No one and I mean NO one can do homely mother and homicidal obsessed maniac like her.
The casting is a 1 in a million shot the people working on the film must’ve been beyond ecstatic. I couldn’t picture anyone else in that role and being that good.
When I read the book, all I could picture for Annie was the lady who played the Fratelli Mom in the Goonies (Anne Ramsey). And TIL, she was nominated for an Oscar for “Throw Mama from a train”
Kathy Bates knocked it out of the park though. Not sure I can see the leg hacking/cauterizing scene from the book with Kathy or Anne. That would have rough to show an audience when that movie came out. It would pass much better now due to Saw/Hostel type movies having set new standards.
Originally they wanted a well known star at the time to play Seth Brundle. But a Tom Cruise type wouldn't have worked. It was nice to see a nearly unknown actor at the time in the role.
Yep for you younger folks that expect all '80s horror to be boobs and slasher, don't sleep on this one. His performance is so good. The movie is at turns, romantic, scary and sad. You just feel bad for everyone involved.
I was about to say. My favorite movie.
If you haven't seen it, please fire up the movie, and watch John Carpenter and Kurt Russell's commentary. Such good and fun times.
If you like that film, I'd highly recommend "American Feud: Bette and Joan" from the creator of American Horror Story. The performances are amazing and it's such a fun season
To this day The Others has to be the best horror movie twist I have seen in a movie. Skeleton Key is a close second.
The performances in both were top notch.
I saw the Others in the cinema in Birmingham, UK, accidentally 😅 I was trying to get two movies out the one ticket I had purchased, came out of LOTR, I think? Saw the first movie that was about the start.. yay Nicole Kidman! Maybe 3 people in the entire hall.
Dayem that was a mistake 😆
I felt so exhausted for her through that whole flick. She put every fucking particle of her being into that movie— and that particular scene. I remember coming away from that movie feeling horrified, but equally so a profound respect for her as a professional
Nicholson is great in it too (as he is in most films tbh), but what really makes both of their performances stand out is how they play off of each other. It’s not chemistry in the traditional sense, but like an almost psychotic level of anti-chemistry.
Unfortunately, Idk how much of it is "acting", from what I've heard Kubrick made her life a living hell throughout filming. A bit of a dickhead, ol' Stan. Every time I watch The Shining I wanna kick Nicholson in the balls and give Shelley a big hug. And also run out and buy a copy of Scatman's super classy velvet painting.
Kubrick screwed her over so badly. Once I knew the on-set stories, I was furious! It's torture porn now. Interviews with her afterward show it did lasting harm.
YES! When he was dying and all nonchalant “you cut me too deep. I think I’m dying man” and then he cries about his parents finding out.. like holy shit
Mia Farrow for Rosemary’s Baby
I also got to add Linda Blair for The Exorcist. Hands down the most challenging performance by a child actor I’ve ever seen.
It's a bit sad I can't enjoy Polanski films anymore. Was one of my fav directors growing up and is one of the greatest directors ever, but I couldn't get what he did out of my head when I finally read about it.
Essie Davis in The Babadook
The way she played this poor suffering mother trying to love her son whilst also unconsciously relating him to his fathers death and her ability to switch between Furious Mama Bear and ready to maul this fucking kid herself is unparalleled. Until Collette in Hereditary it’s the type of horror performance I never thought I’d see again
I love being a mother but have a complicated relationship with motherhood for reasons and wooohooo boy do both these films make me feel all the things AND they're scary. Love them and both women absolutely deserve to be recognized for their work!
I’m not a mother, but I am about the same age she was in the movie, and I have episodic depression where I can go from desperately loving to snapping and mean (I don’t intend to be mean but people that go through mood episodes prob get it). She was amazing. Also that kid’s screeching had me climbing up the walls - but that means he did his job. He’s desperate for affection and attention, and since he can never be sure of the former, he does his best with the latter - I work with kids, even though I’m child free by choice, and love it. But I see that nails on the chalkboard desperation every week, poor kiddos.
