20 Best Movie Performances Of 2021

20. Dev Patel - The Green Knight

Dev Patel sure has come a long way from his star-making performance in Slumdog Millionaire over a decade ago.

Casting the British-Indian actor in the part of Arthurian legend Sir Gawain - one that would typically be played by a white man - was one of the many bold and deeply intriguing choices in David Lowery's face-melting art-house medieval fantasy.

If The Green Knight is best remembered for its mesmerising style, Patel nevertheless gives a performance of massive emotional breadth, even when he's not saying anything verbally but conveying so, so much through his eyes.

As not merely a hero but a complex and at times transfixing figure, Patel plays Gawain with impressive restraint, proving beyond any and all doubt that he's capable of portraying tough characters battling through gruelling challenges.