15 Recent Performances That Were Criminally Underrated
3. Lupita Nyong'o In Us
In Us, Lupita Nyong'o portrays two radically different roles, and she nails them both. One of the rare cases of a slasher movie where both predator and prey are played by the same person, Us is a genuinely terrifying film and it all rides on her ability to pull off both roles.
She plays both Adelaide - a traditional slasher protagonist with emotional baggage and a secretive past - and Red, a deranged, murderous villain. Her performances are completely different, from the way she speaks to the way she holds her face and emotes. If someone was not familiar with her work before watching the film, they could probably be convinced the characters are actually portrayed by different actresses.
Her performance as Red really stands out as one of the most chilling horror villains in a long time, and much of that is due to how well she portrays her insanity. The film wouldn't be nearly as good without her outstanding ability to portray two characters who are the polar opposite of one another.