10 Worst Performances In Otherwise Awesome 2016 Movies
Boring villains, annoying child actors and two Mark Wahlbergs.
An amazing performance by an actor or actress can elevate an otherwise middling movie from the doldrums. Likewise, a poor performance can cast a bad light on an otherwise brilliant film. It comes down to a matter of contrasts – the better the quality of a movie overall, the more a cast member’s bad acting will stand out like a sore thumb and vice versa.
Often it’s not always the actor in question’s fault, or at least not entirely. A performance, good or bad, rests on a number of things including but by no means limited to the character development, the quality of the script and a director’s talents and if any of these elements aren’t up to scratch it’s obviously far harder for an actor to turn in a convincing and worthy performance.
But then maybe we’re being a little too lenient. While things like bad direction and screenwriting can all impact negatively on someone’s performance, it’s also true that actors are – for the most part – paid a pretty penny for their passion, so the least they could do for us moviegoers put in a good effort with their characters.
The subpar performances profiles here didn’t exactly ruin the movies they featured in, but amidst all the otherwise awesomeness they’re definitely a grating distraction.
10. Vince Vaughn – Hacksaw Ridge
Mel Gibson might be the planet’s most infamous racist misogynist but, as hard as this is to admit, he knows how to make a good movie. The latest testament to his talents as a director is Hacksaw Ridge – a World War II set biopic starring Andrew Garfield as real-life pacifist and combat medic Desmond Doss as he serves in the bloody Battle of Okinawa in Japan.
It’s a brutal and blistering movie that never shies away from showing the gory realities of warfare. You see soldiers dead and dying, being disembowelled and dismembered and generally blown apart in horrific ways in the movie’s harrowing battle scenes and for the most part its cast’s performances superbly reflect the true horrors of war.
But then there’s the unfortunately miscast Vince Vaughn as stereotypically mean drill sergeant Howell. Apparently, Gibson allowed Vaughn quite a bit of leeway with his character which seemingly resulted in the actor trying to infuse his role as the browbeating sergeant with a bit of comedy.
It makes sense – Vaughan is best known for his more comedic acting roles. But in a wartime drama that otherwise takes itself very seriously, his performance feels out of place.