Happy New Year! I'm Brett Arnold, film critic and host of the Siskel & Ebert-inspired movie review show Roger & Me, and the author of Yahoo's weekly Trust Me I Watch Everything column.
2025 was a great year at the movies, one marked by an impressive number of memorable performances. Many of them have been heralded this award season and have a real chance at Oscar nominations. Those aren't the ones we'll be highlighting here.
This list — presented in alphabetical order — comprises wonderful performances that are either in movies too small to be noticed, or perhaps in roles that got overshadowed by their costars. But hey, they're all winners in my book.
Pamela Anderson, 'The Naked Gun'
Pamela Anderson received a lot of attention last year for her role in The Last Showgirl, but for my money, her performance in The Naked Gun is a more impressive feat. She understands the very silly assignment and absolutely goes for it, providing big laughs throughout the film alongside Liam Neeson, who is also worthy of praise, and especially Danny Huston, who is perfectly cast in the villain role. Anderson is able to wring laughs out of goofy wordplay, double entendres that are both sexy and decidedly unsexy, and a hilarious scene involving "singing" at a jazz club, highlighted above. She's terrific!
How to watch: The Naked Gun is now streaming on Prime Video.
Kathleen Chalfant, 'Familiar Touch'
Familiar Touch is a moving film about aging that is, quite cleverly, being referred to as a "coming-of-old-age" film in its marketing. Writer-director Sarah Friedland's compassionate and human debut film follows the winding path of octogenarian Ruth's shifting memories amid early signs of dementia while staying rooted in her perspective. It's not as stuffy as it sounds — there are laughs throughout — and the lead performance from Kathleen Chalfant is devastatingly good. The film is a deeply accurate portrait of dealing with an aging relative that will, unfortunately, resonate with many, as will Chalfant's moving performance.
How to watch: Familiar Touch is now streaming on Mubi.
Oona Chaplin, 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
Many take the technically impressive Avatar films for granted, but the fact that James Cameron is able to get tangible performances out of his actors in spite of the fact that what we're seeing is a visual-effects-heavy final product is an amazing feat in itself. This is noticeable throughout the series — Zoe Saldaña is so great and gets across so much emotion as Neytiri, it's easy to forget the character is an entirely digital creation — but I was moved most by Oona Chaplin's performance as Varang, the big baddie in the third film, Fire and Ash. She is easily the most exciting element of the film, and you feel and believe every moment of her transcendent motion-capture work. And yes, if you're wondering, she is Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter, which is such a fun throughline to follow for film historians.
How to watch: Avatar: Fire and Ash is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Kirsten Dunst, 'Roofman'
Roofman is a quietly devastating and deeply human film, and that's partially thanks to Kirsten Dunst's exceptional performance as Leigh, the woman Channing Tatum's character Jeffrey falls for and ends up deceiving for an extended period of time. Their interactions are charming while also feeling like you're watching a car wreck in waiting, as the audience knows Jeffrey isn't telling Leigh the truth. There's a particular heartbreaking moment and a look on Dunst's face that I've been thinking about ever since. It's a subtle performance — nothing big or flashy to be had here — but that doesn't make it any less impactful. Tatum is great, too, but Dunst walks away with the movie.
How to watch: Roofman is now streaming on Paramount+.
Colin Farrell, 'Ballad of a Small Player'
You've never seen a guy quite this sweaty before. Colin Farrell delivers a very physical and never-not-sopping-wet performance as a guy in over his head with gambling debts, doing anything he can to try and make things square. It's such an energetic and exciting turn that you can practically smell the booze wafting off of him from your couch.
How to watch: Ballad of a Small Player is now streaming on Netflix.
Ralph Fiennes, '28 Years Later'
I wasn't fully sold on 28 Years Later until Ralph Fiennes showed up, covered in iodine, building a temple out of the bones of the deceased to memorialize the dead. He may look like a ridiculous character, but Fiennes imbues him with such humanity and compassion, and there's such pathos to his character that I was deeply moved by his sequences in the film and his role in helping its protagonist accept his mother's grim fate. It's one of the most striking scenes of the year.
