20 Best Movie Performances Of 2018

15. Ryan Gosling (First Man)

Ryan Gosling certainly has a reputation for picking stoic, reserved roles that require a lot of staring into the middle-distance, but in the case of playing Neil Armstrong, it's totally appropriate.

Though some mistook Gosling's restraint for a flat, lifeless portrayal of the legendary astronaut, this is apparently incredibly true to the real Armstrong's lack of emotion.

This presents a unique challenge to Gosling considering some of the tragic turmoil Armstrong suffers through early in the movie, but like Close, he manages to tell a great story across his face.

It's likely too subtle a performance to score Gosling a Best Actor Oscar nod, but as a boldly scaled-back, insular rendition of an iconic American figure, it's practically note-perfect.