Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2024: Results

10. Denzel Washington in Gladiator II - Washington gives an entertaining performance that offers some much needed gravitas to his film though he is limited by the film's weaknesses. 

Best Scene: Protecting Dondus.

9. Richard Roundtree in Thelma - Roundtree gives an endearing performance that offers the right straight man contrast to Squib's lead performance.

Best Scene: Argument with Thelma.

8. Jason Bateman in Carry-On - Bateman gives an entertaining though also menacing portrayal of a particularly caustic mercenary. 

Best Scene: Woke up. 

7. David Jonsson - Jonsson elevates his film best he can by giving an endearing yet appropriately synthetic portrayal of both the best companion and a more enigmatic sinister presence. 

Best Scene: Back to himself. 

6. Karren Karagulian in Anora - Karagulian gives a consistently hilarious portrayal of constant intense frustration though just a hint of growth in there as well.  

Best Scene: Home invasion

5. Franz Rogowski in Bird - Rogowski is going out an extreme limb and makes his off-beat character feel absolutely real and human. 

Best Scene: Arm twist.

4. Austin Butler in Dune Part II - Butler brings such tremendous bravado to make a memorable sadist though also remarkably finds nuance within the type. 

Best Scene: "May thy knife chip and shatter"

3. Simon McBurney in Nosferatu - McBurney finally gets his chance to do more than his usual type and runs away with his chance through his captivating portrayal of a very particular religious fervor. 

Best Scene: First scene in the mad house. 

2. Adam Pearson in A Different Man - Adam Pearson gives a distinctly larger than life, approachable, charming, humble, hilarious, yet earnest, likeable performance though also successfully as a very particular tormentor. 

Best Scene: Unexpected arrival with Edward's work friends. 

1. Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing - Good predictions Luke, Bryan, Jonathan, A, Tony, Emi Grant, Razor, Perfectionist, Calvin, Matt, Ytrewq, John Smith, RatedRStar & Brazinterma. Maclin gives my favorite male supporting performance of the year as he manages to give both a layered portrayal of a man finding his voice as an actor, while also giving an incredibly moving and heartwarming portrayal of a prisoner finding purpose and so convincingly becoming a better man.

Best Scene: "To Be Or Not To Be"

Overall Ranking:

1. Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing
2. Guy Pearce in The Brutalist
3. Adam Pearson in A Different Man
4. Yura Borisov in Anora
5. Jeremy Strong in The Apprentice - 5
6. Selton Mello in I'm Still Here 
7. Simon McBurney in Nosferatu
8. Austin Butler in Dune Part II
9. Franz Rogowski in Bird
10. Willem Dafoe in Nosferatu
11. Bill Skarsgård in Nosferatu
12. Karren Karagulian in Anora
13. Dennis Quaid in The Substance 
14. David Jonsson in Alien Romulus
15. Jason Bateman in Carry-On
16. Richard Roundtree in Thelma - 4.5
17. Vache Tovmasyan in Anora
18. Sean San José in Sing Sing
19. Javier Bardem in Dune Part II
20. Robert Gwisdek in Dying
21. Edward Norton in A Complete Unknown 
22. Jay O. Sanders in His Three Daughters
23. Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson
24. Peter Macon in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
25. Tom Burke in Furiosa
26. Raghav Juyal in Kill
27. Paul Raci in Sing Sing
28. Sean Dino Johnson in Sing Sing
29. Mosi Eagle in Sing Sing
30. David Giraudy in Sing Sing
31. Patrick Griffin in Sing Sing
    
32. James Williams in Sing Sing
33. Joe Alwyn in The Brutalist
34. Denzel Washington in Gladiator II 
    
35. Cory Michael Smith in Saturday Night
36. Mark Eydelshteyn in Anora
37. Stephen McKinley Henderson in Civil War
38. Malcolm McDowell in Thelma
39. Willem Dafoe in Kinds of Kindness 
40. Ben Chaplin in September 5
41. Ashish Vidyarthi in Kill 
42. Alessandro Nivola in The Brutalist
43. Antonio Banderas in Babygirl
44. Dylan O'Brien in Saturday Night
45. Arthur Conti in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
46. Jesse Plemons in Civil War
47. Barry Keoghan in Bird
48. Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine 
49. Don Johnson in Rebel Ridge
50. Harris Dickinson in Babygirl 
51. Lamorne Morris in Saturday Night
52. Martin Donovan in The Apprentice
53. Pedro Pascal in The Wild Robot
54. Kodi Smit-McPhee in Memoir of a Snail
55. Ravi Kishan in Laapataa Ladies
56. Ralph Ineson in Nosferatu
57. Brendan Gleeson in Joker Folie A Deux 
58. Ronald Zehrfeld in Dying 
59. Tommy Dewey in Saturday Night 
60. Pierfrancesco Favino in Maria
61. Kesav Binoy Kiron in Girls Will Be Girls
62. Guilherme Silveira in I'm Still Here
63. Danny McCarthy in Good One
64. Antonio Savoia in I'm Still Here
65. Michael Fassbender in Kneecap - 4
66. Robbie Williams in Better Man
67. Leigh Gill in Joker Folie a Deux
68. Sergio Castellitto in Conclave
69. Corey Hawkins in The Piano Lesson
70. Kevin Bacon in Maxxxine
71. Josh Brolin in Dune Part II 
72. Benjamin Clementine in Blitz
73. Nicholas Podany in Saturday Night
74. Michael Shannon in The Bikeriders
75. Stellan Skarsgård in Dune Part II 
76. Ed Harris in Love Lies Bleeding
77. Steve Pemberton in Better Man
78. Peter Sarsgaard in September 5
79. Isaach de Bankolé in The Brutalist
80. David Webber in Hard Truths 
    
81. Scoot McNairy in A Complete Unknown
82. Matthew Rhys in Saturday Night
83. Kevin Bacon in Beverly Hills Cop: Axle F
84. Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa
85. Haluk Bilginer in Maria
86. Victor Slezak in The Order
87. Jonathan Bailey in Wicked
88. Hans-Uwe Bauer in Dying
89. Jonathan Hyde in The Brutalist
90. Michael Potts in The Piano Lesson
91. Alexander Karim  in Gladiator II
92. Kevin Costner in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
93. Timothy Spall in Wicked Little Letters 
94. Kit Connor in The Wild Robot
95. Aleksei Serebryakov in Anora
96. Raul Dial in Didi
97. Carlos Diehz in Conclave
98. Tuwaine Barrett in Hard Truths
99. Charlie Carrick in The Apprentice
100. J.K. Simmons in Saturday Night
101. Winston Duke in The Fall Guy 
102. Channing Tatum in Blink Twice
103. Lucian Msamati in Conclave
104. Mamoudou Athie in Kinds of Kindness
105. Damon Herriman in The Bikeriders
106. Blair Underwood in Longlegs
107. Kevin Durand in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes 
108. Jeff Goldblum in Wicked
109. Jon Hamm in Transformers One
110. Damon Herriman in Better Man
111. Jeff Fahey in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
112. Ralph Ineson in The First Omen
113. Kiefer Sutherland in Juror No. 2
114. Jovan Adepo in His Three Daughters
115. Will Sharpe in A Real Pain
116. Shia Labeouf in Megalopolis 
117. Cooper Hoffman in Saturday Night
118. Jason Schwartzman in The Last Showgirl
119. Norman Reedus in The Bikeriders 
120. Antonio Banderas in Paddington in Peru
121. Anand Sami in All We Imagine As Light
122. Dave Merheje in Sometimes I Think About Dying
123. Bill Nighy in The Wild Robot
124. Brian F. O'Byrne in Conclave
125. Sam Worthington in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
126. Alex Wolff in A Quiet Place Day One 
127. Chris Messina in Juror No. 2
128. Reece Shearsmith in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
129. Dave Bautista in The Last Showgirl
130. Motell Foster in La cocina
131. Hugh Bonneville in Paddington in Peru
132. Marc Maron in The Order
133. Masahiro Motoki in Touch
134. Pierfrancesco Favino in The Count of Monte Cristo
135. Keegan-Michael Key in Transformers One
136. Peter Dinklage in Wicked - 3.5
137. Dave Bautista in Dune Part II
138. Pitobash in Monkey Man
139. Channing Tatum in Deadpool & Wolverine
140. Anthony Ramos in Twisters
141. Simon Rex in Blink Twice
142. John Ashton in Beverly Hills Cop: Axle F
143. Mike Faist in The Bikeriders
144. John Lithgow in Conclave
145. Matt Berry in The Wild Robot
146. Kurt Egyiawan in A Real Pain
147. Kyle MacLachlan in Blink Twice
148. Bill Camp in Drive Away Dolls 
149. Emory Cohen in The Bikeriders
150. William H. Macy in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
151. Boyd Holbrook in The Bikeriders
152. Gabriel Basso in Juror No. 1
153. Judge Reinhold in Beverly Hills Cop: Axle F
154. Willem Dafoe in Saturday Night
155. Mark Hamill in The Wild Robot
156. Elias Koteas in Janet Planet
157. Sikandar Kher in Monkey Man
158. Boyd Holbrook in A Complete Unknown
159. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Beverly Hills Cop: Axle F 
     