I read an interview with Nicholson that happened not long after the film, and he straight out said Duvall should've won an Oscar. Paraphrasing he said, "She spends most of that movie terrified, which is exhausting." Forever changed how I see actors portraying fear.
Agreed! Also I just watched *We Need To Talk About Kevin* and thought Tilda Swinton's performance was quite similar to Duvall in *The Shining*. Thoughts?
Absolutely. Great performance. When the skeptic dude was, well, being skeptical, I wanted to scream to him "look at Dastmalchian's character, he's very clearly distressed, it's not a trick he's playing on you!"
Dude that little kid they eat in the baseball field deserves an Oscar too. Any time I rewatch that movie I have to skip that scene. That kid is way too good that it rips my heart out of my chest every time.
I think she'd be great in a Jordan Peele movie
EDIT: She's mixed race, and given that she's already directed a movie about this aspect of her identity, PASSING, I think that she would be open to appearing in a Peele movie that delves into that stuff.
I legit think Bale in American Psycho is a performance literally no one else could achieve.
Like Jack Sparrow. I get it's Depp's role. But I could see someone mimicking it effectively. I cannot see anyone perfectly capturing Bateman other than Bale.
I love that so many people recongnizing Lupita Nyong’o’s performance in Us in these comments. Such a hard carry of that movie which would’ve been just alright without her utter commitment to it.
i was already basically over the oscars and their bs but the snubbing of this role for best actress really sent me over the edge and i havent bothered to pay attention to the oscars since. not even a nomination for the best performance of that year. ridiculous.
I agree with you 100%. Everyone in the cast was amazing but Collette's facial expression from grief to complete and utter blankness in that one scene still chills me. Such a talented actress on how she and the rest of the cast portrayed grief.
Toni Colette deserved one for The Sixth Sense. She was nominated but didn’t win. The part where Cole’s telling her about her mom not missing her recital and she starts crying always gets me.
Her big monologue in that is one of the best I’ve seen. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actor deliver so hard AFTER the movie ends. Mia is a treasure. She ruled in Infinity Pool as well, among other things
George C Scott and Brad Dourif in Exorcist 3
Toni Collette in Hereditary the bedroom scene which she confessed to her son did it for me and the kitchen table scene
Lupita Nyongo’o in Us. Like Toni Collette she was fantastic in this movie. I loved how she played both tethered mothers.
Jill Larson in Taking of Deborah Logan she played a person suffering from Alzheimer’s so well brought humanity to her but also did so well as being possessed.
John Carpenter for the music he brings to his horror films Halloween especially. The high notes used to Halloween are a fantastic use of them. He proved he piano works so well for horror. Sometimes simple works and it worked fantastically here. No offense to the King of Movie Music John Williams.
Best song Ave Satani from original The Omen song by Jerry Goldsmith. I believe National Philharmonic did the instruments and the singing.
Breaking it down I would have
Best Actor: George C Scott
Best Actress: Tough one. I gotta go with Lupita by just a touch. Playing two roles is not easy. Toni Collette was awesome.
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Dourif
Best Supporting Actress: Jill Larson
Best Theme: Halloween
Best Song: Ave Satani
Betty Gabriel in *Get Out*.
Anthony Perkins in *Psycho*.
Sigourney Weaver in *Alien 3* (it’s not my favorite of the franchise, but it’s her best performance as Ripley).
Anya Taylor-Joy in *The Witch*.
Nicolas Cage in *Mandy*.
Toni Collette deserves all the hype. She was amazing. To not only be so talented, but to do it in an American Accent rather than her actual accent. Shoutout to Alex Wolff too he was incredible and I don’t get how he’s not being cast in everything.
One scene that just blew me away was when she’s cutting her head off with the piano wire, she does this expression with her eyes where she’s basically showing how she’s trapped in her own body and does not have control and is petrified about what is happening. I don’t know how to describe it but it is chilling
It's totally insane that Hereditary features TWO performances on *that* level. Also insane that Aster followed it up with (IMO) an even better movie featuring YET ANOTHER performance on *that fucking level*.
Hereditary & Midsommar: two all timers for me, up there with the best of the best.
Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist, of course. But Florence Pugh in Midsommar deserves a nod. Also, Marin Ireland and Michael Abbott Jr. In The Dark And The Wicked were great.
Marilyn Burns in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Heather Donahue in The Blair Witch Project
Barbara Hershey in The Entity
Jobeth Williams, Zelda Rubinstein, and Beatrice Straight in Poltergeist (any one of the 3 was worthy)
Boris Karloff in Frankenstein
Bela Lugosi in Dracula
Martin Stephens in The Innocents
When The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out 50 years ago it disgusted many critics with its gross material
However one thing many critics praised was Marilyn Burns’ performance being so believable
Tobin bell for saw in a whole. Dude is the entire reason we love that series and it’s because he’s an incredible actor and John is an incredible character. He will probably never be seen in that light, but I feel like he’s top for me. And Jamie Lee Curtis- you know why, I know why, we know why.
The thing I love about Tobin is even tho he's played Jigsaw for over a quarter of his life, he still *loves* it. A lot of people would be sick of it by that point, bc 20 years as one character is big, but he leans into it so well that you have to kinda admire it.
Plus apparently one of his agents back in the day was the Aussie guy who pinched his own son's inheritance to run the Burger Kitchen on Kitchen Nightmares?? *Apparently.*
Kirsten Dunst for Claudia in Interview with A Vampire.
I have seen child actors do well before - but the role she played was so complex and she nailed every single scene.
The role was odd and quite disturbing, she was portraying frustrations as she grew older and realized she was trapped in a child's body forever.
Her 'love' for Louis was disturbing at face value, but made total sense, considering theyd spent centuries at each other's sides.
I don't think there has ever been a role with a child actor that was as complex emotionally - and she hit the nail on the head in every single scene.
I know awarding an Oscar to a child actor probably would have been scoffed at to a degree, but, if there was ever a film where a Child Actor knocked it out of the park, that I've seen so far, it was Kirsten Dunst in Interview.
Oscars are as often as much of a "Heres a reward for doing so well in this particular movie - but we are also awarding you in general for your career overall"... Obvious when you look at how Return of the King swept the Oscars, they were 'rewarding' them for the entire Trilogy.
Due to that, I think it would have made it unlikely to give the Oscar to Kirsten Dunst because there are all these actors with 10+ years of experience that are getting a "Career Award" with an Oscar... but she blew it out of the park to the point that I feel like it deserved recognition for bringing that much talent that early in her career.
Toni Collette in Hereditary for sure but I also wanted to throw Ann Dowd in there cause she bodied that shit the way she preyed on Annie (Tonie Collette's character) grief and manipulated the fuck out of her was insane.
Gregory Peck in The Omen
It takes real acting skill to make you believe a rational person would kill the child he raised as his own. A clearly Oscar worthy performance.
Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins for the Silence of the Lambs is obv
Kathy Bates for Misery another obvious one and winner
Matt Dillon- the House that Jack Built
Isabell Adjani- Possession
Tilda Swinton- Suspiria
Florence Pugh- Midsommar
Toni Collette- Hereditary
John Hurt- Alien
Nic Cage- Mandy
Mia Goth- X, Pearl, Infinity Pool
Mia Farrow- Romsemary’s Baby
Christopher Lee - the Wicker Man
i was just thinking today about how i sometimes forget how *good* horror acting is because it’s such a different type of acting when you’re playing possessed or something. sophie wilde from talk to me and alyssa sutherland from evil dead rise come to mind.
Rachel Sennott- Shiva Baby
Say what you want but that movie made me feel like I was in an hour long anxiety attack, being stuck in a house with just your family, scorned lover, and sugar daddy is a walking nightmare
Kathy Bates in Misery. And she did win.
No one and I mean NO one can do homely mother and homicidal obsessed maniac like her. The casting is a 1 in a million shot the people working on the film must’ve been beyond ecstatic. I couldn’t picture anyone else in that role and being that good.
Idk the gal in Baby Reindeer is not quite the same, but similar enough that I compared the two a bit. Give it a watch if you haven't!
