20 Essential Movie Performances That Will Define 2015

2. Leonardo DiCaprio - Hugh Glass (The Revenant)

Release Date: December 25 (US), January 15 (UK) The Movie: Alejandro González Iñárritu writes and directs this adaptation of Michael Punke's 2003 novel, which sees fur trapper Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) seeking revenge on three former companions (Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, and Domhnall Gleeson) who robbed him and left him for dead. The Role: DiCaprio will once again be playing a real-life figure here, and going from the few images released so far from the shoot, he looks to be fully immersing himself with a giant, scraggly beard and long hair. Just look at that intensity. Why It'll Define 2015: It's become something of a running joke over the years that the Academy just doesn't like Leo very much, when in fairness, he's just had bad luck, delivering some of the best performances of his nominated years, but never quite the best. His rabid fanbase will be out in force again this year, hoping that DiCaprio might finally secure a gold statue for himself with another blistering performance. If DiCaprio can take it to the next level, then he might have the Best Actor race sewn up before the year's end.