Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2015: Results

10. Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation - Elba gives a charismatic performance as a godlike military commander, even if his character gets progressively less interesting as the film proceeds.

Best Scene: The Commandant prepares the men to attack. 

9. Stanley Tucci in Spotlight - Tucci, much like the majority of the cast of spotlight, gives a realistic portrayal of a man in the film's story, and only stands when it aids this story.

Best Scene: "You don't know the half of it"

8. Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Driver creates a most unusual yet still very effective and complex villain

Best Scene: Kylo and Han.

7. Emory Cohen in Brooklyn - Cohen gives an extremely charming performance that is essential the film's success, as he flawlessly avoids the various potential pitfalls of his technically simplistic character.

Best Scene: Tony and Ellis the night after the dinner with Tony's family. 

6. Michael Sheen in Far From the Madding Crowd - Sheen gives a very moving performance in his portrayal of a man whose emotions reveal themselves, for better or worse, after being shown a hint of love.

Best Scene: Boldwood joins Bathsheba in song. 

5. Benicio Del Toro in Sicario - Del Toro is appropriately chilling in his depiction of a cold killer, yet is particularly compelling in revealing the man behind the actions.

Best Scene: A family dinner.

4. Oscar Isaac in Ex Machina - Isaac is wildly entertaining yet also appropriately enigmatic as his odd tech genius who he plays as though he's a real BRO at heart.

Best Scene: "Have you tried dancing with her?"

3. Walton Goggins in The Hateful Eight - Goggins gives quite the impressive performance, as he's hilarious, incisive, and somehow makes a friendship between a racist Sheriff and a black bounty hunter believable.

Best Scene: Reading the Lincoln Letter. 

2. Richard Jenkins in Bone Tomahawk - Jenkins is completely unrecognizable in his funny yet heartbreaking portrayal of a real old timer of the old west.

Best Scene: The flea circus. 

1. Nicholas Hoult in Mad Max: Fury Road - Good prediction Psifonian. This year is simply amazing, and having to choose between them is absurdly difficult. I could go so many different ways for my winner, since I love all these performances. I could go with any performance in my top 12 and they'd be deserving. My top two came down to the two performances that I've found myself quoting the most incidentally. I could easily switch at any time. Hoult is outstanding in his compelling and entertaining portrayal of zealotry, then is quite heartbreaking in his depiction of a loss of this blindness.  

Best Scene: A promised trip to Valhalla. 

Overall Rank:

1. Tom Hardy in The Revenant
2. Nicholas Hoult in Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Sylvester Stallone in Creed
4. Richard Jenkins in Bone Tomahawk
5. Walton Goggins in The Hateful Eight
6. Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies
7. Samuel L. Jackson in The Hateful Eight
8. Oscar Isaac in Ex Machina
9. Benicio Del Toro in Sicario
10. Michael Sheen in Far From The Madding Crowd
11. Emory Cohen in Brooklyn
12. Kurt Russell in The Hateful Eight 
13. Bruce Dern in The Hateful Eight 
14. Michael Angarano in The Stanford Prison Experiment
15. Matthew Fox in Bone Tomahawk
16. Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
17. Harrison Ford in Star Wars: The Force Awakens 
18. Sam Elliot in Grandma
19. Stanley Tucci in Spotlight
20. Josh Brolin in Sicario
21. Matthias Schoenaerts in Far From The Madding Crowd
22. Liev Schreiber in Spotlight
23. Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation
24. Michael Keaton in Spotlight
25. Tim Roth in The Hateful Eight
26. Joel Edgerton in The Gift
27. Jeff Daniels in Steve Jobs
28. Roland Møller in Land of Mine
    
29. Ethan Hawke in 10,000 Saints
    
30. Jan Bijvoet in Embrace of the Serpent
    
31. Michael Shannon in 99 Homes 
32. Toby Jones in Tale of Tales
    
33. Tom Noonan in Anomalisa 
34. Jason Statham in Spy
35. Will Poulter in The Revenant 
36. Brian d'Arcy James in Spotlight 
    