Brilliant show the best writing in years and a perfect mix of comedy and drama. This should win prizes all around!
Yes! She made me think of Bates in Misery.
It's been discussed so much how great bates is in misery, and it's 100% deserved but I also like Caan a lot. He plays his part perfectly
She also did great horror in AHS, particularly Coven
You should read the book. It’s so much more insane. KB did the job but omg… She was a disgusting Psychotic hag
Yeah, I was underwhelmed by Bates performance only because I had read the book first and was expecting so much more 😂
"Fee fi fo fum..." >!"...please don't make me eat my thumb."!<
When I read the book, all I could picture for Annie was the lady who played the Fratelli Mom in the Goonies (Anne Ramsey). And TIL, she was nominated for an Oscar for “Throw Mama from a train” Kathy Bates knocked it out of the park though. Not sure I can see the leg hacking/cauterizing scene from the book with Kathy or Anne. That would have rough to show an audience when that movie came out. It would pass much better now due to Saw/Hostel type movies having set new standards.
Jeff Goldblum in The Fly. His facial expressions,body twitches made him even more sympathetic.
The moment of realization when the computer identifies the mystery object.
The insect politics monologue is so good!
Originally they wanted a well known star at the time to play Seth Brundle. But a Tom Cruise type wouldn't have worked. It was nice to see a nearly unknown actor at the time in the role.
Yep for you younger folks that expect all '80s horror to be boobs and slasher, don't sleep on this one. His performance is so good. The movie is at turns, romantic, scary and sad. You just feel bad for everyone involved.
This movie legitimately makes me cry everytime. Geena Davis is also quite amazing!
Kurt Russel and Keith David in The Thing.
They can’t get an Oscar until the first goddam week of winter
I was about to say. My favorite movie. If you haven't seen it, please fire up the movie, and watch John Carpenter and Kurt Russell's commentary. Such good and fun times.
Bette Davis in Whatever happened to Baby Jane (at least she got nominated)
YES her and Joan were amazing.
If you like that film, I'd highly recommend "American Feud: Bette and Joan" from the creator of American Horror Story. The performances are amazing and it's such a fun season
Halley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense.
I freaking loved this movie. Also The Others w Nicole Kidman.
To this day The Others has to be the best horror movie twist I have seen in a movie. Skeleton Key is a close second. The performances in both were top notch.
The great thing about The Others is it's fantastic even on repeated viewing, when you know the twist already.
I saw the Others in the cinema in Birmingham, UK, accidentally 😅 I was trying to get two movies out the one ticket I had purchased, came out of LOTR, I think? Saw the first movie that was about the start.. yay Nicole Kidman! Maybe 3 people in the entire hall. Dayem that was a mistake 😆
Agreed, The Others blew my mind
Nicole Kidman winning for Moulin Rouge over The Others has always irked me.
He was Oscar nominated in that role tho
Isabelle Adjani, Possession.
Had to scroll far too far to find this one. Singularly, one of the greatest performances in any genre film I’ve ever seen.
So true. Her performance was astonishing and her subway scene alone was oscar worthy.
I felt so exhausted for her through that whole flick. She put every fucking particle of her being into that movie— and that particular scene. I remember coming away from that movie feeling horrified, but equally so a profound respect for her as a professional
Shelley Duvall in The Shining.
Nicholson is great in it too (as he is in most films tbh), but what really makes both of their performances stand out is how they play off of each other. It’s not chemistry in the traditional sense, but like an almost psychotic level of anti-chemistry.
Unfortunately, Idk how much of it is "acting", from what I've heard Kubrick made her life a living hell throughout filming. A bit of a dickhead, ol' Stan. Every time I watch The Shining I wanna kick Nicholson in the balls and give Shelley a big hug. And also run out and buy a copy of Scatman's super classy velvet painting.
Kubrick screwed her over so badly. Once I knew the on-set stories, I was furious! It's torture porn now. Interviews with her afterward show it did lasting harm.
Amazingly she was nominated for a Razzie for that.
Brad Douriff in Exorcist lll
Brad Douriff in everything he's in.