160. Stanley Tucci in Conclave
161. J.K. Simmons in Juror No. 2
162. Joe Alwyn in Kinds of Kindness
163. Michael Shannon in A Different Man
164. Giancarlo Esposito in Maxxxine
165. Michael Rooker in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
166. Bobby Cannavale in Maxxine
167. Brandon Perea in Twisters
168. Leigh Gill in Blitz
169. Kodi Smit-McPhee in Maria
170. Dean Norris in Carry-On
171. Laurence Fishburne in Transformers One
172. Pedro Pascal in Gladiator II
173. Chris Evans in Deadpool & Wolverine
174. Paapa Essiedu in The Outrun
175. Wesley Snipes in Deadpool & Wolverine
176. Ed Begley Jr. in Strange Darling
177. Charles Dance in The First Omen
178. Ethan Slater in Wicked
179. Will Patton in Janet Planet
180. Peter Kay in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
181. Matthew MacFadyen in Deadpool & Wolverine
182. Stephen Graham in Young Woman and the Sea
183. Aaron Chang in Didi
184. David Denman in Rebel Ridge
185. Willem Dafoe in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
186. Louis Black in Inside Out 2
187. Robert Smigel in Between The temples
188. Bill Nighy in The First Omen
189. Arturo Castro in Roadhouse 
190. Paul Weller in Blitz
191. Emory Cohen in Rebel Ridge 
192. Steve Coogan in Joker Folie a Deux
193. Shea Whigham in Fancy Dance
194. Ian Bliss in Late Night with the Devil
195. M. Emmett Walsh in Brothers
196. Andy Samberg in Lee
197. Steve Buscemi in Transformers One
198. Daveed Diggs in Nickel Boys
199. Hridhu Haroon in All We Imagine As Light
200. Oded Fehr in La cocina
201. Dwayne Johnson in Moana 2
202. Marton Csokas in Cuckoo
203. Bastien Bouillon in The Count of Monte Cristo
204. John Turturro in The Room Next Door
205. Tony Hale in Inside Out 2 
206. Tim McInnerny in The End
207. Michael Shannon in The End
208. Lennie James in The End - 3
209. Jason Schwartzman in Queer
210. Joseph Quinn in Gladiator II
211. Harris Dickinson in Blitz
212. Stephen Dillane in The Outrun
213. Christopher Walken in Dune Part II
214. Laurence Fishburne in Megalopolis
215. Drew Starkey in Queer
216. Nicholas Braun in Saturday Night
217. Jamie Campbell Bower in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
218. Dave Franco in Love Lies Bleeding
219. Joaquim de Almeida in Roadhouse
220. Tim McInnerny in Gladiator II
221. Percy Hynes White in My Old Ass
222. Danny Huston in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
223. Colman Domingo in Drive Away Dolls
224. Giancarlo Esposito in Megalopolis
225. Rhys Auteri in Late Night With the Devil
226. Lukas Gage in Roadhouse
227. Haley Joel Osment in Blink Twice
228. Andy Nyman in Wicked
229. Topher Grace in Heretic
230. Matt Damon in Drive Away Dolls 
231. Fred Hechinger in Thelma 
232. Christopher Eccleston in Young Woman and the Sea
233. Harry Lawtey in Joker Folie a Deux
234. Dustin Hoffman in Megalopolis
235. Steven Michael Quezada in Strange Darling
236. Justin Theroux in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
     
237. Matt Wood in Saturday Night
238. Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Nosferatu
239. Douglas Hodge in We Live In Time
240. Dan Fogler in A Complete Unknown
241. Alexander Skarsgård in Lee
242. Aaron Stanford in Deadpool & Wolverine 
243. Jon Batiste in Saturday Night 
244. Edgar Ramirez in Emilia Perez 
245. Ray Fisher in The Piano Lesson 
246. Fred Hechinger in Nickel Boys
247. Gwilym Lee in Here 
248. Scoot McNairy in Nightbitch - 2.5
249. Nicolas Cage in Longlegs
250. Dan Stevens in Cuckoo
251. Logan Marshall-Green in Carry-On
252. Jonathan Langdon in Trap
253. Aaron Taylor-Johnson in The Fall Guy
254. Luke Wilson in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 
255. Austin Amelio in Hit Man
256. Jon Voight in Megalopolis
257. John David Washington in The Piano Lesson
258. Hamish Linklater in Nickel Boys
259. Stephen Graham in Blitz
260. Archie Renaux in Alien Romulus
261. C.J. Wilson in Drive Away Dolls
262. Billy Magnussen in Roadhouse
263. Joey Slotnick in Drive Away Dolls 
264. Tony Hale in Woman of the Hour
265. Mark Ivanir in Emilia Perez 
266. Fred Hechinger in Gladiator II 
267. Tye Sheridan in The Order
268. Bowen Yang in Wicked 
269. Theo Rossi in Carry-On - 2
270. Brendan Fraser in Brothers
271. Pete Holmes in Woman of the Hour
272. Mathew Shear in Between The Temples
273. Spike Fearn in Alien Romulus
274. Simon Prast in Maxxxine - 1.5
275. Dean Norris in The Six Triple Eight
276. Stéphane Ly-Cuong in Emilia Perez - 1
277. Paul Bettany in Here - 3 Wiseaus
278. Connor McGregor in Roadhouse - 0

Next: 2024 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2024: Adam Pearson in A Different Man

Adam Pearson did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite receiving an Independent Spirit Award nomination, for portraying Oswald in A Different Man.

A Different Man follows Edward (Sebastian Stan) a man and actor with neurofibromatosis who undertakes an experimental procedure which removes the condition from his face and he recreates himself as Guy, a successful real estate agent. Only to return to acting to attempt to star in a play based on his own life by his former neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve) without ever revealing himself as Edward. This is all upended when Adam Pearson arrives as Oswald, a man also with neurofibromatosis which Pearson has in real life. Pearson, having formerly appeared in Under the Skin in one of the potential victims of the alien, played by Scarlet Johannsson, where fittingly I suppose Pearson played more so the shy retiring man that Edward is at the beginning of this film, however Pearson here is the exact opposite. Pearson storms into the film with his refined English accent and seemingly rather gentle yet entirely firm way of taking over a space. Pearson appears as Oswald who passes by to state his interest in the part while also excusing himself of potentially possibly playing it as he sees Edward in the role. Pearson due to his condition largely has to carry his performance through his voice, though he certainly has a strong physical presence as well, but his voice alone does so much of the work to begin with. And within his voice there is such an obvious contrast to how we saw Stan’s portrayal of Edward when he still had the condition who spoke so quietly and meekly, where Pearson speaks with such ease with this certain rapid fire quality to it. Pearson speaks without doubt, without hesitation, without concern and with the utmost confidence about his words and more importantly himself. It needs to be said that Pearson is absolutely hilarious in the particular blend that he manages to achieve because as much as you might forgive a man with his condition for even be pompous, the specific element is the “apparent” modesty in his words, even though every word he says is so matter of fact in the breezy charm and assurance of one’s self. The more we see Oswald the more he seems to be just this guy who has a perfect existence where his condition doesn’t even seem to phase him except his general awareness of it as something that doesn’t bother him. The key to this is Pearson’s ability to make it all look so easy within his own performance, where even the way he walks and appears within a scene has such an ease about himself. He’s not looking down and away trying not to be seen, he has no second thoughts and is willing to be seen by anyone or anything as he’s so confident in himself. 

