10 2024 Movie Performances We Didn't Expect To Love As Much As We Did

Plenty of incredible movies in 2024 featured astounding performances that exceeded audience expectations. Whether it was long-awaited adaptations of beloved stage shows, biopics of legendary musical figures, or surprisingly effective horror sequels, lots of talented actors managed to go above and beyond in their roles and give some of the best performances of the year. From major names to relative newcomers, it was impressive how actors managed to deliver exciting performances that nobody saw coming.

While audiences sometimes go into movies with sky-high expectations, it’s always nice to leave a theater being genuinely surprised by the performance seen on screen. Looking back on all the films released in 2024, it's striking just how much up-and-coming talent there is in Hollywood and how older, beloved figures have also maintained their relevance even after decades of performing. All of these movie performances achieved something special, delivering unforgettable moments that reminded viewers why cinema continues to captivate and inspire audiences around the world.

10 Jonathan Bailey As Fiyero Tigelaar

Wicked (2024)

As one of the most successful stage musicals of all time and a prequel to the iconic fantasy The Wizard of Oz, expectations were sky-high for the long-awaited release of Wicked. While Ariana Grande’s portrayal of Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s impressive take on Elphaba have rightfully received widespread praise, the supporting performances in this film were equally astonishing. One actor who hasn’t gotten enough credit was Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, who brought confidence and charisma to his portrayal of the Winkie Country prince who encounters and befriends the duo at Shiz University.

Historical romance lovers would have recognized Bailey as Lord Anthony Bridgerton from Netflix’s Bridgerton, but this role meant he now became a notable name worldwide. Bailey proved himself a triple threat as he acted, danced, and sang his way through Wicked and looks set to have an even more significant role in the next installment, Wicked: For Good. It seems that Bailey’s incredible performance was not lost on Hollywood executives, as he’s also been cast in another major franchise with his upcoming main role in Jurassic World Rebirth.

9 Timothée Chalamet As Bob Dylan

A Complete Unknown (2024)

It’s never easy to play an icon, and Timothée Chalamet certainly had his work cut out for him when he accepted the role of the enigmatic musical legend Bob Dylan. With such a recognizable voice and deeply idiosyncratic characteristics, there was a fear that Chalamet’s performances could come across as looking like a cheap parody if not done correctly. However, production delays meant that Chalamet had several years to prepare for this role, and by the time filming started, he had perfected not only Dylan’s mannerisms in the 1960s but also his voice as the actor performed his songs live.

A Complete Unknown managed to capture the essence of what made Dylan such a phenomenon during the 1960s, as his protest music inspired a generation of activists to fight for social change. While other performances, such as Edward Norton’s role as the folk legend Pete Seeger, also deserved praise, Chalamet pulled off an astounding feat with a performance that’s even gained the approval of Dylan himself as he put up a rare post on social media to encourage his listeners to check out the biopic.

8 Kieran Culkin As Benji Kaplan

A Real Pain (2024)

For many years, Kieran Culkin was known primarily as the little brother of Macaulay Culkin, whose minor role as Kevin McAlister’s cousin Fuller in Home Alone was a fun bit of movie trivia. However, Culkin has carved out an astounding legacy for himself in recent years, as later roles in movies like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Margaret helped position him as an actor of serious talent. It was as Roman Roy in the HBO drama Succession that the true extent of Culkin’s dramatic skills were fully revealed, as his deadpan sense of humor and casual acting style just worked.

With so much promising potential, it was fantastic to see Culkin give his best performance yet as Benji Kaplan in Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy-drama A Real Pain. Culkin played an upbeat but troubled Jewish American traveling to Poland with his cousin to learn about his grandma’s history and her experiences during the Holocaust. While Culkin’s performance was lighthearted at the beginning, this merely disarmed viewers, and as the film progressed, he revealed an emotionally devastating performance that captured a three-dimensional character of serious depth.

7 Michael Keaton As Betelgeuse

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Michael Keaton was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s and 1990s, whose roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Betelgeuse in Tim Burton projects made him beloved by viewers of all ages. While Keaton has continued giving great performances in later years, when the legacy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was announced there was a fear he wouldn’t be able to recapture the magic of his original performance. There had been talk of a Beetlejuice sequel since as far as the first movie in 1988, and while various installments, like Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, were considered, it never got off the ground.

However, all these worries dissipated when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was released because, although the film was not perfect, Keaton slipped right back into the role as if no time had passed. The best thing about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was how much fun Keaton was clearly having with it, and it was obvious that reprising this part was about far more than a paycheck for him. With the door open for a third movie, audiences can only hope that Keaton appears once again if Burton opts to make Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

6 Glen Powell As Gary Johnson

Hit Man (2024)

It’s hard to think of a Hollywood star who is more hyped today than Glen Powell. With several recent successes, including Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone but You, and Twisters, Powell has proved that he’s equally comfortable with beloved franchises, classic rom-coms, and even big-budget disaster movies. While it feels like Powell can do no wrong these days, one challenging role that truly blew all audience expectations away was his portrayal of Gary Johnson in Richard Linklater’s hilarious crime comedy Hit Man.

