2023 might have one of the most competitive showcases for Best Actor and Actress, due to the massive span of talent that was showcased this year. From veteran, old-guard performers coming back off the bench to hit another home run, like Robert De Niro in Killers of the Flower Moon, to fresh faces breaking their way into the limelight, like Greta Lee in Past Lives. Not to mention all the iconic, bizarre character performances, where actors bring exciting choices that capture the audience’s attention in a vice grip, like Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie or Julianne Moore in May December. Also, I want to shout out my guy Glen Howerton for being an absolute maniac in Blackberry, and Lily Gladstone for stealing all of my attention, every single frame she inhabits in Killer of the Flower Moon. All this being said, we here at MXDWN came together and decided that these performances are the ones we’re gonna remember as the best performances from this year. We will have a runner-up and a winner for Male and Female performances. 

Ryunosuke Kamiki in Godzilla: Minus One

One of the biggest surprises of the year has to be how critically and commercially well-received Japan’s two big end-of-the-year releases: The Boy and The Heron and Godzilla: Minus One. While there were some great vocal performances from the latest Ghibli feature, there was one Japanese actor who portrayed one of the deepest emotional performances we’ve seen this year, and it’s our Male performance runner-up: Ryunosuke Kamiki. 

Playing a dishonored and disgraced former Kamikaze pilot named Koichi Shikishima, who not only survived World War II but a devastating encounter with Godzilla on a small military base in 1944, Kamiki portrays a deeply traumatized survivor. Kamiki must not only face his crippling PTSD but also a kaiju hellbent on destroying Japan, and his performance conveys the full spectrum of both of his challenges. Kamiki struggles unrelentingly to move beyond the trauma of his cowardice and guilt as a survivor. It is through the metaphor of the monster that is war, through the devastation of Godzilla, does Koiichi find redemption, commitment, and love for his unintentional family. Kamiki’ resonant performance is undoubtedly one of the most memorable human characters in the Godzilla cinematic canon and our runner-up for best male performance of 2023.

-Austin Waybright

Ryunosuke Kamiki did an amazing job in Godzilla: Minus One, depicting a PTSD kamikaze pilot who abdicated his mission to sacrifice his life to destroy his enemies. Kamiki’s character Shikishima is suffering from the first moments he’s shown on screen and has to struggle throughout every moment to find some smidge of peace and self-worth, and the whole community he lives in has to rally together to help pull him out.

-Raymond Flotat

Barry Keoghan in Saltburn

Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn set the world on fire with its dreamlike visuals, absurdly attractive characters, and its… interesting scenes. While Jacob Elordi has been the poster boy of the film (both figuratively and literally), it’s his co-star Barry Keoghan who takes the crown for us. Keoghan is no stranger to being a freak on screen, with his resume littered with off-beat characters and weird machinations. However, his performance in Saltburn takes this uncomfortable freak energy and blends it with the shy demeanor of an awkward schoolboy, who desperately wants to hang out with hot, rich kids at his college. This mixed cocktail performance is dynamite, as Keoghan effortlessly switches between looking like a lost, delicate little lamb, to the horniest wolf we’ve seen on film in a decade. Not to mention, he is at the forefront of all the interesting scenes shown in Saltburn. It can not be understated how Keoghan might be the only one who could have pulled off these scenes,  both physically and vocally. Whether he’s alone slurping bath water or having a complete breakdown in a car next to Elordi, Barry Keoghan provides our favorite performance for 2023. Cue Murder on the Dancefloor.

-Austin Waybright

Barry Keoghan killed (literally and figuratively) in his role as Oliver Quick in Saltburn. I had high expectations for Keoghan going into the film. I had previously seen him in Banshees of Inisherin, and I was blown away by his ability to immerse himself so fully into the character.

Part of the reason I was so disappointed in Saltburn was because of the testament it was to Keoghan’s acting abilities. I was frustrated with Saltburn‘s dialogue because it would explicitly state Keoghan’s intentions and emotions in the movie when it really did not need to. Keoghan’s acting alone could have done what the script chose to explicitly state to us in dialogue. Little could have been said, and Keoghan’s actions would have carried the movie. Keoghan effortlessly captured a man so deeply trapped within himself in such an exceedingly impressive way. Keoghan’s physicality and emotional depth pierced the screen and made my skin crawl. With a single look into the camera or a menacing, but hurt glance Keoghan added so much depth to a character that Emerald Fennell tried to make one-dimensional. 

-Isabella Putorti

Barry Keoghan has continually proved every year that he is magnetic. In Saltburn, he plays the social climbing Oliver who finds himself taken away on a summer in a castle with his best friend Felix and his family. Not only does this Oscar-nominated actor take you on a thrilling adventure, he will make you question everything you deem moral and justified. Fluidity and gluttony are the takeaways from his performance, and for that I thank him. Oliver will shock you and leave you wanting so much more. Keoghan delves deep into the soul and proudly displays everything you wish you could be, and to make it look so exciting has cemented him as my favorite male performance of the year. 

-Kylee LaRue

Margot Robbie in Barbie

As cliche as it might be, Margot Robbie really was the best possible choice to be Barbie. Not only is she the physical embodiment of the Mattel icon, but she also brings a stellar home-run performance that combines great comedic timing and powerful emotional dramatics. Robbie is firing off on all cylinders, with effortlessly funny doll-like movements, rocking all of Barbie’s high fashion outfits, and delivering some of the best jokes of the year. Everyone loves to talk about “Kenenergy,” but Robbie’s performance is the core of the film whose gravity holds it together and would have probably killed the movie if it was done poorly. Not only is she hilarious, but Robbie again showcases how compelling she can be emotionally through Barbie’s growth into a real person over the course of the film. The summation of how great this performance is comes in one of the smallest scenes, where Barbie reflects on the memories of her owner and then looks over at an older woman next to her on the bench. In the middle of her tearful reflection, Barbie looks at this woman and simply states, “You’re beautiful.” and the sheer emotional heat melts everyone’s heart. Truly an iconic performance that we here at MXDWN consider the best female performance of the year. 

-Austin Waybright

Margot Robbie does a fantastic job in all the films I have seen her in. I’m not a Robbie fan, per se; I don’t go to movies for her, but she always impresses me when I do see her. I think she really captured the doll-like nature of her character while also the nature of someone breaking free from their shell.

-Jaylen Briece

Margot Robbie’s performance as Barbie was top-notch. She embodied the character so perfectly and was able to tap into the persona of a literal doll. It was flawless! She was a perfect balance of clueless, strong, scared, and powerful. Her performance made audiences able to identify with her throughout the movie. Amazing.

-Nicole Dwyer

Emma Stone in Poor Things

Emma Stone’s performance in Poor Things makes me want to see her in more films in this period. It also reminded me how naturally funny she is on film and behind the scenes. She has great range, being able to take on both comedic and dramatic roles.

-Samantha Chevez

Emma Stone in Poor Things as Bella Baxter, a tabula rasa of a woman learning to find her way in polite society, is sure to sweep the awards season. An infant’s brain in a woman’s body, created by the ingenious Dr. Godwin Baxter (emphasis on the ‘God’). Stone gives you wonder, thrilling revelations, and belly laughs in the most beautiful ways. The performance is packed with such nuance that can only be seen to be believed. Emma Stone as Bella Baxter is a Masterclass in acting; with the level of physicality she brings, there is nobody who is completely absorbed into their character as much as her. 

-Kylee LaRue