There are few things that are as important to making a great movie as the actors. Regardless of whether it’s finding a note-perfect performance in a comedy or a horror or simply an acting masterclass in a hard-hitting drama, many of the greatest movies of all time are supported by the sublime work of their stars. However, sometimes the commitment and dedication of an actor can go unrewarded in a film that doesn’t live up to their immense talents.
While there have been plenty of cases of great actors phoning in an appearance in a less than stellar picture for a cash grab, these 10 films feature driven and impassioned performances that largely stand as the only exceptional thing about them. From biographical epics that missed the mark to genre films that spluttered and faltered, and even to some blockbuster disasterpieces, these movies prove that great acting alone can’t always salvage a bad film.
10 ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ (2022)
Florence Pugh as Alice Chambers
Despite creating no small amount of buzz through scandal and rumor in the lead up to its release, Don’t Worry Darling ultimately dwindled as a derivative and uninspired social thriller. While it creates an interesting atmospheric uneasiness early, it quickly dissipates into plot holes, cliché and formula as it follows a housewife in an idyllic 1950s suburban community who finds her grasp on reality slipping when she begins questioning her surroundings, much to the dismay of her husband.
Its thematic points are both shallow and heavy-handed, but the film finds a spectacular saving grace in the lead performance of Florence Pugh. Even when the façade Alice wears can’t wither, Pugh still balances dread, disbelief, and fury boiling away beneath the surface. Her subtle yet growing discontent imbues the bright and vibrant setting with a sinister edge, though she also flaunts a concentrated explosiveness in the more confrontational scenes. Unlike every other element in the film, Pugh’s performance soared above the controversy that engulfed the picture in dazzling fashion.
9 ‘The Ladykillers’ (2004)
Tom Hanks as Goldthwaite Higginson Dorr Ph.D
Despite offering the tantalizing pairing of Tom Hanks’ talents and the quirks of the Coen Brothers, The Ladykillers sadly stands as the biggest misfire of the filmmakers’ careers. A remake of the 1955 British comedy of the same name, it follows a college professor who forms a plan to rob a casino with a crew of crooks and thieves. However, when the elderly landlady of their impromptu HQ learns of their scheme, they set out to kill her.
There are some wicked delights to be enjoyed throughout the film, but almost all of them come as a direct result of Hanks’ starring role, with the actor turning in an inspired comedic performance of devilish deceit and divine ambition. The rest of the movie, however, is marred by a malaise and indecision that is most uncharacteristic of the phenomenal film-making duo.
8 ‘Suicide Squad’ (2016)
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
Released at the peak of the superhero genre’s domination of global cinema, Suicide Squad promised to be an assertive punch in the face to the notions of heroism and valor the genre purports. All the promotion and marketing of the film stoked enormous interest, teasing a bombastic bonanza of action violence following the baddest bads of the DC Universe. However, the film ultimately crumbled under murky plot points, choppy pacing, and a total lack of character development.
In spite of this, Margot Robbie turns in an exceptional performance as the first ever live-action portrayal of the infamous fan-favorite Harley Quinn. She is delightfully charismatic in her psychotic effervescence, making for a magnetic screen presence that even shows glimpses of vulnerability despite the script offering very little wriggle room for her. While the vast majority of the movie was thrown out by Warner Bros., Robbie has continued as a feature of the DCEU with her portrayal of Harley managing to be arresting, unnerving, and oddly charming.
7 ‘The Counselor’ (2013)
Michael Fassbender as the Counselor
The Counselor marks one of the more forgettable recent films from Ridley Scott, following a successful Texas lawyer who begins meddling in drug-dealing to make more money. His decision sees him entwined with a web of shady and psychotic figures, and when the ill-advised endeavor backfires on him, he finds both he and his fiancé in mortal danger. While confronting, the film lacks a decisive purpose and ends up being a shocking cacophony of heinous violence and nothing more.
However, it does feature an impressive ensemble cast – all of whom put in strong performances – spearheaded by Michael Fassbender. His portrayal of the in-over-his-head lawyer is magnificent, introducing him as a cool and confident player whose composure dissipates entirely as the scenario he finds himself in grows increasingly volatile. His performance alone hammers home the message that crime doesn’t pay, and brings a sense of poignancy to a picture that is otherwise a messy medley of mayhem and murder.
6 ‘American Ultra’ (2015)
Kristen Stewart as Phoebe
While the Twilight films have unjustly marred the perception of her career among many casual moviegoers, Kristen Stewart is an incredibly capable actress. In addition to her Oscar-nominated lead outing in Spencer, she has also excelled in films like Love Lies Bleeding, Clouds of Sils Maria, and Personal Shopper. Another fine performance from her came in American Ultra, a misguided action comedy which saw her co-star alongside Jesse Eisenberg who plays an aimless stoner who learns he is a sleeper agent.