Not only did Powell give an astounding performance in this story of an undercover cop finding love after posing as a hitman, but he also co-wrote the script with Linklater. Through an assortment of secret identity costume changes and by channeling many different characters, Powell proved his leading man potential in this oddly fun film. Without a truly compelling performance at the center of this story the film wouldn’t have worked, and with his role in Hit Man, Powell demonstrated to viewers that he could live up to the hype.

5 Nicolas Cage As Longlegs

Longlegs (2024)

Even the most passionate Nicolas Cage enthusiast will admit that his movies can be hit or miss, yet one thing’s for certain: he always gives his all and tries to do something interesting with his characters. However, Cage showcased a new side to his skills with his role as the title character in Longlegs, a creepy serial killer who brought to mind the unnerving power of classic films like The Silence of the Lambs. Cage was almost unrecognizable as he wore prosthetics to capture the weird and unnerving presence of this occultist killer.

Longlegs was one of the most surprisingly powerful films of 2024, as Cage's unique appeal made it the highest-grossing independent film of the year (via Variety), taking in over $127 million. With a disquieting mood and a nightmarish performance, it’s impressive that even after so many decades into his career, Cage can still surprise viewers with something entirely new. As one of the most terrifying fictional serial killers ever captured on screen, Longlegs was a horror highlight for 2024.

4 Naomi Scott As Skye Riley

Smile 2 (2024)

It’s never easy for a child star to overcome their earliest roles and be taken seriously as an adult actor in Hollywood. This was a challenge faced by Naomi Scott, who starred on the Disney Channel series Life Bites and the teen musical Lemonade Mouth. While Scott had later roles, such as in the Charlie’s Angels reboot and the live-action Aladdin, it was her standout performance in Smile 2 that truly blew viewers away. Scott leaned into her musical past as she played a pop star experiencing disturbing events as she embarked on her tour.

Smile 2 was the rare kind of horror sequel that actually lived up to its predecessor, and Scott made for a surprisingly engaging protagonist. As a performance that will surely open the door for Scott to become an even bigger name in Hollywood, Smile 2 took its clever premise to the absolute extreme as it built to its terrifying conclusion. As a potential hint toward the makings of a brand new Scream Queen, audiences can only hope that Scott continues to appear in more horror movies.

3 Aubrey Plaza As Wow Platinum

Megalopolis (2024)

When news broke that Francis Ford Coppola was self-funding his long-standing passion project Megalopolis and spent over $120 million of his own money to get it made, it was impossible to know what the results would be. With a stacked cast that included Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, and Jon Voight, the results felt like they could go either way. However, the addition of Aubrey Plaza was a good sign, yet nobody was prepared for her portrayal of Wow Platinum to be the best thing about the movie.

Plaza, along with Shia LaBeouf as Clodio Pulcher, added much-needed energy and humor to Megalopolis that helped add to the unique nature of Coppola’s vision. While many cinephiles will argue about whether Coppola managed to pull off his magnum opus or if this was just one in a long list of disappointing disasters for the filmmaker, one thing is for certain: Plaza gave a standout performance. Wow Platinum was a fascinating twist on movie femme fatales whose role as a ruthlessly ambitious TV presenter was perfectly suited to Plaza’s dry wit and unconventional charisma.

2 Jeremy Strong As Roy Cohn

The Apprentice (2024)

Making a biographical drama about the early years of future US president Donald Trump was always going to be a divisive decision as it was released in the midst of his presidential campaign. While Trump himself came out to disavow the film as a “defamatory, politically disgusting hatchet job,” (via Guardian) one thing nobody could deny was that Jeremy Strong gave a truly incredible performance as Roy Cohen. While The Apprentice focused on Trump’s transformation into a ruthless businessman, Cohen was portrayed as the man behind the man, quietly pulling the strings and influencing his uncompromising rise in the world of New York real estate.

While audiences already knew Strong could give a good performance, as his portrayal of Kendall Roy on Succession made him a household name, the accuracy with which he captured Cohen was truly eerie. Strong lost himself in the role of Cohen, and he acted as a dark mirror to the more bombastic and over-the-top characterization of Sebastian Stan’s Trump. The Apprentice may have been a controversial movie, but Strong deserves praise for giving a truly astounding performance.

1 Mikey Madison As Anora "Ani" Mikheeva

Anora (2024)

While director Sean Baker has made some great movies with great performances in recent years, like Tangerine and The Florida Project, Mikey Madison truly blew all expectations away with her role in Anora. From her breakout performance in the FX sitcom Better Things to smaller roles like Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Madison has been quietly building up her reputation these last few years. With Anora, Madison has truly broken through as a leading lady of impeccable talent, and she’s deservedly picked up a Golden Globe for her performance.

Anora tells the story of a young sex worker who becomes involved with the son of a Russian oligarch in a comedy-drama that is tense, gripping, and oddly emotional. After getting married in Las Vegas, the well-connected Russian family attempted to have the marriage quickly annulled with the help of their hapless Russian henchmen. Madison brought pathos and emotion to the role of Ani as the complex sadness of love and misunderstanding amid the expectations of sex work came to the forefront.