37. Richard Kind in Inside Out
38. Louis C.K. in Trumbo
39. Domhnall Gleeson in The Revenant
40. Michael Madsen in The Hateful Eight 
41. Rory Cochrane in Black Mass 
    
42. James Parks in The Hateful Eight 
43. Brendan Gleeson in In The Heart of the Sea
44. Billy Crudup in The Stanford Prison Experiment
45. Peter Sarsgaard in Black Mass
46. Sean Harris in Macbeth 
47. Demian Bichir in The Hateful Eight 
48. Louis Hofmann in Land of Mine
    
49. W. Earl Brown in Black Mass
50. Hugo Weaving in The Dressmaker
    
51. David Morse in Concussion
52. Liev Schreiber in Pawn Sacrifice 
53. Paul Giamatti in Straight Outta Compton
    
54. Tye Sheridan in The Stanford Prison Experiment
55. Hugh Keays-Byrne in Mad Max: Fury Road
56. John Cusack in Chi-Raq
    
57. Chiwetel Ejiofor in The Martian 
58. Dave Bautista in Spectre
59. Jeremy Renner in Avengers: Age of Ultron
60. Seth Rogen in Steve Jobs 
61. Peter Sarsgaard in Pawn Sacrifice
62. Michael Douglas in Ant-Man
63. David Harbour in Black Mass
64. Forrest Goodluck in The Revenant
65. Oscar Isaac in Star Wars: The Force Awakens  
66. Billy Crudup in Spotlight
67. Domhnall Gleeson in Brooklyn
68. Sean Bean in The Martian
69. Paul Dano in Youth
70. Luigi Sciamanna in Embrace of the Serpent
    
71. Mark Strong in Kingsman: The Secret Service 
72. Jeff Daniels in The Martian
73. Nathan Jones in Mad Max: Fury Road
74. Richard Jenkins in Spotlight
75. Tom Hardy in London Road 
76. Jack Reynor in Macbeth
77. Jim Beaver in Crimson Peak
78. Jim Broadbent in Brooklyn
79. John Goodman in Trumbo
80. Josh Helman in Mad Max: Fury Road 
81. Lewis Black in Inside Out 
82. Brendan Gleeson in Suffragette 
    
83. Peter Mullan in Sunset Song
    
84. Michael Stuhlbarg in Trumbo
85. Bill Camp in Love & Mercy
86. Jon Gries in Faults
87. Arthur Redcloud in The Revenant
88. Lourenço Mutarelli in The Second Mother
    
89. Mikhail Gorevoy in Bridge of Spies
90. Tom McCamus in Room
91. Mark Rylance in The Gunman
92. Corey Stoll in Black Mass 
93. Samuel L. Jackson in Chi-Raq
    
94. Domhnall Gleeson in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
95. Neal Huff in Spotlight  
    
96. Chris Ellis in Faults
97. Jurgen Prochnow in Remember
    
98. Kit Harington in Testament of Youth
99. Vincent Cassel in Tale of Tales
100. Paddy Considine in Macbeth
101. Ben Whishaw in Spectre
102. Bruno Ganz in Remember
     
103. Jude Law in Spy
104. Simon Pegg in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
105. Kurt Russell in Furious 7
106. Harvey Keitel in Youth 
107. Martin Landau in Remember
     
108. Cory Michael Smith in Carol
109. Sylvester Groth in The Man From Uncle
110. Chris O'Dowd in The Program
111. Albert Brooks in Concussion
112. Brionne Davis in Embrace of the Serpent
     
113. James Spader in Avengers: Age of Ultron
114. John Slattery in Spotlight
     
115. Ben Whishaw in The Lobster 
116. Franz Rogowski in Victoria
     
117. Michael Cyril Creighton in Spotlight 
118. Milo Parker in Mr. Holmes 
119. Paddy Considine in Child 44
120. David Arquette in Bone Tomahawk
121. Colin Morgan in Testament of Youth 
122. Colin Quinn in Trainwreck
123. Benedict Wong in The Martian 
124. Alan Rickman in A Little Chaos
     