What Pearson becomes is this strange tormentor to Stan’s Edward, however the most curious of tormentors because to quote Mike Milligan, he’s so polite about it. And part of what makes Pearson’s performance so great is the enigmatic quality to his charisma in the role where you, like Edward, can’t quite be certain at precisely understanding what his “game” is exactly, which brilliantly is one of the most frustrating things because maybe there is no game. Pearson’s power much of the time is in that breezy consistency of the guy who is just so on top of the world where he can casually sing karaoke in front of everyone like he’s a casual lounge singer where there’s no concern as he is his own star. He can just be super charming by his casual flirtation with a random woman yet be wholly endearing when he says he’ll call her even though she doubts that, and Pearson is still charming as ever as every word he says seems completely attentive, supportive and just with genuine interest for that person. A personal favorite of mine is when he just appears randomly in the park to Edward and proclaims “Yoga in the park” as the most natural reason for his sudden appearance. But as much as Oswald seems to be so confident about everything, he somehow seems that much more perfect by also being self-effacing at the same time. Such as when everyone praises his English accent, Oswald in his still very outgoing way says his accent back in England is that “he’s just a bloke”. Pearson’s delivery is a humorous charm offensive at the same time. When even doubting his yoga, Pearson doesn’t infuse it with any genuine doubt, rather just a reasonable doubt to not make Oswald pompous, though he ends up being so perfect by almost fashioning this ideal self-doubt for the sake of appropriate modesty. All of this is far too much yet Pearson wields it in a way that is far too much but in a way that is just so immensely entertaining and entirely convincing. Pearson’s performance however keeps within it that way you can’t completely get a bead on him if he is truly exactly what he says he is, even though he seems to be, even as everything he does pesters Edward in some way, whether or not this intentional. Which goes to an extreme as Oswald takes Edward’s lead role, though insisting first that Edward still gets a part then allowing the part to be removed for the sake of the piece, he gets together with Ingrid who Edward was with before, all of it seeming just what happens and how can you possible blame the oh so innocent Oswald? Afterall Pearson makes him just so charming even when he is telling Edward why he needs to be replaced, bringing a certain warmth, a care but also a directness in trying to make Edward understand the “steal”. Edward even physically attacks Oswald, to which Oswald throws him into a the set in self-defense severely injuring Edward, though Pearson seems wholly genuine as all Oswald can be is mortified at his own strength, a weirdly apologetic while also self-promoting statement that Pearson makes entirely natural. Though to be fair to Oswald, he then proceeds to take care of the temporarily paralyzed Edward, however even this seems psychological torture as Oswald seems to flaunt the ideal life that Edward wanted as all Edward can do is watch. Even after Edward violently attacks his physical trainer, for insulting Oswald, spending years in jail and the first thing Oswald does is just be his ever friendly self and Pearson as endearing as ever in the seeming warmth as he excitedly embraces the released Edward. Though I do love the final bit of Oswald and Ingrid joining a possible sex cult, as perhaps a sign of even cracks within the idea of paradise, however as usual still in the end Oswald gets the last word saying how Edward “hasn’t changed a bit”. That line as delivered by Pearson is an ideal expression of is Oswald admiring Edward or is it a dig? And that’s part of the greatness of this performance is Pearson’s ambiguity he achieves while also being so confident, charismatic and forward with his performance. As he lets you doubt Oswald’s intentions even as Oswald seemingly is pure, even if everything seems designed to make Edward suffer by comparison. There’s a moment relatively early on in their interactions where Oswald surprises Edward at a bar, where Edward is entertaining his work friends, and there’s a moment where he whispers his apology, however that apology maybe is the truth of Oswald, or not, as Pearson seems sincere yet there’s something too knowing too persistent about it all, that does make one ponder if that apology was just step one in his plan to kill Edward with kindness. Pearson’s performance is such a uniquely astonishing turn, truly one of a kind and much like Oswald himself, that isn’t referring to his condition. Rather it is the success of the turn to be so distinctly larger than life, approachable, charming, humble, hilarious, yet earnest, so likeable yet at the same time sinister within the perspective we are offered through Edward. And the best part is, Pearson makes it all look so easy here, he comes in and just captivates every second he’s onscreen, making Oswald such a fascinating, funny but also importantly unknowable figure despite never being vague. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2024: Denzel Washington in Gladiator II

Denzel Washington did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Macrinus in Gladiator II. 

Gladiator II is the pale sequel/remake of Gladiator, this time following former heir to the Empire Lucius (Paul Mescal) as he seeks revenge against Rome while also in a Gladiator pit. I will say rewatching this film only exacerbated its flaws for me, and eliminating at least motivation to see what happens next in the most basic sense made it truly a slog this time around.

Washington seemingly takes over the Proximo role Oliver Reed played in the original film, who bought Maximus (Russell Crowe) in that film, as Washington as Macrinus buys Lucius. But the comparisons stop there and Macrinus stands as the best thing about the film but also still yet another point of frustration. Washington on the most immediate surface is most welcome in this film, providing some much needed star power left with the absence of Crowe, which Mescal has already proven himself to be a great actor but from this tryout at least he might not be ideal for straight leading men style roles that rely largely on star charisma. Much of Washington’s performance though seems designed just honestly to play around in scenes as an actor with such tremendous charisma, and I’ll say isn’t entirely ill-fitting to the way Macrinus presents himself outwardly as this flamboyant Gladiator owner. Washington gives two different performances here, this first one is almost in the Raul Julia in Street Fighter, Alan Rickman in Robin Hood Prince Thieves School of elevating bad material by just riffing on the material by going broad and to be at least entertaining within their own work. I write almost however because I wouldn’t quite consider that performance on that level, though I do attribute this more so to the way he’s edited more than anything. In his early scenes there’s a bit of a strange urgency in all of Washington’s scenes to get out of there as soon as possible, making them not nearly as fun as they could be if Ridley Scott had allowed him to really bite into that scenery. Instead we get his mechanizations through some really overly simplistic scenes of making a series of bets with Senator Darling (Tim McInnerny) which alone allows him to nearly take hold of all of Rome as apparently that Senator knows everything despite being an obvious dolt. Regardless Washington gets to have some fun in just in being tastefully over the top, such as his expression of joy when initially making the bet, his four letter expletive eating grin after seeing Senator Darling each time, or his weirdly comforting, certainly homoerotic way of lovingly embracing the Senator just as he’s basically saying he owns all his things and will now be his personal lap dog. Washington is fun in all these bits, but I’m not going to lie, I wish there was more to them, make the mechanizations more complicated, give Washington more things to play with, or even the scenario as is, give him more real estate just to play around with, unfortunately Scott does neither…although Scott unsurprisingly has proclaimed an extra long director’s cut for this film.

