Top 10 Underrated Acting Performances of the Decade

Every year, we’re gifted with incredible films, but often, the stellar acting that makes these movies great gets lost in the shuffle. Let’s celebrate those performances that deserved more recognition!

10. Joaquin Phoenix—You Were Never Really Here

It’s only fitting to start with Joaquin Phoenix. Before his 2020 Oscar win for Joker, he delivered an unforgettable performance in Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here (2017). Phoenix plays Joe, a traumatized war veteran who rescues sex-trafficked girls.

Sheila O’Malley notes, “At his very best, he doesn’t ‘show his work.’ You’re just hanging out with whatever peculiar character he’s playing… In You Were Never Really Here, he sometimes vibrates with unmanaged trauma and suicidal ideation. His tears are heart-rending because he is so helpless when they come.”^[1]

9. Melissa McCarthy—Can You Ever Forgive Me?

In Marielle Heller’s 2018 comedy-drama, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Melissa McCarthy shines as Lee Israel, a struggling writer who forges letters from famous authors. Though nominated, her performance was largely overlooked.

Geoffrey Macnab writes, “Playing Lee, McCarthy manages something very special: She makes a character who is odd, obnoxious, difficult, and alcoholic seem lovable and even heroic.” She makes you root for a character who’s undeniably flawed.^[2]

8. Robert Pattinson/Willem Dafoe—The Lighthouse

It’s impossible to separate these two. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are brilliant together in Robert Eggers’ 2019 psychological horror film, The Lighthouse. They play lighthouse keepers on a remote island, slowly losing their minds.

According to Alison Willmore, “At the core of the film is Pattison’s impressively committed performance as the taciturn Winslow… But it’s Pattinson, playing the straight man, who sells the slow deterioration of the pair’s mental state.”^[3]

7. Ethan Hawke—First Reformed

Ethan Hawke delivers a powerful performance as Reverend Toller in Paul Schrader’s 2017 drama/thriller, First Reformed. Toller, a pastor in upstate New York, grapples with his faith after meeting an environmental activist.

Justin Chang notes, “You are held there by the mesmerizing clarity and intelligence of Hawke’s performance, which suggests that the most powerful epiphanies may also be the subtlest.” Hawke’s subtle yet impactful acting was sadly overlooked.^[4]

6. Natalie Portman—Vox Lux

While not as celebrated as Black Swan, Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Celeste in Brady Corbet’s Vox Lux is remarkable. Celeste, a pop star who survived a school shooting, faces a career crisis when another scandal erupts. The film explores the connection between pop culture and terrorism.

Luke Chanell explains, “This is held together by a powerhouse performance from Portman. She’s equal parts fierce, bratty, and unhinged, yet she is also empathetic, emotionally wounded, and deceptively intelligent.”^[5]

5. Jake Gyllenhaal—Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal stuns as Louis Bloom in Dan Gilroy’s 2014 crime/thriller, Nightcrawler. Louis chases crime scenes to film and sell footage to local news. His obsession grows, and he’s willing to do anything for the perfect shot.

Jocelyn Noveck writes, “Gyllenhaal’s bold, committed performance makes Nightcrawler one of the most entertaining movies of the year… They invented the word ‘creepy’ for that smile.” Gyllenhaal’s unsettling performance is truly unforgettable.

4. Lupita Nyong’o—Us

After her Oscar win for 12 Years A Slave, Lupita Nyong’o was surprisingly overlooked for her dual role in Jordan Peele’s horror film, Us. She plays both Adelaide and Red.

Manohla Dargis raves, “Nyong’o brings a tremendous range and depth of feeling to both characters, who she individualizes with such clarity and lapidary detail that they aren’t just distinct beings; they feel as if they were being inhabited by different actors.”^[6]

3. Song Kang-ho—Parasite

Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 masterpiece, Parasite, swept the Oscars, but the acting, particularly Song Kang-ho’s, deserved more attention. He plays Kim Ki-taek, the father of a poor family scheming to infiltrate a wealthy household.

Bong said that casting Kang-ho allowed him to be bolder: “There was a relief that came from the certain expectation that if this actor plays this role, even the controversial parts will definitely be convincing to the audience.”^[7]

2. Toni Collette—Hereditary

Toni Collette’s performance in Ari Aster’s 2018 horror film, Hereditary, is among the biggest Oscar snubs. Collette plays Annie, a grieving mother unraveling after her daughter’s death, uncovering dark family secrets.

Tasha Robinson writes, “The film’s most important asset is Collette, who weeps, screams, and snarls her way halfway off the screen and into the audience’s laps… Watching her suffer is emotionally exhausting, because she plays the character with such intensity.”^[8]

1. Adam Sandler—Uncut Gems

Adam Sandler delivers perhaps the best performance of his career in Josh and Benny Safdie’s Uncut Gems. He plays Howard Ratner, a charismatic jeweler and gambling addict in New York City, juggling high-stakes bets and mobsters.

Nick De Semlyen wrote, “It’s a career-best performance… His Howard is instantly iconic: part Job, part Jordan Belfort, part Jerry Maguire… Sandler is totally believable as a rapacious lowlife with big dreams.”^[9]

These performances showcase incredible talent that, for various reasons, didn’t get the recognition they deserved. They’re all worth revisiting and celebrating.

Which of these performances impressed you the most? Leave your comment below!