How to watch: 28 Years Later is now streaming on Netflix.
Dominic Hoffman, 'Henry Johnson'
David Mamet's Henry Johnson, his adaptation of the play of the same name, is full of performances and monologues that rank among the best of the year, but if I had to choose a single one to highlight, it'd be Dominic Hoffman, who factors into the final sequence. In the film, a quiet man is abruptly arrested without explanation, thrust into a surreal legal nightmare where truth and identity blur. As he fights to assert his innocence, he confronts a chilling system that appears more concerned with control than with justice. The movie is about a series of characters manipulating the title character, and Hoffman shines in his moment in the sun. The less said, the better here.
How to watch: Henry Johnson is now available to rent or buy.
Nina Hoss, 'Hedda'
Writer-director Nia DaCosta's modern remake of Henrik Ibsen's classic 19th-century play Hedda Gabler is a sumptuous treat that's thrilling to behold. The setting has been updated to a 1950s English countryside, and the story unfolds over one crazy night. Tessa Thompson is simply sensational as Hedda, a woman who can't help but wrap everyone she encounters around her finger, simply because she can. I've decided to single out Nina Hoss's supporting role, as she's able to perfectly express her frustration with Hedda's character, and yet still fall under her spell exactly as she planned. Hoss is also front and center in one of the film's most cheekily fun sequences.
How to watch: Hedda is now streaming on Prime Video.
David Jonsson, 'The Long Walk'
This Stephen King adaptation, one of a handful to come out in 2025, is deeply upsetting stuff, but the performances by the entire cast, and especially the two leads (Cooper Hoffman, son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, and David Jonsson of Alien: Romulus fame) help you stay invested in their tragic situation. Jonsson shines in his role, delivering a powerful and gut-wrenching performance; his presence really fills the screen.
How to watch: The Long Walk is now streaming on Starz.
Dylan O’Brien, 'Twinless'
Dylan O'Brien gives not just one but two of the best performances this year by playing twins. One twin is only seen in flashbacks, but the movie's well-conceived structure is such that both brothers get tons of screen time. James Sweeney, who also writes and directs, is great too, but O'Brien stands out due to just how different the two characters he's playing are. It's a star-making turn, for me at least, having never seen a Maze Runner movie. Aisling Franciosi also delivers a noteworthy performance in an understated but important role.
How to watch: Twinless is now available to rent or buy.
Jack O'Connell, 'Sinners'
Sinners is an awards season frontrunner, and there are a lot of acting nominations in contention. Yet I haven't seen anybody throw out one of the most obvious ones: Jack O'Connell as Remmick. It's a scene-stealing role, and O'Connell makes the absolute most of it; I've been yelling "Sammie!" in his voice ever since seeing the movie. Michael B. Jordan is, quite correctly, getting tons of praise for his dual roles here, but that shouldn't negate the fact that O'Connell lights up the screen every time he's on it.
How to watch: Sinners is now streaming on HBO Max.
Kevin O'Leary, 'Marty Supreme'
On a craft level, the film is astounding, with incredible period production design and the typical kinetic camerawork and editing of a Safdie film. The cast is full of surprising faces, all delivering terrific performances, many of which are garnering a lot of award season attention. I wanted to highlight one that likely won't break through despite his incredible work: entrepreneur and investor Kevin O'Leary of Shark Tank fame. He's never acted before, but for whatever reason, he's so comfortable playing a rich asshole that he ends up delivering one of the most engaging performances in a movie chock-full of 'em. It truly has to be seen to be believed!
