MXDWN’s Choice Of Best Performances For 2024

To say 2024 was a good year for performances would be an understatement as the year was packed with rising stars, Hollywood legends, and surprising stellar performances from the most unlikely of films. With ups and downs there were a surprisingly high number of ups from many a performer. This year’s highest highs in MXDWN’s opinion is as follows.

10. Glen Powell as Gary Johnson in Hitman

Glen Powell’s portrayal of professor turned deep cover operative flipping would be assassination seekers Gary Johnson was as strong an argument for one of the best new leading men in Hollywood as there could be. Powell successfully occupies both the main two facets of his character as well as over a dozen different fake personas his characters uses to reel in folks seeking to have someone murdered. Like all great Richard Linklater films, this movie sneaks up on you, delivering a profound message almost imperceptibly through this humorous tale of duality.

– Raymond Flotat

An incredibly compelling performance that is both inviting and also erie with the chameleon-like nature Powell channels into Gary Johnson. each persona is incredibly convincing while still carrying Powell’s personality through. Some so convincing that it feels like your actually watching a different character and not Gary doing his thing.

– Vaness Winders

Tilda Swinton as Elizabeth in Problemista

Julio Torres’ criminally underappreciated comedy features the best Swinton performance of the year. Elizabeth is a perfectly constructed character that is half Karen, half Looney Tunes. Her complaints about day-to-day inconveniences and her constantly lit iPhone flashlight are a gorgeous encapsulation of the worst person you’ve ever stood behind at Coffee Bean

– Dempson Juvenal

8. Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in Furiosa: A MadMax Saga

She captures the drive of the character perfectly. The gap between Charlize Theron in ‘Fury Road’ and Anya Taylor-Joy in ‘Furiosa‘ was filled in perfectly by her. While the writing on its own helped to build the idea of the character, she made it tangible and completely sold it. A very motivated role for her, capturing the younger mannerisms of the character in such a way that I would’ve believed they were the same actresses.

– Raymond Adams

7. Micheal Keaton as Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Again, Michael Keaton has proven his incredible skill in his re-rendering of one of his wildest characters, Beetlejuice. Returning to the character after 25 years with Tim Burton again at the helm, this could’ve easily been a total disaster, but Keaton ably brought killer charisma to his performance. He was hard wired into this character and pretty much steals any scene he shows up in. The finale epic dance sequence on “MacArthur Park” is worth the price of admission alone.

– Raymond Flotat

6. Ryland Brickson Cole Tews – Jean Kayak in Hundreds Of Beavers

Ryland Brickson Cole Tews is that guy. His performance in Hundreds of Beavers showcases a near-lost art in modern performances, physical comedy and extreme expressions. He truly feels like a modern-day Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, able to perfectly convey a whole array of emotions with nothing more than his face and body language. To say Cole Tews performances “saves the film” seems reductive of the absolute creative masterwork that is Hundreds of Beavers, but he helps elevate the film to new heights in a way I’m not sure any other working actor could do.

– Austin Waybright

After 2 years of fermenting from lounging at the top of Festival charts, Hundreds Of Beavers was finally made available to the mass public and nothing was as funny as Brickson’s war on hundreds of beavers. Like fine wine this film. A role almost completely in silence except for his screams of frustration, pain, and agony. The Applejack salesman Jean Kayak is a slapstick character through and through and every physical gag, stunt, and expression is delivered with perfect comedic timing by Cole Tews working in tandem with the film’s stellar editing. A performance so good it must be seen to be believed. The slapstick brutality was indiscriminate and the journey was strangely emotional as Cole Tews took audiences on his quest.

– Vanessa Winders

5. Sebastian Stan – Young Donald Trump The Apprentice

Sebastian Stan as young Donald Trump in The Apprentice is my favorite performance of the entire year. It is so hard to embody a well-known figure who has become a caricature in the media, but Stan does Trump so well that you forget who Trump and Stan are outside of the movie. Stan is hilarious but serious in the role, playing the part with care and mischievousness that allows audiences to laugh and cry for Trump when they might rage over him outside of a theater. Stan deserves the Oscar for delivering a role with this much honesty and charisma.

– Kylee LaRue

Sebastian Stan as young Donald Trump in The Apprentice is my favorite performance of the entire year. It is so hard to embody a well-known figure who has become a caricature in the media, but Stan does Trump so well that you forget who Trump and Stan are outside of the movie. Stan is hilarious but serious in the role, playing the part with care and mischievousness that allows audiences to laugh and cry for Trump when they might rage over him outside of a theater. Stan deserves the Oscar for delivering a role with this much honesty and charisma.

– Justin Brayer

4. Demi Moore as Elizabeth Sparkle in The Substance

Demi Moore gives the best performance of her career as Elizabeth Sparkle in The Substance. Her rage and frustration are palpable, making audiences go from empathizing with her character to crawling out of their skin. Moore dives headfirst into the feminist body horror film and takes on the role of the female gaze, embodying all of the turmoil that comes with battling against your own body as women age. There is no nuance to this role, Elizabeth Sparkle has spiraled into desperation and there is no hiding it. Moore is unabashedly angry and I love angry women on screen.

– Kylee LaRue

3. Naomi Scott as Skye Riley in Smile 2

Naomi Scott in Smile 2 is possibly the most surprising performance for me this year. She delivers the most compelling horror performance I have seen this year. Part of what makes this so impressive is how much she has to act alone. She expertly layers this performance by letting herself go more and more as the film goes on. You believe her as she starts to lose her mind, and the intensity of this film simply does not work if she can’t effectively show this descent. Plus, she sang all the catchy pop songs featured in the film, and she does a great job with all of them.

– Justin Brayer

Noami Scott- She had such great expressiveness when portraying her role as Skye Riley. Every reaction she had to the emotional parts of the story were authentic and relatable. She deserves best performances of the year.

– Chelsea Koeing

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in Wicked.

Cynthia Erivo is star. The stunt work alone qualifies her for top performance of the year, but also the way she carried her emotions through her facial expressions was brilliant.

– Sam Breslauer

One of the most compelling performances in a musical of all time, an absolutely moving and heart-wrenching performance as Erivo becomes everything that Elphaba is. The film commands attention and at the center of it all is Erivo whose vocal and physical performance during the musical numbers adds depth to her already incredibly spot-on Elphaba in the dialog and action scenes. Something that could be called a timeless performance. A true master of her craft.

– Vanessa Winders

1. Ariana Grande – Galinda Uptown in Wicked

She brought such raw, emotional depth to the character of Glinda while still gifting the audience with the light-hearted, comedic spirit of the original Glinda.

– Chelsea Koeing

Ariana Grande as Glinda in Wicked has to be one of my favorite performances I’ve seen this year. She transformed into the perky pink whirlwind that is Glinda. She brings the singing voice and the comedic chops to pull this performance off. She deserves an Oscar.

– Izaiah Shupe

Ariana Grande made me forget who she was; she didn’t overshadow everyone else in the film, and she enunciated her words in songs in a way I was not used to from her.

– Veronica Garza

These were just the MXDWN writer’s top. There were many more mentionable performances of 2024 to the point it could be argued this will be one of if not the most competitive award seasons. Between the Golden Globes and Oscars recognition is sure to be had for all that preformed. With many of the performers slated for more upcoming films, there are sure to be more highlights to see.