Great performances don’t just entertain—they resonate, haunt, and sometimes even redefine what we expect from an actor. Every year, a handful of performances transcend mere acting and become something truly unforgettable—transforming films, elevating storytelling, and leaving audiences in awe.
In 2025, we saw performances that pushed boundaries, breathed life into complex characters, and made films unforgettable. It was an incredible year that spawned multiple instant classics, as well as plenty of other gems. From massive films with huge ensembles to intimate family dramas, a wide range of talent was on display. Several young stars asserted their arrivals, while a few familiar faces reminded us of their prowess.
These are the performances that truly defined cinema last year. These are the 50 Best Movie Performances of 2025.
30. Lexi Venter as Alexandra “Bobo” Fuller in Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight
Not many would have heard of this small independent film that debuted at Toronto in late 2024. Based on the novel of the same name, the film is set in Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe) in the 1970’s during the Bush War. It follows a white family who are on the brink of having to choose to leave their farm and life behind them or risk becoming casualties of the Zimbabwean revolution. It’s a prickly subject, with many differing opinions on the matter, but what is undeniable is the outstanding, raw performance by young actress Lexi Venter.
As the film’s narrator, the story rests squarely on Venter’s shoulders – a huge task for a seven-year-old! But there is not a single moment when you don’t believe her. Seeing the world through her wild, curious, innocent eyes is sobering. Credit must also be given to first-time director Embeth Davidtz, who didn’t seek out a seasoned professional, but rather an unknown who shared some of the protagonist’s “feral” tendencies. Whether this performance proves to be a singular moment or the foundation of a long career is impossible to know, but its impact is undeniable. Until then, find somewhere to watch this film that contains, what I would call, the best child actor performance since Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project.
–Thomas Riest
29. Jack O’Connell as Remmick in Sinners
One of the things I loved most about Sinners was how Ryan Coogler, once again, crafted an antagonist who felt fully alive, not just evil for the sake of it. Jack O’Connell’s Remmick completely blew me away. He could have so easily been a straightforward villain, but instead, there’s this unsettling humanity to him that, while you don’t agree with his motivations, you certainly begin to understand them as his history is revealed. He’s a centuries-old Irish vampire, obsessed with building a community of his own, drawn to music that transcends time and provides a possible connection to his ancestors.
O’Connell makes every beat of that obsession feel genuine. There’s this incredible mix of charm and menace in his performance, to the point where you can see why Remmick genuinely believes he’s offering something meaningful to his victims, even as he terrorizes those around him. Watching O’Connell inhabit the role with that magnetic confidence made Remmick one of the most haunting, memorable villains I’ve seen in a long time. And I will continue to say that the “Rocky Road to Dublin” sequence is one of the best in the genre, hands down.
–Romona Comet
28. Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson in One Battle After Another
PTA has a talent for pulling unimaginably strong performances out of actors with little to no film experience. But that shouldn’t take away from what those performers are able to tap into themselves for these roles. Chase Infiniti is the latest in a long line of revelatory first-time performers in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. Going toe to toe with heavyweight legends like Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, Infiniti holds her own. She plays wonderfully off of Regina Hall and Benicio del Toro. And she holds her own in her own moments. Infiniti brings both the soft timidness needed for the character and the quiet determination needed for Willa’s budding hero character arc.
–Raf Stitt
27. Cooper Hoffman as Ray Garraty in The Long Walk
Showing the apple doesn’t roll too far from the tree, Cooper Hoffman has been making waves in recent years. In The Long Walk, he really comes into his own here and shows he has the chops to carry a story like this as the lead. He and David Jonsson have incredible chemistry, and their friendship really carries a film that is low on action and mostly consists of talking and exposition. The performances really shine in this film, and Cooper is right at home at the story’s core. Some of the film’s most pivotal scenes rely on his acting ability, and many of these moments are genuinely heart-wrenching. He really showed that he has the ability to go there, and I’d love to see him tackle more Stephen King in the future.