How to watch: Marty Supreme is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Nick Offerman, 'Sovereign'
Nick Offerman is absolutely terrific and perfectly cast in Sovereign, a movie based on the true story of Jerry and Joe Kane, a father and son who were self-proclaimed sovereign citizens involved in a deadly confrontation with police in West Memphis, Ark., in 2010. (It's a fictionalized account of the incident, rather than a direct retelling.) Offerman is sublime in the role, making you almost pity the man who is so staunch in his convictions, even as those convictions are revealed to be watery and not based in reality. The filmmakers are essentially weaponizing his well-known Ron Swanson persona from Parks and Recreation to great dramatic effect. Former child star Jacob Tremblay, now 19, also gives a strong turn as the son, but Offerman steals the show.
How to watch: Sovereign is now streaming on Hulu.
Keanu Reeves, 'Good Fortune'
Keanu Reeves is delightful in Good Fortune, a pretty good movie in which he delivers one of the most charming performances of his career. He plays a clumsy guardian angel named Gabriel, who gets stuck in human form and experiences the small joys of life, such as chicken nuggets, a cheeseburger and a milkshake. He's simply on another level here — no shade to costars Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari.
How to watch: Good Fortune is now available to rent or buy.
Andrew Scott, 'Blue Moon'
Ethan Hawke is rightfully getting all the praise for playing lyricist Lorenz Hart in Richard Linklater's fantastic Blue Moon, so I'll use this opportunity to highlight costar Andrew Scott, who nails his supporting role as his former (and now more successful) collaborator Richard Rodgers. It's a lovely and deeply melancholic movie about art, envy, career decline and so much more. Scott's work may be more subtle than Hawke's, but it's just as good.
How to watch: Blue Moon is now available to rent or buy.
Mia Threapleton, 'The Phoenician Scheme'
The silliest movie Wes Anderson has made in years is, somehow, as sincere and emotional as anything he’s ever directed. Mia Threapleton, daughter of Kate Winslet, helps make it so, as she plays the estranged daughter of Benicio Del Toro's character. She's a natural screen presence and makes a meal of Anderson's delightfully deadpan dialogue, playing wonderfully off Del Toro, who had a great year thanks to this and the other Anderson's One Battle After Another.
How to watch: The Phoenician Scheme is now streaming on Peacock.
Tramell Tillman, 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning'
The disappointing but still pretty good Mission Impossible movie from last year has at least one memorable non-stunt sequence, thanks to Severance star Tramell Tillman stealing the show as Captain Jack Bledsoe, the commanding officer of a U.S. submarine that rescues Ethan Hunt. His demeanor with Tom Cruise instantly gets big laughs, as he playfully challenges his authority and points out the absurdity of their situation. It's an incredibly funny moment, and it's remarkable how quickly Tillman is able to convey all there is to know about his cameo-sized character to the audience.
How to watch: Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning is now streaming on Paramount+.
Special mentions
And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention these ...
The dog from 'Good Boy'
Good Boy is a horror movie told from the POV of a dog trying to solve the mystery of what's haunting his owner. The movie itself is just OK — it has a hard time stretching its short-film premise to feature length — but the performance, so to speak, from Indy the dog is so impressive that it deserves a shout-out despite, or maybe because of, the fact that he's a dog. You'd never know the dog was blissfully unaware of what the hell was going on, as the filmmaker expertly mines the dog's reactions to fit the spooky narrative. Good boy, indeed!
How to watch: Good Boy is now streaming on Shudder.
The 'Nouvelle Vague' ensemble
Nouvelle Vague is a lovely film about filmmaking, specifically the French New Wave, and even more specifically the making of Breathless, the iconic Jean-Luc Godard film starring Jean Seberg. It's the second Richard Linklater film of the year, and the second one mentioned on this list after Blue Moon. Linklater deserves credit for recreating the look and feel of the era as well as the style of filmmaking they're emulating, but it's the ensemble full of perfectly cast, well-known-to-film-dorks-only characters that are earning praise here. Everybody embodies their role so well, you might think you're watching a documentary.
How to watch: Nouvelle Vague is now streaming on Netflix.
Looking for more recs? Find your next watch on the Yahoo 100, our daily list of the most popular movies of the year.
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