The Best Acting I've Ever Seen

What is it that makes a performance resonate so deeply it lingers with you for months or years? Thomas Flight explores the challenges of judging great acting, and shares the 11 examples of the best acting he's ever seen in this video.

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#ThomasFlight #videoessay #acting

CHAPTERS:
0:00 What is The Best Acting I've Ever Seen?
01:14 What Makes Acting Great?
05:17 The List
05:39 Oscar Isaac
08:37 Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore
10:28 Brenda Blethyn
12:32 Orson Welles
15:28 Al Pacino
18:05 Liv Ullman
20:04 Daniel Day-Lewis
21:53 Philip Seymour Hoffman
23:37 Michelle Williams
24:59 Ben Mendelsohn
27:26 Tilda Swinton

[realtalk]

Mahershala Ali in Moonlight's performance really is warmth embodied. He's caring to young Chiron in a way that doesn't feel contradictory to who the character is or forced. And that scene when Chiron confronts him about being a dealer? The pain and anguish and shame flickering through his face and body has never left me since I first saw that film. On the flip side, Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network is just an incredible feat of an actor perfectly understanding who their character is and executing meticulously. The exactness of his portrayal of insecurity, arrogance, ignorance, and inferiority/superiority complex blows me away every time.

[daniellado]

All of the acting in Moonlight was incredible, especially the main character where we yad three different actors and all of them were able to feel like the same person.

[vanydakhiev]

The ensemble cast of Little Miss Sunshine is my favorite acting performance to rewatch. Every character was played brilliantly by each actor and they all fit together as if they really were a dysfunctional family but you felt the love that was there and they had each other’s back.

[IsitriOm]

JK Simmons in Whiplash was a virtuosic performance from an actor who’s often great, but this was stellar.

[gretaenglish]

That scene in Manchester by the Sea is the most heartbreaking of all. And yes, it can also move me to tears watching it out of context. I think that was Michele Williams' best performance because she's such a real person.

[Mwstmrlnd]

Tilda Swinton is the most versatile actor I've ever watched, she makes acting look effortless and fun even in the smallest roles. I just rewatched Snowpiercer for the first time in years and her character just would not work with anyone even slightly less capable. It should be ridiculous, but she can effortlessly smooth the transition between depressing gore and comedy. I can't think of another actor with more varied roles and the direction she takes them in is truly inspired. Even in comparison to Daniel Day Lewis, who I think is right next to her.

[andysiegel]

Amy Adams in Arrival. One of my favorite performances of all time. She conveys despair, resilience, euphoria, and grief with incredible subtlety. Makes me emotional every time.

[Advent]

Philip Seymour Hoffman really was the kind of actor who made even the smallest role lively and memorable. A moment that always stuck with me was in Punch-Drunk Love where he's having this screaming match with Adam Sandler and the way he acts momentarily stunned and confused before anger takes over again felt so genuine. He could have had another 30 years of performances and still would have been too short.

[itsjdfilm]

Matt Damon's and Robin Williams chemistry during their discussion about his wifes passing was something I found so sincere. Genuinely such a deep, immersive moment which is intensified by the crew's engagement with the scene is one of my favorite scenes of all time.

[edwardmiller]

Mahershala Ali in Moonlight. Especially those two scenes, at the beach and at the table. Just like you, when I realized he wasn't going to be in the movie anymore, I was like wait what oh no, no.... That scene at the table, though. I felt his deep shame, his humanity. It made me want to cry. Best acting I've ever seen.

[Chuuzus]

i am such a lover of subtle acting. Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada is a perfect example of not doing too much but yet delivering an excellent acting performance. how she was able to play a villain everyone was scared of but yet was so calm is amazing

[sethskullsberg]

In a show where acting isn't the strong suit, Antony starr as Homelander has some incredible acting with his eyes. He portrays so many emotions in just his eyes alone.

[hrisheekeshsathish]

Tony Leung in In The Mood For Love and Happy Together. I'm not able to articulate just what it is about those roles but there's a way he just carries the doubts, fear, pain and longing simply in existing as his characters that is mesmerizing to me. I like to describe In The Mood For Love as " a guy stares longingly for two hours and its the greatest, most beautiful thing you'll ever watch" to anyone who would listen.

[isabellasantiago]

Definitely an unpopular opinion but Daniel Kaluuya's acting in "Nope" has been my favorite of his. I kept forgetting he was the same man from Get Out, Black Mirror and Widows even though he didn't alter his appearance in any way. By playing such a reserved and shut off character I had to remind myself I had in fact seen him act before. It angers me that Nope is seen by many as Peele's "worst", ever performance in it was so stellar but Daniel's takes the cake.

[depo]

I believe Laura Linney’s performance in Ozark is severely underrated. She’s excellent as a cold-hearted women trying to hide her emotions in a grim setting, but her breakdown scenes after losses or serious tension are absolutely stunning.

[Chiater]

Toni Collette in Hereditary. She's always amazing but how she shows the trauma of her character in every scene plus the agonizing pain in a couple of key ones really stood out to me

[jonathanmelendez]

Mads Mikkelsen in The Hunt (2012) and later in Another Round (2020), both from phenomenal director Thomas Vinterberg, made him at my eyes one of the finest male actors working today.

[Trakinasnove]

Most recently is Paul Mescal in Aftersun. I lack the words to describe how it resonates with me, but it was like seeing both myself and my father at the same time in different moments.

[head_bussa]

Denzel Washington's performance in Training Day is captivating and unforgettable, showcasing his ability to play a twisted, morally ambiguous character.

[therainman]

Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes in In Bruges. It’s largely comedic acting, but with plenty of pathos mixed in, and it’s just beautifully done. They both have a way of making other actors look lazy when they share a scene with them.