Washington however does have a separate performance which he does logically fashion within the scheme of his own work as his public scenes are where he presents Macrinus with that playfulness but his private scenes with Lucius Washington does largely tone it down to deliver a more serious performance. And just as Washington is fun with the big scenes, he delivers the utmost conviction with his more intimate scenes knowing how throw out a lot of exposition with hints of intention as he goes on about the nature of Rome and seemingly looks at Lucius as far more than just a gladiator who might make him some money. Washington brings an incisiveness within his eyes and his words to suggest the greater ambition of Macrinus before we eventually get the turn, where Macrinus takes the next step by informing the twin Emperors McPoyle, Liam (Joseph Quinn) and Ryan (Fred Hechinger) of the betrayal of Lucius’s mom Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and her husband Acacius (Pedro Pascal) in their attempt to overthrow the Emperors. Something that gets Macrinus in the good graces of the Emperors, and we get what is probably Washington at his closest to the Rickman/Julia sweet spot. Where Ryan, crazed by some sort of STD, starts going crazy over his monkey Dondus and accuses Liam of conspiracy, which Macrinus cultivates. Even Washington specific delivery of “Dondus” with such phony yet believable sincerity of a great protector is something rather special, and his quietly egging Ryan on with this phony sincerity, though always winking to we the audience in the false some over done way he says every line is a lot of fun. With a great topper when Ryan starts stabbing Liam and Liam asks Macrinus for help, only for Macrinus to use Ryan’s hand to finish the job, where Washington’s giant smile like Macrinus is living his very best life in the moment, is the kind of moment you want from this performance. Contrasting that is Macrinus’s most interior moment where he reveals to Lucilla that he was a former slave under her father Marcus Aurelius and all of his mechanizations have been to destroy Rome due to his former treatment. A truly juicy idea, and Washington’s definitely good in his defiant yet reserved anger of someone who has kept it in for long just to savor this very moment, but again I just wanted a little more, not from Washington but from Scott to just have that little extra. The whole idea of the character is a potentially amazing one, with a game actor in Washington but as it exists it just isn’t as much as it could be. As the big finale we do get some good moments from Washington, such as when he explains he’ll blame any fallout for his plan on the remaining Emperor, by noting that’s “Politics” where his delivery of just politics is purely an acting moment to make something memorable about a not particularly memorable line or scene. The ending though feels so rushed and lacking again better moments for Washington to sink his teeth into, particularly not the ill-conceived final duel between Washington and Lucius, though I do have great affection for his final expression. I will admit I included Washington in the lineup in part because I did want to see just how I felt as I liked him the first time but wasn’t sure if it was just due to contrast, though in reality this might’ve slightly hurt him by forcing me to watch the film again. And in doing so, the film dragged and Washington’s scenes dragged the least, some of his scenes still did, and some became frustrating because it became so obvious how much potential there was to exploit this performance and character for so much more than we get here. As Scott should’ve let Washington have more fun, or should’ve given him some better scripted scenes to really dive into dramatically in cultivating a really potentially powerful sympathetic villain arc. As it is, it is easy to see the potential of this, because some parts do achieve it like the aforementioned Dondus scene, but in the end it just isn’t enough. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2024: Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing

Clarence Maclin did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite receiving a BAFTA nomination, for portraying Divine Eye which is technically himself in Sing Sing.

It is that last bit that I think is why Maclin might’ve missed out on the final five in part, though it didn’t help that A24 barely pushed the film, though Maclin would’ve always suffered from the criticism that I see, that instantly makes me not interested in one’s opinion, which is dismissing a performer or performance for “playing themselves”. Now Maclin is literally playing himself, in that Divine Eye is his nickname, however this is the younger Maclin who was in prison who joined the prison theater program. But I guess it’s best just to go through every reason why any such criticism is ridiculous, starting with the first aspect that is the skill to naturally be one’s self, though again Maclin isn’t even that. Well Maclin certainly is that, and while he is a kind of one of a kind onscreen performer, in that you haven’t seen precisely Maclin in any way shape or form before, he is entirely his own man, he also is entirely a person you just accept as that person. There is no, “he’s good for a first timer” or any such nonsense. Maclin embodies the role without any difficulty and with such ease. But that is only the first step, of the many steps of why this performance is so much more than just him playing himself. The next thing that Maclin does here is a fascinating deconstruction of acting, while also presenting the learning of acting in a most remarkable way. 

To explain, when we are first introduced to Maclin, Maclin is already playing two different parts as Divine Eye within the prison. The first being the prison drug dealer who goes about imitating one of his “subcontractors” essentially to ensure he gets proper payment out of the man. Maclin is great in the scene because he very much switches on a dime to the specified intensity, as very much owning it as this more of a gangster persona. There’s a bravado to it as the man purposefully is throwing off the other man and just completely taking him apart with an imitation by confidence as he gets the man to affirm that he’ll do what he wants. Maclin is completely convincing in playing the role of the drug dealer who is playing with his prey essentially. But immediately we see another side of him as he speaks to two of the theater committee members coming to interview him about potentially joining, Divine G (Colman Domingo) and Mike Mike (Sean San José). Where Divine G immediately calls on him about the “performance” he just saw as a drug dealer. Maclin is so charismatic in the way he plays this moment, in another different performance, which is a very exact tone of someone very much interested in something doing everything in his power to pretend he’s only slightly interested. As Maclin makes it all a joke, says everything as kind of out of the side of his mouth with a degree of disinterest. I especially love the moment where Divine G asks him to be honest, and Maclin’s way of reciting King Lear is a work of art. As he walks along it like it’s a slight inconvenience until speaking verse himself with intent and clarity, before then shrugging it off rather hilariously as though he’d just casually glance at King Lear. 

The next version of Divine Eye that Maclin presents is as he’s been allowed into the program and where he, along with the other guys work on deciding what their next play should be. Maclin’s fantastic in the way he is able to create a new “performance” of Divine Eye within this theater group, that he’s not part of in his mind yet, though they have let him in. Maclin is brilliant in the way he so naturally exudes this defense mechanism within Divine Eye’s own presence, which within the prison culture is to “play tough”. Where Maclin reigns himself into a dismissing sneer, however Maclin’s work isn’t so simple. Again there’s hints of vulnerability in his eyes of really shyness and even a fear in the man trying to figure out what his place is precisely here and if he belongs at all. Even when he does finally speak, there’s a degree of hesitation within it before he starts talking, but as he starts speaking we seem to finally get to something a bit more authentically the man. Although all Divine Eye does is suggest a comedy to help prisoners get their mind off of prison life as an escape, Maclin suddenly just is right there with no bravado on top. He’s telling the truth as something he just hopes to see and even within the degree of shyness, for a man who is not shy otherwise, there is an honesty there even if still reserved overall. Through his suggestion however this leads to the group going with a very strange hodgepodge of various characters and ideas in a comedy about a time traveling prince who runs into a series of different people from Freddy Krueger to Hamlet. Leading the men to go into auditions for the various parts including to Divine G’s surprise, who thought for sure he’d play Hamlet himself, Divine Eye decides to audition for the Prince of Denmark. 

The moment Divine Eye is going in for the audition is one of my favorites in the film as Divine G calls him out on his inconsistency of promoting the idea of doing a comedy only for him to audition for the one serious part in the piece, to which Divine Eye replies that he didn’t want to get yawned off the stage as a man said, comedy is hard. Maclin’s delivery is absolutely hilarious in just the quickness of it, but also the rather flagrant lie of it, however in very much a good nature as the man goes in with his ample charisma into the audition. Where Divine Eye gets the part of Hamlet and we begin the performance within the performance. That's incredible on Maclin’s part because even as approaching Hamlet, what he is also doing is showing all that Divine Eye is doing to kind of get in his way within this process. As the first scene where each actor needs to introduce themselves as their character, Maclin does two performances, first as Divine Eye of just saying he’s the Prince of Denmark but with the “above it all” dismissiveness of the prison drug dealer, before they urge him to try again, and Maclin fancies a little bit of overly dramatic manner while saying a light accent that he’s Hamlet. Maclin playing the start of the performance as something that needs to go a lot further. Even more so you see the anxiety of the idea of bringing Hamlet to life fill his expression as we see the self-doubts so naturally within Maclin’s performance. Something that he shows as part of what we see in the follow-up scenes where you see a coldness, of the man trying to present himself as the uncaring prisoner and nothing more than that, but within it the real fear of the man below it not wanting to look as a fool as he says “fuck this shit” to rehearsing his part. 

