left to do is to pick up the drivers of these synthetic vehicles. Great! The shot went well! In post production, much of the decisions are hinged around the performances, allowing them to take off; other types of shots usually are meant to put you in the place of a character (say an establishing scenic image). Secondly, for all types of movie goers (and not just hardcore cinephiles), these are the familiar faces we can rely on. We usually don’t see other crew members in a shot (outside of cameos or mistakes), but we can pair a name to these visages at leisure.

There’s a connection that anyone that has ever watched a movie has made countless times before. It’s true. Acting is not the only important part of a film: it isn’t even close to being so. Yet, it’s often the saving grace of a mediocre film, or the final cherry on top of a spectacular film. There were too many incredible performances to pick this decade. As you can see, we bunched many performances together. We felt badly enough leaving out virtually hundreds of standout moments. Limiting this list to thirty entries is a little crazy, and we tried out best. Here are the thirty best performances of the decade.

30. Jessica Chastain: Zero Dark Thirty

Putting a face to an anonymous role is a difficult task, especially when it comes to a real person. Jessica Chastain could have spun Maya in any way, considering the circumstances. Does she turn this character into a challenging authoritative figure? Well, Chastain — during a time when she was making her mark in the film industry — went for a more layered approach: a developing CIA recruit whose curiosity is smushed quickly. Maya transforms into an analyst whose entire adult life has been swallowed up by this hunt for Osama bin Laden, to the point that she has no idea who she is anymore after the case. If the world ever needed proof that Jessica Chastain can command an entire film, Zero Dark Thirty was beyond substantial.

29. Michael Keaton: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Michael Keaton was always due for a comeback, but he needed the perfect role. Suffice to say that Birdman was based entirely around Keaton’s Batman predicament, regardless of what any subsequent interviews may lead you to believe. This is a catharsis of a franchise-broken actor at its finest, and Keaton spills his talents (along with his guts) at every single turn. He is hilarious, frightening, empathetic, and frustrating. When Riggan Thomson points to himself during his tirade against critic Tabitha Dickinson and proclaims himself to be an actor, you believe him. Many performers have lost their steam (or, even worse, their jobs) once the spotlight faded, and Michael Keaton was brave enough to replicate the woes of a depleted career for the world to see.

28. Marion Cotillard:Two Days, One Night/Rust and Bone

We’ve seen Marion Cotillard take hold of an entire film (La Vie en Rose), so the world was ready for anything she could dish out. Luckily, the 2010’s was never short when it came to some of Cotillard’s finest performances. We were first blessed with the heart wrenching turn of whale trainer Stéphanie in Rust and Bone: a work-related accident survivor. Stéphanie has to endure many waves of life changes around this time: physical readjustments, adapting to a new relationship, and financial struggles. Shortly after came Two Days, One Night: a character study of a working mother fighting to keep her job named Sandra. This is a much more subtly gut wrenching performance, with each revelation causing the slightest increases of pain across Sandra’s gaze. By the end, you feel only excruciation Dynamic or intricate, Marion Cotillard has done it all.

27. Payman Maadi: A Separation

In this anxious film about divorce and desperate deception, Payman Maadi is left to pick up many of the pieces in a broken home. You feel sorry for his character Nader, until you begin to realize that he is working through his emotion mind. Suddenly, the tables turn very quickly. A Separation is distinctively about not knowing which parent to leave with, and Maadi takes on much of that responsibility himself. He’s both the saviour and a threat, if you’re seeing things from a distraught child’s point of view. It’s not easy making a grey area through performance alone, but Payman Maadi took on that responsibility head on as both a shining light, and a source of doubt.