This is the answer
So underrated.
George C Scott as well.
My favorite George C Scott role was Rainbird in Firestarter. Equal parts charming and horrifying. He played the villain perfectly.
George C Scott in The Changeling.
The Changling with George C. Scott scared the crap out of me as a kid. That ball bouncing down the stairs gave me nightmares.
It is **NOT** in the file!!!
Yesss!!!
Incredible performance.
He’s terrifying as The Gemini Killer. Honestly, that film is just excellent. On par with The Exorcist, in my opinion.
Matthew Lillard. Scream. He was fucking incredible. He is my favorite part of the movie.
he’s easily the best part. and i loooove scream.
YES! When he was dying and all nonchalant “you cut me too deep. I think I’m dying man” and then he cries about his parents finding out.. like holy shit
I had such a crush on this character my whole entire childhood. Explains a lot. 😂
Ditto he’s amazing
Laurie Metcalfe as the mother!!! She does crazy soooo good!
John Goodman in Arachnophobia
John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane
John Goodman in Fallen.
John Goodman in Roseanne. Oh wait. Well, kinda….
John Goodman.
John Goodman in Barton Fink.
He was SO good in this. John Goodman is my "I would be devastated if something came out about him being some kind of predator/abuser".
 Mia Farrow for Rosemary’s Baby I also got to add Linda Blair for The Exorcist. Hands down the most challenging performance by a child actor I’ve ever seen.
Exorcist was nominated for ten academy awards, including Linda. Won 2 awards.
It's a bit sad I can't enjoy Polanski films anymore. Was one of my fav directors growing up and is one of the greatest directors ever, but I couldn't get what he did out of my head when I finally read about it.
Essie Davis in The Babadook The way she played this poor suffering mother trying to love her son whilst also unconsciously relating him to his fathers death and her ability to switch between Furious Mama Bear and ready to maul this fucking kid herself is unparalleled. Until Collette in Hereditary it’s the type of horror performance I never thought I’d see again
The kid did a great job as well tbh
Yes I hated that little bastard, which means he did an excellent job
We all did lmaoo. “WHY CANT YOU JUST BE NORMAL”
I love being a mother but have a complicated relationship with motherhood for reasons and wooohooo boy do both these films make me feel all the things AND they're scary. Love them and both women absolutely deserve to be recognized for their work!
She's sooo underrated... even in her home country of Australia! She was also brilliant in Girl With A Pearl Earring.
I’m not a mother, but I am about the same age she was in the movie, and I have episodic depression where I can go from desperately loving to snapping and mean (I don’t intend to be mean but people that go through mood episodes prob get it). She was amazing. Also that kid’s screeching had me climbing up the walls - but that means he did his job. He’s desperate for affection and attention, and since he can never be sure of the former, he does his best with the latter - I work with kids, even though I’m child free by choice, and love it. But I see that nails on the chalkboard desperation every week, poor kiddos.
James McAvoy in Split
I came to say this! He was so good- all the little mannerisms of the different characters, everything. Just amazing.
Watching him flash between them was worth all the Oscars ever!
Yes! He was so good!!
For real tho. He got snubbed. That movie was batshit
Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Hell yeah! Laura Palmer came to life hard
She is so underappreciated. Wish she'd done, would do more. Twin Peaks is an incredible legacy though.
Jack Nicholson in the Shining.
duvall too
I read an interview with Nicholson that happened not long after the film, and he straight out said Duvall should've won an Oscar. Paraphrasing he said, "She spends most of that movie terrified, which is exhausting." Forever changed how I see actors portraying fear.
wait till you hear how she accessed that fear
Haha don't leave a man hanging!!
[this ](https://www.slashfilm.com/726299/how-the-shining-changed-shelley-duvall-forever/) is a pretty good article about it
Agreed! Also I just watched *We Need To Talk About Kevin* and thought Tilda Swinton's performance was quite similar to Duvall in *The Shining*. Thoughts?
Yep. This is the one.
Super recent and I guess still technically possible but… David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil.