Following this there is the real start of the relationship between the Divines, as G tries to offer some advice while also calling out Eye for bringing in a knife into the rehearsal hall that could destroy the program. Maclin again is playing the layers of each role within Divine Eye’s prison presentation of himself. From first just bringing that callousness again in dismissing the acting warmups, then to something more severe and intense when G mentions the knife, where Maclin turns it up to be fully intimidating as how Divine Eye would threaten anyone in prison who he thinks is trying to put power over him in any way. There’s more though as he continues noting the troubles in his life as part of the reason why he doesn’t want someone telling him what to do, Maclin is amazing in bringing the striking undercurrent of real emotion that exists in the man, that while the threat to an extent is posturing his hurt is very raw and wholly real. Although to this G only corrects Eye on the use of the “N” word as inappropriate, where G shows no fear, and Maclin brings it down back to the callousness however without any sense of power against G in the moment. However Eye continues as the rehearsals continue, where Eye just pushes back against everyone to get into conflict to avoid the risk of performance. And what Maclin shows in these moments is the thinness of the posturing, there is the man just trying to put up the defense, not the reality, and just keep the edge to not get hurt himself. Maclin brings the intensity but not a reality beyond just using the surface anger to hide the truths about himself. That is until another one of the men gives an impassioned speech about his previous time in that same anger and the purpose of the acting, where in this moment, you see real greatness from Maclin with something that makes one forget anything about “playing himself” or first film, which is his silence. Maclin nonverbal reaction just speaks it all as you see the way he takes in the words, it breaks down that surface protection and from here on we start seeing the man hidden within the prisoner. 

One of the most important steps in this transformation is now Diving Eye seeking out Divine G as both an acting mentor but also as a friend. Maclin's way of playing with sincerity has nuance even within that because you see the tough guy, ease up into speaking with quiet earnestness at first in just asking a few more questions. Maclin’s straightforward, brief, blunt, just letting out a bit, before then speaking about his own son. Maclin deliveries become more articulated, more emotion is being presented forward, as he tells that his son is in prison just like him, Maclin is starting to show Divine Eye revealing more of himself and just honestly let himself out a bit in a very moving start to his transformation. Before then asking G what is the “trick” to remembering lines, now without callousness just real interest. We start getting such wonderful chemistry between Domingo and Maclin. The warmth feels so easy between them as they start chatting with one another as people. But Maclin never makes it simple. When G gets more person, asking about a parole hearing, Maclin brings a little bit of the shade of closing up for a moment again as a man still struggling to just be completely real with him. This coincides with his bringing Hamlet to life, which we see the same struggle there as Maclin’s shoulders are down, his delivery just enough effort or even that in terms of getting by in the part. When G wants him not to be the prisoner with his head down but royalty, Maclin obliges pitch perfectly as his posture changes, his manner goes up, and we see him channel his “drug dealer” bravado but now funneled through to be Hamlet. Maclin starts bringing the sense of rhythm, the way he listens to every suggestion with keen interest, and wanting to take that next step to really be Hamlet. 

We start seeing the progress and honestly one of my absolute favorite moments of 2024 is just Divine Eye helping to do a wind prop, and the sheer joy in his face has so much meaning within the gesture. Maclin shows the loss of any of his performance to defend himself from the group essentially, to now accepting their help, his place and becoming himself as just a man having fun in an acting troupe. Maclin portrays the growing emotional intelligence as he starts to honestly contemplate his life and uses the acting to reflect himself. The growing camaraderie with Domingo is so winning, as they just become fun in their time together, and just two guys hanging out, a seemingly simple thing that has such power to it because we’ve seen where Maclin came from being so closed off, to this man offering a lot of himself in order to truly act by understanding himself. The next time we come in as he is delivering his rendition of To Be or Not to Be, Maclin is riveting as we see the man channeling the genuine emotion of Hamlet’s intentions, his power as a person and the real depth of the words. Maclin has the bravado, but now it is funneled into specifically a more regal manner though just as charismatic. His words now flow with ease of a man’s own words but the dignity of a classic contemplation. The words themselves nuanced with the precise emotions of that contemplation and the emotional undercurrent of the melancholy, indecision but also betrayal that fuels Hamlet. It is all the more powerful because Maclin has shown us so genuinely this step by step process, showing the pitfalls, showing the trips ups, making his success feel so earned, particularly when we too see the power from his performance. 

As we see Eye and G chat keep going towards trying to actually be paroled, which Maclin’s so great at being so much more open in his performance as even when he puts doubts out, and reasons why not to try, it isn’t with any attack, no anger, just honest hesitation and reservations from someone who has come to learn to accept prison. When he decides to allow G to help him, the simplicity of the switch I absolutely love as just now it is a casual ask because Maclin makes it one friend just asking another for help at this point. If that wasn’t enough, Maclin is able to take one step which is to go from the man going through the process to the man eventually selling the process himself, as we see G end up being the one brought down by life after he loses a friend and gets his parole denied in short succession, which comes to an explosive head in the dress rehearsal for the play. Which just before that Eye gets his own parole, where Maclin is outstanding in the quiet way you see him taking it in, with the years of weight, the struggle of what he’s going to do next, but also the earnest appreciation for his friend in G. And I adore what Maclin does during the performance, not the performance itself, though he excels with that too, but his reactions as he notices something he is wrong with G. Maclin is pitch perfect and so moving in showing the growth in Eye’s emotional intelligence as now he’s the way bringing so much empathy to every moment, and you don’t see just a healthier man in terms of viewing himself but a far greater man truly caring about what his friend is going through just as G has a complete breakdown during the performance. Where it becomes Eye the one coming to call G out later on, and Maclin is perfect in this scene. Because we see the next step in the transformation as he’s the one with the words of wisdom, each that he speaks with so much heart, so much clarity, but also directness in stating so matter-of-factly that G screwed up but all of them are here for him regardless. It is so incredibly moving because Maclin has shown us every little step to this place for the originally angry drug dealer to caring artist. Though the button on the scene really sells it the most, as he’s still Divine Eye in his best ways, as he brings his comedic bravado one more time as he jokes with G that he has to admit just how great his Hamlet was. This is truly a great performance, as Maclin is so open and honest, offering some nuance and detail to this life experience. He plays convincingly not himself, but every version of himself he might've ever presented while in prison, offering different layers all in a single scene that all speak to revealing such raw fundamental truths within his story. Where while Maclin's own performance is immaculate he let's us treasure each moment in the process of showing how Divine Eye made each step of his change throughout the film. Granting us a true understanding but also the real impact of the process at the center of this film.  He shows us with such power, such humor, such poignancy, such heart, such detail of the step by step transformation of becoming the actor but also towards self-actualization. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2024: Austin Butler in Dune Part II

Austin Butler did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Feyd-Rautha in Dune Part II.

Austin Butler takes upon the role of Feyd-Rautha the psychotic and competent nephew of chief overt villain Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), a role famously played by Sting in the 84 film, which much derided overall though many still take pleasure to this day in his repeated use of “I WILL KILL HIM”, so there was a little bit of an expectation going in with this character as the chief rival to Paul Atriedes (Timothée Chalamet). Which fittingly cast fellow musician biopic actor in the role, and general up and comer in Austin Butler. I previously praised Butler for what he did in Elvis though I didn’t love the film overall, he was good and particularly had a very strong presence as a performer, something that even carried over to his otherwise severely underwritten role in The Bikeriders from 2024. And on the immediate surface, Butler offers the goods as Feyd-Rautha, right from the outset as Butler’s bald look is most striking and he adds on top of that another very daring vocal performance, this time going for a severe impression of Skarsgård just as he did for Elvis in Elvis. A great choice though as he just naturally fits right into the Harkonnen without seeming like an accent just for the sake of it, he really breathes life into the character through it. Amplifying the character all the more is the physical bravado he brings in every moment of his performance, as he very presents Feyd-Rautha who is someone who wants to present himself as the force of violence and destruction. Walking and just handling himself as a man who loves every bit of violence he sows. Something that Butler accentuates potently in each of his scenes, from the opening where he casually kills a few women to test out his knife, and before that even his speaking on what he could remove with such a frankly sexual overtone to every moment of Butler’s delivery of these descriptions. He makes Feyd-Rautha the proper villain in every sense, taking the moment of killing one of Paul’s allies with noting that the execution will be pleasure with such sincerity and perhaps more than a bit of physical arousal. Offering the ideal foe to Paul in the final fight, where I have particular affection for tossing Paul’s line back to him of “May thy knife chip and shatter” as though he is living his absolute best life before the fight. 

