Oscars 2022: Every Acting Nominee Ranked
1. Benedict Cumberbatch - The Power Of The Dog
The best nominated performance of this year's Oscars, though, has to be Benedict Cumberbatch and his revelatory work in The Power of the Dog.
Dominating the film's runtime as its cruel and conflicted antagonist, Cumberbatch's portrayal of rough rancher Phil Burbank is a masterpiece of bottled-up rage, longing, and heartbreak, as his brother marries a widowed inn-keeper and seems to take less interest in him.
Initially seen simply as a villain, Cumberbatch's performance is so rich that every scene allows him to peel back the layers of Phil's true colours, with each twist feeling more compelling and complicated than the last.
The highlight of his career so far, The Power of the Dog is Cumberbatch at full force, and though he might be beaten in the end by Will Smith, his performance will surely live on in the minds of moviegoers for far longer.