Nobody has a bigger beef with Oscar than Benicio Del Toro. His performance stands out more than any supporting performance I saw last year. After I walked out of the theater, I was positive he would get nominated for his work in Sicario. I’m not sure why, but the film simply got forgotten. Maybe it was released too early. Anyway, Del Toro is great as an enigmatic member of a shady government task force.  Is he a good guy?  Is he a bad guy? You’re just going to have to watch the film and find out for yourself.

Walton Goggins was my favorite part of the TV show Justified, a role that garnered him an Emmy nomination. He stole every scene he was in. Goggins also appeared in Tarantino’s Django Unchained, but in The Hateful Eight, his role has expanded to really show off his acting ability. Goggins plays Sheriff (maybe) Chris Mannix and his character arc from the start of the film to the end might be one of the biggest I saw all of last year. Goggins also provides much of the comic relief in The Hateful Eight and his chemistry with Samuel L. Jackson really carries the second half of the film.

The Big Short features an All-Star cast, but it’s Ryan Gosling’s performance that stands out for me. He plays a smarmy, orange skinned businessman with pearl white teeth. We should hate his character, but he’s so honest and genuine, it’s almost impossible. Gosling’s character also likes to address the audience directly, breaking the fourth wall. This is where most of the comedy in the film comes from. He’s also the narrator for most of the film. Christian Bale is getting a majority of the attention for The Big Short, and rightly so, but it’s Gosling’s performance that is more memorable for me.

My love for Hardy as an actor is no secret by now. I’m not sure another actor has put together a better body of work over the last few years. Between this year and last year, he has pumped out great performance after great performance.  Last year he was great in the one-person show that was Locke, as well as The Drop. This year, he gives a great, understated performance in Mad Max: Fury Road. Although I’ve yet to see it, he’s supposed to be great as twins in the film Legend, but it’s his work in The Revenant that has solidified Hardy has a Hollywood powerhouse. Hardy is virtually unrecognizable in The Revenant. Although Leonardo DiCaprio is understandably getting more attention for his performance, Hardy manages to steal more than a few scenes from Leo. There is nothing redeeming about his character. He’s dead inside and you can literally see it in Hardy’s eyes. Haunting.

I follow movies and actors pretty closely and I had never heard of Mark Rylance before seeing Bridge of Spies. It kind of makes sense though. Rylance has been acting since 1985, but has just 26 acting credits to his name. Bridge of Spies is by far the biggest film of his career. Rylance’s character is very important to the story. He plays a Russian spy that Tom Hanks is recruited to defend and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange for an American pilot that has been captured by the Soviets. Despite being a Russian spy, we feel for Rylance’s character. He’s not some evil villain. He’s simply a soldier doing his job, just like any American spy. If we didn’t care for his character, it would have made it impossible for audiences to connect to the film. Rylance also does a great job of conveying the life of a spy. The seclusion and the feeling of isolation.

In Room, Jacob Tremblay gives one of the best child performances I’ve ever seen. Although Abraham Attah was also great this year in Beasts of No Nation, it’s Tremblay that is given more room (ironically) to show off his acting chops. His performance is a beautiful portrayal of the spirit of a child. He’s naive, curious and energetic. He doesn’t let the fact that his whole world is a tiny shed phase him, and why should he, it’s the only world he knows. Room also proves how adaptable and brave children can truly be. I can’t wait to see what else this fantastic little actor has in store for us.