All of that would make for a good version of the character alone, finding his own way to bring to life his sadism in a less over the top but still very blunt way akin to Sting’s however with more depth even within that. But there is more to this performance than just depicting his villainy, as good as Butler is at that. Rather Butler doesn’t make him pure evil, not that what he shows him to be good, but doesn’t make him a black hole. As there’s even some vulnerability that Butler shows quite effectively, from his anger when the Baron setup a situation where he could be killed where Butler brings real vulnerability behind that, or in that gladiatorial game beforehand where he almost gets killed, Butler’s fantastic in the moment where the man has the knife on him, and in Butler’s laughing about it, there’s genuine fear glimpsed in him before he turns it around at the last minute. But Butler goes further by going as far as he can in terms of the idea of honor within the character. Something Butler consistently emphasizes that grants more nuance to the character than just another evil man, even if he is that. As in that gladiator fight, when he kills the spy, or even his own reaction to the end of the final duel, each time Butler’s delivery is with absolutely utmost honesty in his respect. He genuinely cares about the idea of honor and his eyes of someone who sees value in a real opponent or fighter. I love particularly the moment where in the original film Feyd-Rautha pestered Paul over Chani calling her his pet which Sting delivered with an extra bit of psychotic hectoring. Butler handles differently and in an intriguing way as he makes the whole moment weirdly genuine when he asks “any special attention for the pet”? Butler presents it as Feyd-Rautha very odd being yet in his deranged mind respectful offer to his opponent. As much as the character is this force for evil, and Butler delivers on that impactfully each second he’s onscreen, Butler does find nuance within the evil, creating life within the role beyond the specifics of the character in this narrative. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2024: Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe & Bill Skarsgård in Nosferatu

Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe & Bill Skarsgård did not receive Oscar nominations for portraying Herr Knock, Prof. Albin Eberhart von Franz and Count Orlok respectively in Nosferatu.

Nosferatu is clear proof that if you want to make a Dracula film, use the copyright avoidance name of Nosferatu and improve the adaptation tenfold. Looking at the evidence, all Nosferatus by almost all accounts are considered very good to great, most Draculas…not that good. 

Anyway, as such you are granted three of the classic Dracula characters, though with the names of the Nosferatu version, but McBurney, Dafoe and Skarsgård in reality play the oft-played roles of Renfield, Van Helsing and Dracula respectively. Starting with McBurney, who is an actor who cinematically at least, has been placed in a very specific box as a performer. In every role I’ve seen of McBurney up until this one he played a British man of some kind of authority, who usually delivers exposition. To McBurney’s credit, he’s good in these very simple and standard roles, but it did seem like casting directors had one idea of him in mind only. AND it seems like with Nosferatu this image of McBurney was actually in mind to play with because in the opening of the film McBurney is in his more traditional type of role, which is as Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult)’s boss at his real estate company. Where once again McBurney in the rather regal voice of his delivers exposition about how Hutter will need to travel to settle a real estate deal with a faraway client, Count Orlok. Which hey if you need someone to do the job, McBurney is always up to that task and exposition never sounds ropey out of his mouth. But, this is not your traditional McBurney role despite opening with your traditional McBurney setup seemingly, which is something you can notice more overtly on re-watch particularly. As before McBurney’s Herr Knock tells Hutter about his role he does comment on Hutter’s wife Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) something one can take upon initial viewing as an old-timey overly descriptive praise towards the beauty as just generalized appreciation, but McBurney’s performance actually has some bizarre glints of intention beyond just a going overboard compliment. There is a moment where he seems almost lost in alternative thoughts and we see a man who has some strange designs on her, which could be considered behavior of a creepy old man, however in this instance it is somehow even worse than that. Something we see when as Hutter is on his way we come back to Herr Knock in his office at night, however he’s now naked, carving symbols into the bottom of his floor and into himself. Which is especially striking to see the usually refined McBurney basically on all fours, being wholly convincing as being entirely animal in the moment as he unleashes a very different, rather terrifying exposition of his purpose is to serve the Count, clearly far more than a client and creates this terrifying demonic ceremony to embrace the arrival of his master.

Speaking of, Bill Skarsgård and Robert Eggers’s creation of Count Orlok I would say is probably the aspect of the film that determines whether someone likes or loves this adaptation of the story, though I think we should all agree that both took a swing with the character regardless, as there would be little purpose to repeat the role with what has come before, given what has come before has been rather impressive. In the original silent film Max Schreck played purely as this rat creature who happened to somewhat resemble a human, in Werner Herzog’s remake Klaus Kinski played the part probably as the most sympathetic version where you see him as a cursed man suffering just as he causes suffering, and you even have Skarsgård’s co-star here in Willem Dafoe, as Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire about the making of the original film, where really you get his own version of the character who was rather cheeky and aware of himself in this state. So Eggers and Skarsgård’s swing is to make the living dead idea most literally as a real Hungarian lord who kept himself alive through black magic and is a hell spawn with the appearance of a dead man but essentially propped up by his evil. A definite choice, including the period portrait accurate mustache, which while I can understand one not going for it, I absolutely loved it, fitting given my affection for the film. And l find Skarsgård is entirely invisible in the part, though he is heavily made up it is not all there is within the disguise within his choice for his apparently not auditorily amplified vocal performance, of projecting the deepest of the deep to go along with his extremely thick accent. Both choices I do love in making his own distinct version of the count from his accent befitting a creature that is literally just of the older age, he hasn’t changed, he’s rotted, and the voice of a man almost whose vocal chords have gone further in his throat and almost his way of reverberating sound is part of the same black magic that revived to begin with. As he speaks as though he is of Hell, and his voice is coming from that hell whenever he states a word. 

The final interpretation and probably the least surprising is Willem Dafoe in the equivalent role of van Helsing with von Franz, as the professor who is the one person that appears to know what the living people are dealing with in this situation. It is easy to take this performance for granted one because it’s Dafoe, Dafoe just is expected to add something to films at this point, two he’s now a consistent regular with Eggers, thankfully, so seeing him thrive within his specific historical tapestries is no surprise and of course Dafoe even successfully thrived in the aforementioned previous Dracula story, albeit his version a meta narrative but regardless still was able to give his own take. But just because Dafoe makes it look easy, shouldn’t make one underrate what he does, which again fits right into whatever time period and genre you need, this time as the kooky old professor sought out by his old student Dr. Sievers (Ralph Ineson) and Hutter’s friend, the man housing Ellen while Hutter is away, Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Dafoe naturally cuts through his very first moment as we hear his welcome voice telling the men to leave him alone, before they do enter seeking his help. Dafoe makes a wise choice in providing contrast with his performance, while heavily stylized like everyone else, his performance accentuates more humor by playing von Franz as a bit insane himself, even though he is entirely right. As we go from him stubbornly avoiding the men, to being overly joyous in their acceptance, suddenly springing forth with such certainty, amplified by Dafoe’s delivery in somehow knowing exactly why they are seeking them, before offering them schnapps. Dafoe instantly makes his impact with ease, but I would say importantly with the focus on making von Franz very funny in his off-beat ways in and around the scene, standing out in the right way by providing some essential levity. 

