20 Best Movie Performances Of 2018

6. Natalie Portman (Annihilation)

Alex Garland's delirious sci-fi thriller is jam-packed with fine performances, though it's Natalie Portman who leads the pack as professor and ex-soldier Lena, who ventures into the heart of an alien construct known as the Shimmer.

Despite the challenging, sometimes obtuse nature of Garland's movie, Portman doesn't play things broad in order to compensate: her fantastic work here is subtle, subdued and ambiguous at almost all times.

There are hints at heartbreak, sure, but Garland knows well enough to let the audience do the piecing-together themselves, and given Portman's restraint, she's clearly on the same page here.

Though not really the type of showy performance that wins awards, there have been few better depictions of feminine strength on screen this year.