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: 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

And the Nominees Were Not:

Adam Pearson in A Different Man

Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing

Simon McBurney in Nosferatu

Richard Roundtree in Thelma

Franz Rogowski in Bird

Feel free to predict These Five, Those Five, Or Both. 

David Jonsson in Alien Romulus

Jason Bateman in Carry-on

Karren Karagulian in Anora

Austin Butler in Dune Part II

Denzel Washington in Gladiator II