Contrasting that is when we come back to McBurney in the place that Renfield often begins in most adaptations, which is in the sanatorium after Herr Knock evidently started eating livestock in a marketplace. His office scene being a mere warmup to what McBurney does in this scene, where he is truly amazing in going all the way out on the limb to portray Herr Knock. Which McBurney makes the essential choice in this version to portray Herr Knock not as a man cursed as a maddened fool into obeying Dracula, but rather a devoted follower of Orlok as a religious zealot. We open the scene where he is displaying his various animals that he has slain with his own teeth which he says are his offerings to his Lord with this especially disturbing eerie calm in McBurney’s voice. As he speaks the words as though he truly making grand gifts to something he so strongly believes in when showing his “kills off” and even cradles a poor pigeon with such a loving yet wholly deranged way, as he doesn’t love the pigeon but he loves the pigeon as yet another thing he can sacrifice in the name of Orlok. McBurney goes from quiet disturbing to loud disturbing however when the doctors ask him more about who is sacrificing to. McBurney is outstanding in the mania he brings forth in the sequence, because he manages to be both stylized as the cult member of a vampire but also just a completely deranged man to the period. McBurney brings this sort of religious zealotry, the rage of it so specific where there is this vicious passion in every word he says, as his eyes beam with intention and fundamental truth. McBurney is amazing because he makes it more than just servile, there is also this idea of the attack against his wardens, and more so the inspiration that his “savior” will smite them due to his religious belief. McBurney delivers on this focused intensity with such a chilling sense of while Herr Knock sounds completely insane to the rest of us, it is clear this man absolutely believes that Orlok is his god that will enact vengeance upon his enemies. 

Speaking of Orlok, Skarsgård’s performance differs greatly in the way we see Orlok impose his will on others than the previous iterations of the character. Skarsgård’s performance very much is of the Lord who presses his will onto others whether or not they like it. Even as we see him initially feed off of Hutter, Skarsgård’s performance is one that focuses on the physicality of his very being, particularly his height and size and brandishes himself even about, as a man of great power both physically and in terms of the nature of old feudal houses. When Orlok specifically commands Hutter, such as not speaking of a ceremony he thinks he witnessed involving killing a vampire, Skarsgård’s version of Orlok speaks his command not as an ask, or a demand but rather as law. Something that extends in his relationship with Ellen, which is telepathic before it is in person. Although as much as we see Orlok searching for through time this is not the case of the long romance of say Gary Oldman’s version in Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Orlok isn’t at all romantic in the least, rather he’s a lord essentially demanding that a vassal’s wife come to him, to service him as he sees fit. Skarsgård’s performance is nearly without feeling, though I would say effectively so in portraying that he doesn’t love her, nor is so specific as a hatred, rather it is just his decree that she be with him, and like an old warlord will kill whoever it takes to convince her of this. There is a hollowness to  Skarsgård’s entire performance as Orlok, and I don’t mean that as a criticism. Rather, there is a penetrating power to his work by presenting Orlok as a creature who truly just feeds on life, and has little purpose beyond that. He is a corpse who wishes to make things like him, and feed on those with that life, meanwhile he is nothing but death that wishes to infect more with death. 

Contrasting that darkness is Dafoe, which I think is notable is his relationship and chemistry with Depp throughout the film. In their opening scene together, Dafoe’s performance I think importantly delivers two things at once with her, one is the driving curiosity within his performance of von Franz who Dafoe purposefully plays as wholly obsessed even if he is correct, but I think importantly he also brings genuine warmth within his work. When he initially looks over Depp there is real tenderness in every look from him in her dire state, and that is even more so in their final conversation. Dafoe brings a keen sense of nuanced understanding that even though he is so fixated on the arena of the supernatural there is an undisputed sense of humanity in every gesture of a man genuinely cares about the afflicted Ellen. Obviously all three eventually come clashing together towards the climax where each have different roles to fulfill, and each do so quite magnificently. McBurney is great in portraying the ever growing intensity of Herr Knock as he expresses with all of himself his rapturous glee as Orlok does arrive and he breaks out of prison by acting the vampire himself by biting into a man’s neck. A moment where McBurney has full fledged animalistic frenzy which is combined with just the pure mania of the man as he escapes to take Orlok to his sleeping spot. Where McBurney’s last substantial scene begins as he takes orders from Orlok and McBurney is again great in the presence of his master McBurney’s performance is eyes glued in fascination and the demeanor of a loyal dog ready to brutalize anything for the sake of his master. Speaking of his master Skarsgård’s performance is one of consistency but effectiveness within that consistency of being the fixated nature of death. Skarsgård’s performance being one of that force and a natural cruelty of a creature whose whole undead experience has been to cause death and likely was even before that time as a cruel noble. His physicality being through the form of expression of the menace of his upright moments, combined with his bloodlust moments, that aren’t even rat, but more closely I’d say pure parasite in the way he latches onto his victims. And even in his final moment, not entirely sure where Skarsgård ends, and the effects begin, however whatever there is within it his death scream is extremely memorable ends of this purging of a grotesquery. And finally there’s Dafoe, which I haven’t mentioned what I think is really the greatest aspect even beyond the humor and warmth he brings to von Franz, which is essentially being the great Shakespearean actor however instead of the bard for Eggers’s specified period dialogue. As Dafoe just has a natural way with the words and the way within the specific style. Dafoe makes it as natural as any day English the with the ease of it, but more importantly makes all the precise dialogue regarding the exposition behind what it will take to destroy Orlok, absolutely captivating because Dafoe brings such natural conviction to every single word, knowing exactly what to amplify and just take absolute ownership of it all. Something that is essential to the finale of the film, where in the last scene essentially you have von Franz deliver the Prince’s eulogy from Romeo and Juliet, but for Ellen and her sacrifice to end the curse of Nosferatu. Something that lives and dies by Dafoe’s delivery, which he does so impeccably, he finds with ease making the style just live through his tongue, but more so Dafoe accentuates the emotion beautifully to make it a heartbreaking reflection of the loss of Ellen. Through all three performances, you craft a truly striking ensemble, with McBurney you have the greatest rendition of all Renfields, by bringing the insanity to that extreme but also specifically this religious worship fashioned within that is particularly potent in his work. In a performance that allowed an actor usually in one type of role to spread his wings a bit most successfully. With Dafoe you have an actor in his wheelhouse, but what a wheelhouse it is. Offering a most welcome sense of comfort and gravity combined with the right amount of proper Dafoe mania. And with Skarsgård you have a performance fully embedded into the character in every sense creating a dynamic and new approach to an over century old character of cinema. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2024: Jason Bateman in Carry-On

Jason Bateman did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying The Traveler in Carry-On. 

Carry-On is a fairly stupid, but often enjoyable, action movie following a TSA agent Ethan (Taron Egerton) as he’s made the pawn of a mercenary executing a terrorist plot. 

Jason Bateman made his name for his various comedic sitcom roles with his particularly wry and dry energy, though the last decade or so has been expanding his range including his very impressive work in The Gift and his said to be strong work in Ozark. So I suppose what better to show off a bit more range by playing the villain in a stupid action movie, which I think actually is in many ways a fine art, separating the real coaster actors to the ones who really will devote themselves even to fairly dumb material. Well Bateman proves himself in the latter category, and a particularly clever casting for the film as while Bateman is playing an atypical role for himself, it utilizes aspects of his presence effectively. Bateman isn’t just playing the role as he would Michael Bluth in Arrested Development, but certain elements of that performance are utilized by him however to an alternative impact. Although we get a brief scene as a shadowy figure murdering someone in the opening of the film, we also get The Traveler briefly deciding on a new target for the plan, the real introduction of the character comes via voice role, to the point I pondered if he was going to be full Kiefer Sutherland in Phone Booth, which this film heavily lifts from, by being a largely vocal performance, after our hero Ethan puts in an earpiece from the Traveler, where he begins his evil scheme. Bateman’s vocal performance alone is great because while he doesn’t use his dry sitcom energy much of the time, Bateman does have a matter of fact quality in his performance that cuts right down to it in a rather effective fashion. The menace in the character comes really from the innate confidence in Bateman’s voice in that he never really raises his voice during this period as he threatens Ethan’s wife. Bateman yet has a very easy menace within his performance largely through his very acerbic vocal delivery where there’s a slightly hectoring tone more than anything when threatening Ethan to get him to do what he wants. Bateman’s approach creates menace through the ease in which he speaks essentially as a man of much experience in this sort of process and the way he goes about it with Ethan is just another easy target for him. 