26. Jared Leto: Dallas Buyers Club

2013 was a different time, and that was only six years ago. The film industry has made fantastic strides when it comes to representing marginalized voices, especially when it comes to authentic representation. Luckily, there are more transgender performers than ever (with room for many more). One of the last transgender roles played by a cisgendered performer was Jared Leto as Rayon in Dallas Buyers Club. Leto is completely unrecognizable in every way: a telling scene is when Rayon dresses in mens clothing to approach her father, and there’s still no sign of Leto to be found. Rayon is performed very tastefully, and with so many small details that make her come to life. Hollywood is more inclusive than ever, and Leto’s performance caps off the end of a contrastive era with grace.

25. Ralph Fiennes: The Grand Budapest Hotel

We don’t have enough screwball films around anymore. Ralph Fiennes as Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel is a godsend. He’s sarcastic, majestically rude, and nonchalant. In a film full of so many characters, there needed to be an anchor as insane as everyone else (only because Zero is the true anchor). You understand how he could operate a hotel as a head concierge, and also how he can both attract and bother people at the same time. You may not even know how you feel about him at first, especially with how he drags Zero around. You quickly find out that it’s impossible to hate him, because Fiennes is so good at being bonkers.

24. Awkwafina: The Farewell

In 2018, rapper-turned-actress Awkwafina was only on the rise, and the world was waiting for her next move. The Farewell may not have been what people expected, because it was a miles long leap from “uprising star” to “generational sensation”. Awkwafina’s Billi represents many groups of people: misaligned millennials trying to catch a break, Asian Americans, and immigrants of any nationality that are far from home. Her return to China is beyond bittersweet: she cannot bear to witness her grandmother approaching her final days, yet she rediscovers life through her heritage. Billi is funny to us, but not to those around her, thus developing a different connection between the audience and the screen characters; it’s a major indication of how she is an identifiable black sheep. Please tell me the 2020’s will feature Awkwafina in more roles that showcase her talents.

23. Steve Carell: Foxcatcher

We’ve known that Steve Carell was capable of pulling off some dramatic turns in his dramedy roles, but we never saw anything fully fledged serious by him. Well, in 2014, that all changed when we came face-to-face with his frightening John du Pont: a hunched over millionaire with dead eyes, a rough voice, and questionable motives. Forget being chameleon-esque: Carell’s du Pont is impossible to trace back to the funny man we all adore. By the chilling ending, du Pont is aimlessly mad, and his lack of focus makes the situation even more terrifying. You expect Foxcatcher to blow up at any second; even when it does, Carell is so passively dangerous, you don’t even know what to do. Carell has stated that he treats dramatic roles like his comedic ones, and it’s evident that he’s mastered both.

22. Daniela Vega: A Fantastic Woman

Representation is crucial in this new era, and Daniela Vega was able to provide a much needed voice to a shifting industry. In A Fantastic Woman, Vega speaks on behalf of those who were silenced for too many decades. She puts herself on full display in a highly vulnerable role, and she does so exquisitely. Watching Vega’s Marina is heartbreaking to bear, because you know this is the kind of bigotry that millions of people face on a daily basis (let alone during a difficult crisis). The rise of transgender performers being able to tell their own story is a massive achievement, and a sign of positive change to come. One key example was that of a fantastic woman, who bravely put everything on the line to raise much needed awareness.

21. Lakeith Stanfield: Short Term 12

Lakeith Stanfield is everywhere now, so it’s difficult to remember a time when he was just the shy Marcus in Short Term 12. That film spawned a number of careers (and helped boost a few performers that were already somewhat established), but its greatest triumph on that front was bringing Stanfield to us. Easily the most layered character in an already-complex film, Marcus is on the verge of becoming an adult, and he has no idea how he will survive outside of this group home. The way Marcus relays his fears is the same way he tells his story, and each and every word is a separate hook that lunges into you. You hear his diary in the form of rap songs, and your gut sinks as you realize such a young, bright talent is struggling so much. Stanfield’s Marcus was so good, we’ve thankfully seen him flourish everywhere since.

