20 Best Movie Performances Of 2021
1. Benedict Cumberbatch - The Power Of The Dog
And finally, the #1 performance of the entire year goes to Benedict Cumberbatch, who shed the more gregarious persona he's exhibited in so many films and TV shows over the years to play a real piece of work indeed.
As surly rancher Phil Burbank, Cumberbatch is introduced to the audience as a sour, callous individual without patience for most anyone but his brother George (Jesse Plemons).
But between the nuanced script and Cumberbatch's superb performance, Phil is eventually revealed to be a far more complex and conflicting individual, haunted by his own past and wrestling with a deep personal conflict.
Cumberbatch conveys much of this not through explicit dialoguing but loaded glances and allowing the audience to read between the lines of what he's saying and doing.
For an actor who's been good in many movies but only intermittently touched greatness, this is career-best work and puts him at the front of the Best Actor Oscar race, right alongside Will Smith.