125. Kurt Egyiawan in Beasts of No Nation 
126. Jeffrey Donovan in Sicario 
127. Josh Brolin Everest
128. Christian Berkel in Trumbo
129. Tom Holland in In The Heart of the Sea 
130. Forest Whitaker in Southpaw
131. Angus Sampson in Mad Max: Fury Road
132. Ralph Fiennes in Spectre
133. Kobina Amissa-Sam in Beasts of No Nation
134. Ryan Gosling in the Big Short
135. Ron Livingston in James White
     
136. Stacy Keach in Truth 
137. Christopher Plummer in Danny Collins
     
138. Bradley Cooper in Joy 
     
139. Jesse Plemons in Black Mass
140. John Hawkes in Everest
141. Bobby Cannavale in Danny Collins
     
142. Taron Egerton in Testament of Youth
143. Sebastian Koch in Bridge of Spies 
144. Paul Giamatti in Love & Mercy
145. Brad Pitt in The Big Short 
146. James Badge Dale in The Walk 
147. Ben Mendelsohn in Slow West
148. Corey Stoll in Ant-Man
149. Stephen Root in Trumbo
150. Wesley Snipes in Chi-Raq
     
151. John C. Reilly in The Lobster
152. Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Age of Ultron
153. Alec Baldwin in Concussion
154. Jamey Sheridan in Spotlight
155. Christian Bale in The Big Short
156. Taron Egerton in Legend 
157. Jason Statham in Furious 7
158. Sid Haig in Bone Tomahawk 
159. Jeremy Strong in The Big Short 
160. Scott Shepherd in Bridge of Spies
161. Kyle Chandler in Carol 
162. Steve Carell in The Big Short
163. Derek Jacobi in Cinderella 
     
164. Jake Weary in It Follows
165. Jake Gyllenhaal in Everest
166. Kevin Bacon in Black Mass
     
167. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje in Trumbo
168. Hugh Grant in The Man From Uncle 
169. Ving Rhames in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
170. Jeremy Renner in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
171. Bill Hader in Inside Out 
172. Bobby Cannavale in Spy 
173. Harry Lennix in Chi-Raq
     
174. Dwayne Johnson in Furious 7
175. Jesse Plemons in The Program
176. Javier Bardem in The Gunman
177. Ed Harris in Run All Night 
178. Dave Chappelle in Chi-Raq
     
179. Chris Evans in Avengers: Age of Ultron
180. Sean Bridgers in Room 
181. Kid Cudi in James White 
182. Jim Broadbent in The Woman in the Van
     
183. Michael Stuhlbarg in Steve Jobs 
184. Norman Lloyd in Trainwreck 
     
185. Robert Redford in Truth
186. Nonso Anozie in Cinderella
187. Bobby Cannavale in Ant-Man
188. Mark Ruffalo in Avengers: Age of Ultron
189. Graham McTavish in Creed 
190. Ben Whishaw in In the Heart of the Sea
191. Rory McCann in Slow West
192. David Thewlis in Legend
193. David Thewlis in Macbeth
194. Ben Whishaw in The Danish Girl
195. Keir Gilchrist in It Follows 
196. John C. Reilly in Tale of Tales
     
197. Channing Tatum in The Hateful Eight
198. Jon Bernthal in Sicario
199. John Magaro in The Big Short
200. Finn Wittrock in The Big Short
201. Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Age of Ultron 
     
202. Hiroyuki Sanada in Mr. Holmes
203. Ezra Miller in The Stanford Prison Experiment
204. Matthias Schoenaerts in The Danish Girl
205. Daniel Bruhl in Woman in Gold
     
