Just because a movie doesn’t make my top 10 list doesn’t mean I think it has nothing going for it. Several movies this year featured great performances from a variety of actors — even if I didn’t like the movie overall!
Note the key word is “great,” not “best,” though some of the choices below certainly qualify as both. It’s time to give some love to actors whose work stuck with me, even if they appeared in movies I gave negative reviews to this year. I’ve raved enough about Denzel Washington in “Gladiator II,” Ralph Fiennes in “Conclave,” and Kieran Culkin in “A Real Pain,” so they’re not on here.
Special mentions go to Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as a loving grandmother in “Nickel Boys,” Clarence Maclin as an incarcerated theater actor in “Sing Sing,” Ryland Brickson Cole Tews as the slapstick-prone hero of “Hundreds of Beavers,” and John Magaro as a real-life ABC sports producer covering the 1972 Munich Olympics in “September 5.”
Here are 10 great performances from 2024 — in no particular order.
Dolly DeLeon, ‘Ghostlight’
I could have chosen any performance from this film — Keith Kupferer is a revelation. But I’m going with DeLeon because her character, Rita, is the glue that holds the movie together. Rita runs a theater troupe where the actors use their roles as therapy. She sees something in Kupferer’s Dan, a man who has internalized his anger and desperately needs a safe space to process it. The solution: He’ll play Romeo to her Juliet. Never mind that they’re both way too old for the parts. Rita’s humor and confidence lead her fellow actors to a catharsis that feels poignant and real.
Cillian Murphy, ‘Small Things Like These’
A master class in silent acting, Murphy’s work here outshines his Oscar-winning turn in “Oppenheimer.” As the father of several daughters who runs afoul of Emily Watson’s scary, Magdalene laundry-running nun, Murphy shows his character’s pain, empathy, and uncertainty with minimal dialogue. Every emotion is written all over his face. It’s a stunning performance, one that will stick with you long after it’s over.
James Norton, ‘Nowhere Special’
How does a dying father explain his predicament to his 4-year-old son? James Norton answers that question with his heartbreaking performance as John, a man trying to find a suitable adoptive family for his only child, Michael (Daniel Lamont), before he dies. Lamont is equally good, which makes this two-hander even more powerful. We discover that Michael is far more observant than his father realizes. In every scene, Norton makes us feel John’s struggle to hold everything together for his son’s sake. It’s delicate work, rendered with a little humor and a lot of heart.
Michele Austin, ‘Hard Truths’
As Pansy in “Hard Truths,” Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives the best performance by an actor this year. But it wouldn’t be that good if Austin didn’t hold her own as Pansy’s sister, Chantelle. Her optimism and humor is in direct opposition to Pansy’s unchecked rage. Austin carefully balances her exasperation with unconditional love. In a familiar sibling dynamic, Chantelle is the only one who pushes back against her sister’s diatribes. When she tells Pansy “I love you, but I don’t understand you,” you feel for Chantelle, in her predicament. Through Austin’s understated performance, we see Pansy’s humanity.
Natasha Lyonne, ‘His Three Daughters’
Here’s another memorable sibling role for this list. Lyonne plays Rachel, the stepsister in the titular trio. She’s what we’d call the black sheep of the family, though she’s the one who’s been taking care of the father whose terminal illness brings the three sisters together. Rachel has the sharpest, funniest lines in this dramedy, but she also carries a lot of hurt and resentment. Lyonne handles every emotion with aplomb. If there were any justice, she’d be leading the conversation for this year’s best supporting actress instead of Ariana Grande or Selena Gomez.
Richard Roundtree, ‘Thelma’
In his final role, Roundtree gave a sensitive and sweet performance opposite June Squibb in this action comedy about senior citizens seeking justice after falling victim to a phishing scam. His finest moment is a speech about how he and Squibb’s character, Thelma, are overlooked by society because they’re old. Then he and Squibb show us why underestimating their characters is a big mistake. A lovely swan song for the man who was John Shaft.
Margaret Qualley, ‘Drive-Away Dolls’
Though her role in “The Substance” is getting all the press, Margaret Qualley is actually better in director Ethan Coen’s raunchy lesbian comic neo-noir. As the more outgoing member of a duo of gals on the run from dangerous men (Geraldine Viswanathan is the more introverted other half), Qualley gives a big, boisterous, and often obnoxious performance. Her take is exactly what this over-the-top material needs.
Dan Stevens, ‘Cuckoo’
Along with Hugh Grant in “Heretic,” Stevens corners the 2024 film market on charming weirdos with sadistic ulterior motives. Armed with a harsh German accent that’s appropriate for this contemporary Grimm’s Fairy Tale, Stevens gives off all manner of sinister vibes. His funny-scary performance helps Hunter Schafer earn her place in the Horror Film Final Girl Hall of Fame.
Julianne Moore, ‘The Room Next Door’
Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language movie is a two-hander where both performances are equally good. Queen Tilda Swinton stars as a dying woman who involves old friend Julianne Moore in a life-changing plan. Swinton has the showier role, but she doesn’t overshadow Moore’s work. Watching their interactions, I realized that Moore is one of cinema’s great listeners. There are few actors who have mastered the art of simply being present opposite their screen partners. Moore is one of the best.
Pamela Anderson, ‘The Last Showgirl’
Yes, that Pamela Anderson! The former “Baywatch” star shows off the dramatic chops Hollywood apparently didn’t know she had. Anderson plays Shelly, a performer who has been with an old-school Vegas showgirl act since the 1980s. When the hotel cancels her revue, Le Razzle Dazzle, in favor of more explicit circus-based shows, she’s suddenly left without a future. At 57, she’s aged out of a business she chose over raising her now-adult daughter (Billie Lourd). Anderson gives the kind of lived-in performance that proves the actor knew her character inside and out. Her work is even more impressive when you realize that this is not a good movie. The mediocre screenplay is almost saved by Anderson and her costar, a nearly-as-good Dave Bautista, who plays the show’s backstage manager.
Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.