20. Lubna Azabal: Incendies

Incendies still gets discussed, but I feel as though Lubna Azabal’s commanding lead performance is completely underrated. You know Incendies is a visceral ride, and yet many people forget that all of it rests squarely on Azabal’s shoulders. Every turn has to feel real, so each gut wrenching revelation can impact you as much as possible. Azabal’s Nawal not only takes control of every single situation (no matter how hair raising): she symbolizes our fears as well. Nawal is constantly being thrown into the unknown, and Azabal is able to guide us — and represent us — through her harrowing performance. Although Azabal had a brief career burst shortly after Incendies, it seems like she filmography has slowed down a bit in recent years. It’s a damn shame, because Azabal is clearly capable of churning out the kind of material that leaves you speechless.

19. J.K. Simmons: Whiplash

It’s fun to say “Not my tempo” five years after Whiplash seized movie theatres across the world. J.K. Simmons always felt like that guy you loved to see pop up in films, but his take on Terrence Fletcher shoved him into the upper echelons of the acting stratosphere. Was anyone more terrifying than this degrading music instructor these last ten years? I’d argue not. His jabs were so rough and savage, we felt them as much as his recipients did. It’s the kind of performance that is hilarious out of context (sure, meme away), but revisiting the film will remind you of how sick he actually makes you feel. Not many performances of the 2010’s were as buzzed about as this one, and it’s for damn good reason. We’ll always be on your time now, J. K. Simmons.

18. Toni Colette: Hereditary

Toni Colette has been under-utilized for way too long. I feel like that changed once Hereditary made its mark. Colette plays a grief stricken mother (Annie), who has to endure more death than she could ever imagine. She falls into a hysteria, and you can honestly see why. Although Hereditary plays with the supernatural, you honestly have no idea how Annie is going to make it through the course of the film, as you observe her as a maternal figure. Once we dip into the unknown, Colette leaps into the dark with ease, and channels the best apparition-graced performances of yesteryear. Whether she is replicating real tragedy or the haunting of horror cinema, you cannot guard yourself from the shivers you will receive whenever Colette screams bloody murder in Hereditary.

17. Brie Larson: Room

Before Brie Larson became a huge Hollywood staple, she was an indie film darling that felt like a hidden gem that shown in all of these smaller productions. Her obvious breakthrough was in Room, where she played a captive-turned-mother named Joy. Having been locked in a garden shed for seven years (while she was a late teenager), Joy has to face the challenge of being the mother of the child of her abductor. She loves him unconditionally; it’s a moral conflict that is handled by Larson so spectacularly well. The readjustments back to society are made particularly clear by Larson’s responses to the world she missed for over a third of her life. There are so many acting gymnastics pulled off by Brie Larson in Room. It was abundantly clear that she was going to take the film industry by storm one day.

16. David Oyelowo: Selma

One of the Academy’s biggest mea culpas this decade was neglecting to champion David Oyelowo’s magnificent turn as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., especially given all of the challenges he pulled off. Never does his MLK feel like an imitation, or a cheap impression. He had to revive all of the speeches of one of America’s greatest speakers, and he does so without a sweat. Then, there are all of the narrative hoops he has to jump through, including all of the emotional turns he has to endure. From start to finish, Oyelowo drives Selma into being an essential piece of historical, political cinema of the ‘10s. Another actor could have drilled this biopic into the ground, given the amount of responsibilities necessary. Oyelowo brought Martin Luther King back to life in a new millennium.

15. Alicia Vikander: Ex Machina

It is extremely difficult to successfully take on the role of an android (or robotic being of any sort) in a film and play the part correctly. You can be disjointed, clumsy, wooden, or just plain old boring. Without exaggeration, Alicia Vikander’s Ava is one of the most believable android performances I have seen in years. Even if you ignore the special effects (which still render Ava as a humanoid of some sort), Ava is still absolutely believably artificial. This is imperative in a film that aims to confuse participants with the Turing Test. If anything, this almost feels like that test in reverse: you are believing that a human is inorganic, and a synthetically operated machine. Alicia Vikander’s Ava will remain a standard for android performances for the years to come.

