12 Incredible 2013 Performances That Definitely Won't Win An Oscar

7. Jake Gyllenhaal (Prisoners)

Despite getting a wide release in the U.S, Prisoners seems to have already been largely forgotten about, which is a travesty since it was easily one of the most unsettling movies of 2013. Bravely taking the audiences to progressively darker places, Prisoners asked compelling questions about what a parent will do for their children. The performance that had most people talking was that of Jake Gyllenhaal as the obsessive cop tasked with locating the children whose abduction is the central plot point of the film. Gyllenhaal adds nuance and subtlety to the character of Detective Loki: he is a loner, quite and reserved, who has solved every case he's been assigned to, and his world-weary gaze, and reserved mannerisms serve as the perfect foil for Hugh Jackman's wild, crazed performance. The dynamic between the characters provides the emotional core of the movie and Gyllenhaal more than does his share in bringing the movie to life. Loki is arguably Gyllenhaal's his best performance yet and proves once again that despite not attracting the same hyperbole as some of his contemporaries, he is one of the more talented actors working today.