206. William H. Macy in Room 
207. Michael Stuhlbarg in Pawn Sacrifice
208. Edgar Ramirez in Joy
209. Dennis Quaid in Truth
210. Michael Caine in Kingsman: The Secret Service 
211. Charlie Hunnam in Crimson Peak 
     
212. Benedict Cumberbatch in Black Mass 
213. Donald Glover in The Martian 
214. Sean Bean in Jupiter Ascending
215. Sean Harris in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
216. Ty Simpkins Jurassic World 
217. Michael Pena in Ant-Man
218. Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Avengers: Age of Ultron
219. Ben Kingsley in The Walk
220. Adam Scott in Black Mass
221. Ben Whishaw in Suffragette
222. Alexander Skarsgard in The Diary of a Teenage Girl
223. Andy Serkis in Star Wars: The Force Awakens 
224. Common in Run All Night
225. Robert De Niro in Joy
226. Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight 
227. Samuel L. Jackson in Kingsman: The Secret Service 
228. Michael Pena in The Martian 
229. John Cena in Trainwreck
230. Tony Bellew in Creed
231. John Magaro in Carol
232. Nick Robinson in Jurassic World
233. Lebron James in Trainwreck 
234. Curtis Jackson in Southpaw
235. Anthony Bourdain in The Big Short
236. Hugh Jackman in Chappie 
237. Barry Otto in The Dressmaker
     
238. Vincent D'Onofrio in Jurassic World
239. Liam Hemsworth in the Dressmaker
     
240. Richard Thaler in The Big Short 
241. Miguel Gomez in Southpaw
242. Austin Stowell in Bridge of Spies
243. David Dastmalchian in Ant-Man 
244. Christoph Waltz in Spectre
245. David James Elliot in Trumbo
246. Dean O'Gorman in Trumbo 
247. Adam DeVine in The Intern
248. Nat Wolff in The Intern
249. Anders Holm in The Intern
250. Caleb Landry Jones in Heaven Knows What
     
251. Andrew Rannells in The Intern
252. B.D. Wong in Jurassic World
253. Douglas Booth in Jupiter Ascending
254. Nat Wolff in Grandma 
255. Emile Hirsch in 10,000 Saints
     
256. Tom Sturridge in Far From the Madding Crowd 
257. Jose Pablo Cantillo in Chappie
258. Ninja in Chappie 
259. Joel Kinnaman in Child 44
260. Topher Grace in Truth
261. Guillaume Canet in The Program
262. Quentin Tarantino in The Hateful Eight
263. Eddie Redmayne in Jupiter Ascending

Next Year: 2015 Lead (Please name and rank the top three you'd like to see reviewed)

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2015: Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation

Idris Elba did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and winning SAG, for portraying the Commandant in Beasts of No Nation.

Beasts of No Nation has about a masterful hour, the second half being a bit problematic, as it brutally depicts the loss innocence through a young boy Agu (Abraham Attah), whose family is massacred, and he is made into a child soldier.

Idris Elba plays the leader of a loose group of soldiers who come across Agu. Elba, from what I have seen, had failed to really find his footing in terms of his cinematic output, delivering often forgettable work, though to be fair in rather thin parts. The commandant finally seems like a substantial role, and Elba seems to relish in the chance in his portrayal of the part. In the earliest scenes of the film Elba plays the part in a fairly grand fashion. Elba plays him less of a military commander and more that of a spiritual leader of sorts who marks his pardon upon Agu, acting it as though he is his savior. Elba is very good in these scenes bringing the needed charisma to the role that the Commandant can control his men without question at this point. He brings the right quality to his performance as he makes the Commandant seem something more than he is to Agu at first, as he makes himself to be the true leader of these men, that goes beyond even an idea of his rank. Elba creates a sense of benevolence in the Commandant as he treats Agu, and the other soldiers, with this essential warmth, as though he only wants what is best for them, despite the fact that he's actually just using young boys for his own ends.