14. Michael Fassbender: Shame/Steve Jobs

So the 2010s saw the rise of a one Mr. Michael Fassbender, so we had our work cut out for us. We got an early indication of his capabilities as the sex addict Brandon in Shame. He oozes perversion, and you can see all of his poor decisions taking a toll on his character. We're past the point of Brandon caring, and it's disgustingly tragic. His next best performance comes in the form of the psychologically strenuous Steve Jobs, in the film of the same name. He balances sharp dialogue and circumstantial stress with theatrical ease. He plays the real life figure like a Shakespearean ruler, with all of the nuances he could muster. It was a great decade to be worried about Michael Fassbender's characters.

13. Adèle Exarchopoulos/Léa Seydoux: Blue is the Warmest Colour

Never has a Palme d'Or been awarded for the performers in a film, until 2013. Newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos and established actress Léa Seydoux were both granted a shared win for Blue is the Warmest Colour, likely because of their improvised rawness. I can't blame Cannes, since both performances dictate the film beyond the usual capabilities that a role can have. The entire film is surrounding the personal space of Exarchopoulos, so we endure her candidness. Two thirds are graced by her vision of Seydoux's character (either as a fleeting love, or as the one that got away). Whether Blue explores their downtime, their love, or their heartbreak, we are always gripped by how real both actresses are in one of the decade's most challenging films.

12. Viola Davis: Fences/The Help

I remember when a certain actress named Viola Davis stope the show in 2008's Doubt. Who knew she would lead an entire ten years, both on the big screen and on television? Either way, we are glad that she did. Her first accomplishment was providing the main voice for The Help: as maid Aibileen. Through narration or experience, Aibileen's story is felt in every way, due to Davis's ability to perfect inflection. She would then go on to steal the show in Fences as Rose: a patient wife, and a caring mother. Having played this part on stage, Davis knew how to translate her connection with her audience to the big screen: she can still reach you nonetheless. Viola Davis is one of the most powerful actresses of our time, and that likely won't change.

11. Jake Gyllenhaal: Nightcrawler

I still haven't been able to shake off Jake Gyllenhaal's creepy turn as a predatory photojournalist that will do anything to get the scoop. Not once do you feel sorry for this creature of a person, but you never really expect him to go as far as he does. He looms like a bad cold festering, and waiting to happen. He is every scummy piece of journalism personified: a hunter willing to slay his prey in the name of a good headline. He is gaunt, ghoulish, and unsettling. Not many characters will make you so upset, and somehow guarantee that you cannot take your eyes off of him. Jake Gyllenhaal's Nightcrawler performance is impossible to rinse off.

10. Michelle Williams: Manchester by the Sea/Blue Valentine/My Week with Marilyn

We have three performances here, but Michelle Williams may have been one of the most dominant performers this decade (three may not even be enough, but there's only so much space). Her emotionally broken turn in Blue Valentine started the decade off with a frozen pulse. She isn't trying to be hateful. She's just completely ridden of love, and you can feel every ounce of that drought. In My Week with Marilyn, she saves the pedestrian biopic by bringing Marilyn Monroe back to life in a tasteful manner. All of Monroe's mannerisms are featured, but her hidden personal life is given as much attention as well. Years later, Williams took on the role of a traumatized ex wife in Manchester By the Sea. Her screen time is scant, but her moments steal the entire film (with some of the most real devastation you could find on the screen). These vastly different roles are all just a few of Michelle Williams' capabilities, and it's about time the world knew this.