–Valerie Morreale
26. Tim Key as Charles Heath in The Ballad of Wallis Island
I found The Ballad of Wallis Island whilst scrolling through the seemingly endless film options aboard my 8-hour flight to Dubai. The film is a quirky independent dramedy about a struggling musician who was asked to come and perform his greatest hits. The only snag is that it’s on a semi-remote island for an eccentric audience of one. This kind of story, with a simple premise which allows the characters space to breathe, is exactly up my alley – and the fact that Carey Mulligan plays a supporting role makes it that much more appealing. But what I wasn’t expecting was the utterly irresistible charm of co-lead and co-screenwriter, Tim Key. He straddles the line between charming and utterly ridiculous with meticulous control, delivering an entirely wholesome character viewers will cling to. Key understands exactly how far to push the joke before it curdles, creating a character who is ridiculous, yes – but also deeply sincere. It really is a beautiful little film with Key at its heart, reminding us of our humanity which is both wanting and beguiling.
–Thomas Riest
25. Elizabeth Olsen as Joan in Eternity
While Eternity isn’t necessarily the kind of movie that immediately makes you think of great performances, Elizabeth Olsen really pulls off a trick here, playing a woman who is mentally in her 80s yet in the body of her 30s-year-old self. She nails the mannerisms and speech patterns, while also communicating the intense emotional shock of arriving in the afterlife and learning you must decide between your two Earthly husbands—the one you built a life with and the first (incredibly handsome) husband you missed your chance with. In lesser hands, you could hate her character for not immediately siding with her husband of 65 years, but it never feels cruel or wrong thanks to Olsen’s deft handling.
–Jacob Holmes
24. Austin Abrams as James in Weapons
While the majority of attention has been given – deservedly so – to Amy Madigan for her role as Aunt Gladys in Weapons, I have to give a shout-out to Austin Abrams. As James, a junkie who gets caught up in the horrors of Maybrook simply because he’s looking for his next fix, Abrams is definitely the movie’s scene-stealer and holds his own against acting heavyweights like Josh Brolin. I found James’s arc particularly compelling because of how wonderfully intense and chaotic Abrams played it. He’s beyond convincing and brings nuance to a character that could have very easily been one-dimensional. To be honest, nearly every performance in Weapons is pitch-perfect, but Abrams is the one I truly believe deserves more recognition.
–Romona Comet
23. Benicio del Toro as Sergio St. Carlos in One Battle After Another
All of the buzz going into One Battle After Another was about how brilliant Sean Penn’s performance is. Rightfully so – he’s incredible. However, after wide releases, all of the buzz coming out was about Benicio del Toro as Sensei Sergio. Del Toro injects the movies with a calming optimism amongst the film’s otherwise chaotic nature. The Sergio character ends up being the heart and soul of the movie, and Benicio is an absolute scene stealer. The role demands a lot from the actor. Keeping that even keel coolness while the rest of the movie and co-stars are so frantic is among the most impressive aspects of del Toro’s performance. Plus, he gave us the line delivery of the year.
–Raf Stitt
22. Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix in Wake Up Dead Man
Ah, Glenn Close, the girl who shall not be named… at the Oscars. What more can be said about this incredible woman who continuously delivers one outstanding performance after another? When she was announced as a cast member for Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out film, I genuinely believed that this was how she finally win her Oscar, and watching her play the devoted Martha Delacroix, her odds looked promising.
Close leans into our expectations of religious rigidity, while quietly sowing doubt with every look and pause. In one scene, she is a black-and-white Catholic devotee, and in another she shows subtlety, restraint, and mystery – keeping us guessing as to whether she could be the killer we are searching for. I kept thinking to myself, if she is indeed the killer, no one would be able to deliver the turn of the magic trick more confidently than her. It’s another stellar performance from an actress who has been churning them out for decades, and one that I wish to return to soon!
–Thomas Riest
21. Barbie Ferreira as Lily Trevino in Bob Trevino Likes It
While her Euphoria co-stars have been getting more attention recently— Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney, even Austin Abrams in Weapons—Barbie Ferreira quietly turned in one of the best performances of the cast in 2025 in the terribly underseen Bob Trevino Likes It. Ferreira plays Lily Trevino, the daughter of a terrible father named Bob Trevino, who connects on Facebook with a different, much better man named Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo), who steps in to give her a much-needed father figure. Ferreira taps into the desperate, aching character of Lily; kind and funny but completely lonely. The film hinges on her performance, and she delivers the goods.
–Jacob Holmes
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What were some of your favorite performances of 2025? Maybe they will show up later in this list!