A pivotal moment for Elba's performance comes when he forces Agu to murder a completely innocent man for him. Elba is terrific in the moment as he makes the persuasion believable for Agu, as he suggests to Agu that he is someway avenging his own family by doing this. Elba is chilling though in the moment though because he projects a disarming affection towards Agu, as he makes him do the ultimate act of hate. Elba continues to be very effective in being the father to all of his men in quieter moments, such as where he tells the men of the women in the next village he intends to conquer, as though he's telling them of a treasure they will obtain if they continue to follow them. My favorite moment his performance is a larger one as he primes his troops just before they enter into the fray of battle. Elba makes this moment as though the Commandant is firmly a man in his element, as he truly seems to becomes the men's spiritual guide as he leads them in a dance, as a for them to enter the battle. Elba properly rules the scene as he seems to become more than a man before his troops, as leads the men into the battle as though it is some sort of divine march, and he has become God.

Of course the commandant is not God, or a god, he's just a man, and not even much of a man. Elba does indicate this well even in the early scenes in the moments after the first attack, where the commandant finds some possessions to call his own. Elba makes him frankly a bit childish in the moment as though he's enjoying the power of his position a bit too much, he does not call it his own as a grand decree, but more of saying "Hey cool, that's mine". The cracks in the commandant's facade only grow deeper as the story proceeds, when the commandant indicates that he too must follow orders. Elba reveals just a bitter pathetic man who hates being reminded of his own position. This leads to an underdeveloped element in the film where it is heavily implied that that the commandant sexually molests Agu. The moment just seems to be there to be another horrible thing Agu is forced to do, but the way its done it feels like it's there to be a checklist without really having much purpose other than having the commandant being even worse than he already was. The commandant's fall only continues when he meets with his superior, and is treated with very little respect. Again Elba does well enough in showing just the angry thug beneath it all, as he lashes out for being treated as something unimportant.

The film continues along the path of the commandant's own self-destruction, and any sway he might have had over his men only evaporates as time goes on. This is as the commandant does anything to stay in power, including having his second in command killed, and then proceeding to basically have his men keep fighting even though they're no longer part of any army. The film does not really allow Elba to gradually depict this descent in the commandant as the film moves aimlessly for awhile, though not in a way reflective of the aimless way the commandant is using his men. Elba does not have much screen time after the commandant goes renegade as we just eventually find his final scene where the men finally rebel against him. To his credit Elba is good in the scene as he portrays with such exasperation the commandant's final attempt to keep control, but really has not charisma left as he still tries to command them to do his bidding. This even is handled rather swiftly as the commandant barely gets a final glimpse before the film cuts away, and we never see him again. One could take this to show how far he's fallen, as the man who was the center of all these men's lives is just tossed away with only a few words. The problem is it just does not build to this in a particularly engaging way, and once again Elba seems often underused. This is still a very good performance, a great one in the earliest scenes, but as the commandant loses power so does Elba's performance. Now one could argue that as intentional, but the portrait of a man losing that power isn't made especially compelling by the film or Elba. I don't want to sound too negative though, since like the film, Elba's work is tremendous in the beginning, but like the film loses that strength as it continues.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2015

And the Nominees Were Not:

Stanley Tucci in Spotlight

Liev Schreiber in Spotlight

Michael Keaton in Spotlight

Nicholas Hoult in Mad Max: Fury Road

Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation

Emory Cohen in Brooklyn

Benicio Del Toro in Sicario

Josh Brolin in Sicario

Walton Goggins in The Hateful Eight

Samuel L. Jackson in The Hateful Eight

Kurt Russell in The Hateful Eight

Oscar Isaac in Ex Machina

Richard Jenkins in Bone Tomahawk

Adam Driver in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Michael Sheen in Far From The Madding Crowd

Matthias Schoenaerts in Far From The Madding Crowd

For Prediction purposes:

Tucci

Hoult

Elba

Cohen

Del Toro

and/or

Goggins

Isaac

Jenkins

Driver

Sheen