9. Lupita Nyong’o: 12 Years a Slave/Us

Isn't it strange that Lupita Nyong'o was only discovered in 2013? Her introduction to the world was her brief-but-effective role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave. Patsey unfortunately faced the brunt end of every scene, and represented the absolute worst conditions a slave could endure (as recollected by Solomon Northup). Her "soap" scene remains the finest piece of acting in an individual scene of the last ten years. Then, a more-established Nyong'o played a dual role in Us: every single second with either character is fascinating for a myriad of reasons. As Adelaide, Nyong'o is an identifiable source of panic in a hostile scenario, especially as a self-sacrificial mother. As Red, she is an understandable result of a broken system. If there is one resolution to have for the 2020's, it's to clearly give Lupita Nyong'o more starring roles like this.

8. Emmanuelle Riva: Amour

Two years ago, we lost a legend of French cinema. Emmanuelle Riva may have made her mark on many contemporary American audiences with her career-revitalizing performance in Amour, and that is okay. The world got to see the astounding capabilities of the late great, well into her 80s. Riva’s Anne suffers a partially paralyzing stroke, and she has to readjust how she operates her body so late in life. Amour is difficult to watch, and the majority of that weight comes from Riva’s daring performance: one that focuses on real severity over glamour or sheen. Riva was highly acclaimed, and she was celebrated for a few years before her death. I’m so glad this icon got the recognition she deserved. Her mind-blowing work in Amour is only the tip of the iceberg. I highly recommend diving into her filmography.

7. Joaquin Phoenix: The Master/Joker

Most of us believed Joaquin Phoenix when he “retired” from acting to take on a career as a rap artist. Luckily, that was just a stunt for I’m Still Here. Two years after the so-so mockumentary, we got Phoenix’s committed performance as the shell shocked veteran Freddie Quell in The Master. Hellbent by perversions and alcoholism, Freddie grimaces at any sort of light, hunches over enough to affect his gait, and sneers as a form of interaction. His self-sabotage could leave your jaw dropped for the entire film. It almost felt like an audition for another film seven years later: the similarly destructive role as The Joker. Easily the best part of Joker, Phoenix is so invested in his psychotic ways, you fear him the entire film. He’s somehow even skinnier than Freddie, and definitely much more dangerous. Although Phoenix had a collection of fine performances sprinkled in between, it’s these two roles that felt like the most dangerous from one single actor of this decade. Joaquin Phoenix is simply electrifying.

6. Timothée Chalamet: Call Me By Your Name/Beautiful Boy

Timothée Chalamet is so damn good in Call Me By Your Name, it’s almost missable. His Elio is the kind of performance that you absolutely have to rewatch a few times, in order to appreciate just how humanistic and natural he is. For such a young actor, he has nailed the ability to be authentic in such a pure way. Fast forward to the teary-eyed ending, and I don’t think many other performers (especially not newcomers like him) could have pulled it off. Fast forward even more so to the overlooked performance of drug addict Nic in Beautiful Boy. He is much more explosive and damaged, here. He is able to reach a level of familiarity that makes his cries for help painful to bear. The future is oh-so bright for Timothée Chalamet. I’m certain that we haven’t even seen his best work yet.

5. Natalie Portman: Black Swan/Jackie

Natalie Portman started off the decade with an absolute bang, as the over perfectionist ballerina Nina Sayers in Black Swan. Her self-corroding ways turned the melodramatic thriller into an absolute horror-fest. Her highs and lows from being selected to play the queen in Swan Lake still leaves its mark on cinema and pop culture to this day. We felt like that was it. Portman couldn’t do any better than this. This was her opus. All we had to do was wait six more years, to find an equally hair-raising performance: this time as Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie. She revisits her glory days through a recorded tour of the White House. Every other shot is pain, misery, resentment, or grief. Portman balances the First Lady’s traumatic episodes with such vigour, all while maintaining Kennedy’s whispery accent and her deeply rooted graces. That was the defining moment that told us that Natalie Portman can pull out a performance of this caliber more than once; it’s a terrific sign.

