15 Best Movie Performances Of 2018 (So Far)

By Jack Pooley /

3. Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War)

Marvel Studios

It would've been so easy for the MCU's long-awaited big bad Thanos (Josh Brolin) to be a crushing disappointment, because if we're honest, performance-captured antagonists more often turn out like Steppenwolf rather than Gollum.

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However, thanks to wonderfully expressive visual effects, a script which makes the Mad Titan a fully-realised character in his own right and Brolin's remarkable performance, he more than lives up to the hype.

Brolin refuse to play Thanos as this big, broad cartoon character, and while the villain's power is undeniable, Brolin's more relaxed tenor is ultimately more intimidating and entrancing.

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Plus, Brolin fully captures the moral ambiguity of Thanos' actions, namely his absolute, unrepentant belief that his crusade is right, and the anguish he feels at sacrificing even his own daughter for the cause. Terrific stuff.