Naturally because clearly in addition to watching Phone Booth, the Traveler also watched Collateral, his manipulations of Ethan to do what he says, also must go along with some moral insults on Ethan’s lowly place in his life in addition to constantly and as calmly threatening Ethan as much as he can. Bateman really makes these lines sing which honestly would have easily been absurdly over the top if played straight into the villainy. Bateman’s though easy going approach where he very much is offering commentary where Bateman emphasizes the casual game he’s playing when insulting Ethan about his failures to be a cop. Bateman’s tone creates a convincing menace through the character’s insidious approach even ties into his bothering Ethan about his whole life, as Bateman’s approach emphasizes that as much as he’s doing his job, this is what he enjoys very much doing. Bateman’s aggressively cynical lines he throws at Ethan that are both browbeating and misanthropic, as someone with particular comfort with his whole existence and his general selfishness and hatred is just a casual thing for him. Even when giving a long speech about a tribe killing a thief’s children, Bateman’s avoids the easy potential pretentious villain speech by unraveling like a teacher of many years, only amplifying his voice just a bit at the end as he finally threatens, but even then Bateman builds to it so naturally that makes his villainy convincing rather than fanciful. Something that continues when he does finally appear in person, where Bateman doesn’t lose his menace, despite Bateman not looking like the most physically imposing guy innately. But Bateman’s callousness he makes so natural with all his villain exposition makes it all work as he manages to elevate every bit of writing he gets, while also making the Traveler properly hateable not trying to force the hand. When the plan starts getting trickier as Ethan fights back, however the Traveler finds a way to get back in control each time. Bateman manages to finely adjust his Michael Bluth in some ways, in playing the frustrations of the traveler when Ethan temporarily gets the upper hand, even getting to say “buddy” once in his annoyance. Which as much as Bateman is playing with his presence, he does so successfully while still maintaining tension and instead amplifies it with his dryness making the Traveler far less generic than he would’ve been if you put even a decent standard villain actor in the role. Even doing so mostly without going for comedy, though I will say the one time he does so directly with his delivery of “setting up my parachute and my bomb” is a rather hilarious bit of weaponized dryness on his part. And it wouldn’t be a proper action movie villain performance without a satisfying death scene, which Bateman gets a good one where he gets locked into a sealed freezer with his biological weapon bomb, and Bateman’s most effective in just completely losing any dryness whatsoever and bringing the raw physical intensity of someone fighting for his life as he decays from the inside out. Bateman makes this whole film better by his presence, as it would’ve been easy enough to be like his co-star Theo Rossi who plays into the worst of the genre and just takes a dumb action role as an excuse to overact. Bateman makes no such excuses giving a genuinely devoted turn that easily elevates his material and creates a proper antagonist. 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2024: Franz Rogowski in Bird

Franz Rogowski did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying the titular character of Bird.

Bird follows a young girl Kayley (Nykiya Adams) as she navigates the tough world around her extended family and her poverty stricken neighborhood. 

Someone who stands among the narrative is the strange man who appears and nearly looks like a Bird wandering around played by Franz Rogowski. Rogowski being a German actor who has been making a bit of a name for himself in even international independent fair, and an actor who has a bit of that Masayuki Mori quality, where he always more or less looks the same there isn’t some extreme changes in his accent yet he comes off very differently from performance to performance. Something that comes into play here is the titular Bird, a man who Kayley happens to see wandering around a random field near her neighborhood. Rogowski’s whole performance in a way should easily not work at all as it would’ve been so not at all difficult to make the character cloying, over the top or just not believable in any way given the conceit of the man called Bird who also acts a bit like a bird. Well Rogowski manages to achieve that very peculiar presence in that his movements, particularly the way he cocks his head and stands, and walks with a particular gait, all are more like a Bird than a man. It is to the immense credit of Rogowski's ability as a performer, and his knowledge of tone and style here, that he manages to go just far enough. You do fully see him as this bird-like man in those movements which are distinct and consistent. But Rogowski goes just far enough without going too far in that he never seems cartoonish or some ridiculous concept of a man either. Rather you fully accept Rogowski Bird mannerisms and all as Bird, and it is a case where those mannerisms amplify the overall presence rather than ever detract from them as some contrived idea. The idea in conception could’ve even been contrived but Rogowski successfully makes it feel very honest. A part of this is the performance within the mannerisms is part of that but also contrasts heavily. Rogowski is wholly this character in both qualities, but in terms of his verbal and facial expressions, Rogowski is very low key and absolutely earnest. There is the right sense of a timidness within the man, but also importantly, as much as Bird appears to be neurodivergent to say the least, Rogowski’s approach to it is one that creates a natural sympathy. As much as he presents himself differently, his eyes are very much of a very real man, as his is such a sweet way of speaking and asking for help to find his family in this area. There’s an innocence in Rogowski but an innocence that feels earned in his gentle manner. Rogowski finds just the right way not to push too hard or too little within the naivety or at least mental space of someone likely on the spectrum. When Bird mentions his family there’s emotional need there, different from how an average person might convey it, just as most wouldn’t dance around in a field as Bird does, but Rogowski makes it all work. 

From this you get a very unique friendship between Bird and Kayley, where there is such an easy warmth about it at times such as when Bird assures her that she’s not ugly. A line that theoretically in the wrong hands could either be creepy or overly sentimental, but Rogowski’s idiosyncratic way of speaking it as just a factual statement in the specific manner of Bird makes the moment absolutely sing. The same is true when she goes to see her mother and extended family, which isn’t the most splendid of settings, the way Rogowski is exploring the space in a completely off-beat way, while also glancing around almost like it is a magical land, which it is not, could again be something that could seem too much, yet Rogowski again marks just the right balance to be convincing within the state of Bird’s mind. Rogowski’s work you see a man in own perception but not completely detached. Something we see when Rogowski’s expression changes a little, says a lot, as you see him honing in on the less savory elements, particularly Kayley’s mom’s new uncouth boyfriend, and tells him he could wear some clothes. Rogowski’s great because there’s no intentional insult exactly, rather just blunt advice from a man who just speaks as he sees them which can be cutting though he doesn’t necessarily intend it to be so. Eventually Kayley does help Bird find his dad, who denies Bird as his son at first, though later acquiesces though in mostly a distant way. Rogowski’s great in the scene because he both does and doesn’t play the emotions within the scene. Bird still is hard to read but within it, and after words you do see Bird processing them. He’s very moving in presenting the heartbreak very much in the Bird way, where you need to find the sadness more overtly but it is there, and just feels right for the character. I especially love the moment where Kayley twists his arm to prove that “he exists”, which is probably the most direct emotion of the pain in the moment, which Rogowski beautifully realizes in Bird’s largely internalized yet still very poignant way of expressing within the specific language of Bird. Even when Rogowski’s performance takes a little bit of backseat in the ending of his character, where shifts into overt magical realism involving his character, Rogowski still manages to make his own impact around and beyond the effects. His final moment in particular, which is entirely silent work, but the subtle changes Rogowski brings in his eyes that shows graciousness and love in Bird towards Kaylee, in his Bird specific way is the final moving note for the character. The entire performance is an impressive work because on the page Bird could’ve been in bad taste, ridiculous or any combination of things with the wrong performance behind it. Rogowski is exactly the right performance though, finding honesty within the off-beat and finding character in what in the wrong hands could have been caricature, even possibly offensive caricature.