8. Ivana Baquero - Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth, for the five or ten of you out there who haven't seen it, is a dark fairy tale about a bookish young girl during the Spanish Civil War. Surrounded by harsh reality, she finds herself escaping deeper into a world of fantasy than she ever intended. It's a pretty intense film, which requires a pretty intense young actress to star in it. Luckily, Ivana Baquero is more than up to the task. Regardless of your own personal interpretation of the story (whether or not the events of the film actually occur), it's undeniable that the role of Ofelia requires an unusually complex and nuanced performance. Like some of the other actors on this list, Baquero carries the entire film squarely on her shoulders. Sure, we've got impressive costumes and make-up design, but Ofelia needs to be the heart and soul of the story. Baquero pulls it off, creating a warm and sympathetic character in the middle of Guillermo del Toro's special brand of madness.