While there are glimpses of excellence within, American Ultra ultimately succumbs to the easiest of laughs too often and suffers because of it. The few moments that give Stewart and Eisenberg the chance to occupy a scene with some presence always present a treat. While Eisenberg is limited to a slacker, stoner stereotype, Stewart is given more leeway, and she balances the comedic zest of the film with its action heroics and dramatic elements in impressive fashion.
5 ‘Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker’ (2019)
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren/Ben Solo
Following the triumphant success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the strikingly daring albeit polarizing Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it can be viewed as bitterly disappointing that Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker ended up being an uninspired, directionless mess of cheap fan service and painfully bad dialogue. However, one of the few good things it did was elevate Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver) from being an angsty villain to becoming the deuteragonist of the film.
While it came at the expense of some of the other major characters being brushed aside and was realized with a largely uninspired and predictable redemption arc, the focus on Kylo Ren allowed for Driver to put in an extraordinary performance that is menacing, vulnerable, relatable, and tragic. Daisy Ridley also deserves praise for her strong performance, but neither actor was ever going to be able to elevate The Rise of Skywalker to be anything more than the underwhelming disappointment that it was.
4 ‘W.E.’ (2011)
Andrea Riseborough as Wallis Simpson
To say that W.E. missed its mark as a historical romance based on a royal affair would be an understatement to say the least. Directed by music icon Madonna, it follows two romances transpiring decades apart. In the late 90s, a frustrated housewife becomes enchanted by the details of King Edward VIII’s (James D’Arcy) affair with an American divorcee in the 1930s. As she immerses herself in the forbidden romance, she finds herself falling in love anew with a guard.
Playing the part of Wallis Simpson, the woman King Edward VIII would abdicate the throne to marry, Andrea Riseborough is spectacular as both a lovestruck woman and, later, a victim trapped in a difficult relationship. Abbie Cornish is similarly brilliant, as are James D’Arcy and Oscar Isaac, but the film is the ultimate testament to the fact that great acting alone is incapable of elevating an otherwise catastrophic obscenity.
3 ‘J. Edgar’ (2011)
Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover
From great Westerns to grounded dramas and war epics, Clint Eastwood is a unique director in his endeavor to explore so much of the American national identity. J. Edgar had perhaps the greatest potential in this regard of all his movies, examining the career of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio), the man who created the FBI and, through his wealth of information, became one of the most powerful men in the world.
DiCaprio puts in a powerhouse performance, giving Hoover a subtlety and nuance while portraying his power and the burden of his role with aplomb. The film around him doesn’t deliver quite so well though, with a wafting and monotonous story only further hampered by a distractingly poor technical display and convoluted plotting. While it obviously had aspirations to win many Academy Awards, J. Edgar ultimately failed to net even a single nomination, though DiCaprio’s performance probably deserved some recognition.
2 ‘Blonde’ (2022)
Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe/Norma Jean
Woefully short-sighted, purposefully controversial, and entirely fanciful, Blonde serves as a biopic of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe that takes immense liberties with her life story and reduces her to nothing but a perpetual victim. It substitutes exploring the problematic factors of her life as social commentary for distasteful exploitation that only furthers modern misconceptions of her stardom and presents her as a cheap emblem for a whole range of inflammatory issues.
It’s one saving grace is a poignant and powerful lead performance from Ana de Armas that is rich with pathos and tragedy, imploring viewers to sympathize with her even as the film seems actively set on dehumanizing her. The film polarized critics and largely disgusted intrigued audiences, but de Armas was beloved by all for her transfixing and emotionally stirring lead performance.
1 ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (2018)
Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury
Over-inflated biopics of immense self-importance have become something of a plague in modern Hollywood, and it was kick-started by the success of Bohemian Rhapsody, which is, admittedly, very enjoyable in some sequences, but a complete mess in others. Depicting the story of the rise of Queen and the stardom and eventual AIDs diagnosis of their legendary singer, Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek), Bohemian Rhapsody is lost between being a celebration of the band’s music and a biting (and contrived) drama of their inner workings and ends up being little more than a stylish mess with a great soundtrack.
The huge saving grace of the movie was Rami Malek’s lead performance, with his transformation into Freddie Mercury a hypnotic and entrancing portrayal that is eerily uncanny. While a masterful impersonation, Malek also excels at tackling the complexity and emotional isolation of Mercury, even if the film itself sometimes fails in this regard. A sublime starring performance in an otherwise deeply flawed film, Malek went on to win the Academy Award for the role.