4. Daniel Day-Lewis: Lincoln/Phantom Thread

I’m not even cherry picking. These are literally the only two performances by Sir Daniel Day-Lewis of this decade; they are reportedly his last ever as well, since he announced his retirement (again) two years ago. The first of this pairing is his frighteningly specific interpretation of president Abraham Lincoln: high voice and all. I love how commanding he is without having to necessarily be overbearing. He still maintains composure throughout. His Lincoln is one of the most transformative roles you will see anytime soon. It’s interesting, because his final role as Reynolds Woodcock in Phantom Thread is probably his most neutral performance in decades. He maintains his real accent, but still he embodies all of the eccentricities of a snobbish dressmaker. He’s delightfully nuts. It’s a somber final role to take in, but it was one that showed more of Daniel Day-Lewis than his performances usually do. If this truly is the last work he will ever do, it’s a pleasantly strong note to end on.

3. Mahershala Ali: Green Book/Moonlight

There simply wasn’t a better supporting actor than Mahershala Ali this decade. I don’t think it even comes close. He finally got his dues as Juan: a major character in the first of three chapters in Moonlight. This is a very subtle-yet-substantial performance, as a man forced into selling drugs to get by. Juan elects himself to become a parental figure for the lead character Chiron, because it hurts him to know that Chiron is suffering deeply. When Juan is no longer present in the film, it’s devastating. We didn’t want his story to end. We saw so much hope. Luckily, Ali’s career was off, and two years later, we got his role as Don Shirley in Green Book. Easily the sole reason to watch this film, Ali’s Shirley is so elegantly refined, charismatic, and magnetic. His performance feels like the revelation of each and every layer of a reserved genius. We need to start giving this guy some leading roles now. He always owns every single shot he is in. Always.

2. Cate Blanchett: Blue Jasmine/Carol

It’s tough to say that this was Cate Blanchett’s decade, because she never has an off era. Ever. The 2010’s only seemed to continue proving to us that Blanchett is a master of her craft. We got that sign early when she dominated 2013 as Jasmine in Blue Jasmine. She wavers between confident and delirious so well, you may not even be sure what she is feeling at any given moment. Yet, she carries an old-Hollywood tone to her that renders her enchanting. Just two years later, we received a very different performance, when she took on the title character in Carol: a woman in love during a less understanding time. Carol feels in control, yet she is just as unsure as her lover Therese is. She makes decisions hastily, because she must follow her heart. She burns bridges, because she can only look ahead. She makes mistakes, because she has no idea as to how she should make this work. In both films, Cate Blanchett pulls off an acting balancing act that will bowl you over for days.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio: The Revenant/The Wolf of Wall Street/Django Unchained

If this decade was anybody’s, it was Leonardo DiCaprio’s. We’re not including his other fine performances in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Great Gatsby, Shutter Island, and many others. There simply isn’t enough space. What we can do, however, is start with Django Unchained, where we see DiCaprio pull a Henry Fonda (ala Once Upon a Time in the West) and go bad. His Calvin Candie is so despicable, you never could have imagined fearing DiCaprio this much. Ever. He placed himself amongst some of the best villains of recent memory. That is, until, he dominated the antihero slot as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street. One of the most committed performances in a comedy ever (let’s not forget the quaaludes scene), DiCaprio’s Belfort is the most entertaining role of the decade. He makes a highly unlikeable, greedy liar an absolute joy to withstand.

Two years later, DiCaprio claimed a spot amongst the decade’s heroes, with his all time best performance (yeah, we said it) as Hugh Glass in The Revenant. Having to deal with the majority of a film in such physical conditions (especially post bear attack) is one thing. Knowing how to gradually (and authentically) bring life back into every limb of Glass’s body is a sensation to behold. When Glass is ready for his revenge, you can still sense determination behind his cold eyes and his freezing corpse of a body. Everything about DiCaprio’s Glass is pure acting perfection. People may have lauded Leonardo DiCaprio before, but he has never been stronger than he has been these last ten years. He truly is the performer of the decade.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.

Decade Week: The Top Thirty Performances