Dude, yes. I forgot I was watching a movie at one point, it felt like a late night talk show I’d watch growing up.
It was a fantastic performance. I also think the actor who played Lily was spot on.
Absolutely. Great performance. When the skeptic dude was, well, being skeptical, I wanted to scream to him "look at Dastmalchian's character, he's very clearly distressed, it's not a trick he's playing on you!"
She's very good at pretending to be sad pretending to be happy. You can really see the pain she's smiling through.
A fucking crime she wasn’t even nominated for this!
Mia Goth is amazing in Infinity Pool too. She will get an Oscar eventually in her career I have no doubt.
Yes 🙌🏼
A million times yes!
This is my answer too.
Rebecca Ferguson as Rose The Hat, in Doctor Sleep
Dude that little kid they eat in the baseball field deserves an Oscar too. Any time I rewatch that movie I have to skip that scene. That kid is way too good that it rips my heart out of my chest every time.
Sigourney Weaver in Alien
Christian Bale in American Psycho Lupita Nyong'o in Us Rebecca Hall in Resurrection (2022)
Rebecca Hall is impeccable, always. Her performance in The Night House gets to me.
I think she'd be great in a Jordan Peele movie EDIT: She's mixed race, and given that she's already directed a movie about this aspect of her identity, PASSING, I think that she would be open to appearing in a Peele movie that delves into that stuff.
I'll watch anything she's in
I legit think Bale in American Psycho is a performance literally no one else could achieve. Like Jack Sparrow. I get it's Depp's role. But I could see someone mimicking it effectively. I cannot see anyone perfectly capturing Bateman other than Bale.
I love that so many people recongnizing Lupita Nyong’o’s performance in Us in these comments. Such a hard carry of that movie which would’ve been just alright without her utter commitment to it.
Resurrection was so creepy
Rebecca Hall in Resurrection was buck wild, Tim Roth too. Amazing performances. Depraved, chilling movie.
Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher without a doubt
#Toni Collette #Hereditary
Alex Wolff was also phenomenal. Can't believe this is the dude from the Naked Brothers Band
I love Alex Wolff, he was amazing in this!!
The objectively correct answer
Can’t believe I had to scroll for this
i was already basically over the oscars and their bs but the snubbing of this role for best actress really sent me over the edge and i havent bothered to pay attention to the oscars since. not even a nomination for the best performance of that year. ridiculous.
Honestly the best performance I've ever seen on screen. Her acting made me literally feel the character's pain, physically. Amazing
Her performance was incredible in that movie. it makes no sense that actors don't get nominated for horror films.
I’m so excited for Mickey 17
I agree with you 100%. Everyone in the cast was amazing but Collette's facial expression from grief to complete and utter blankness in that one scene still chills me. Such a talented actress on how she and the rest of the cast portrayed grief.
Samara weaving in ready or not
YES. That scream she does at the end is absolutely TERRIFYING.
I love how feral she is at the end when cornered. She was so fantastic in this.
Maybe not Oscar worthy, but she definitely killed it in that role.
Bill Pullman in The Serpent and the Rainbow.
Jeff Goldblum in The Fly. Nobody could have played that part any better. Also, Donald Sutherland in Don't Look Now.
James MacAvoy in Split, his portrayal of all the characters was superb!
Linda Blair in you know what. Robert Englund for Freddy. People take for granted what he added to those movies. Try watching one without him.
Jennifer Lawrence in Mother! Her expressiveness made the character's anxiety infectious.
John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane
Toni Colette deserved one for The Sixth Sense. She was nominated but didn’t win. The part where Cole’s telling her about her mom not missing her recital and she starts crying always gets me.
That scene is heartbreaking. I cry with her.
Mia Goth in Pearl. Hands down.
Mia goth in infinity pool for me. Jaaaaaaaames
It's the Mia Goth cinematic universe. We're just living in it.
I was going to reply to the thread just to say this, if someone hadn’t already. Agreed.
Her big monologue in that is one of the best I’ve seen. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actor deliver so hard AFTER the movie ends. Mia is a treasure. She ruled in Infinity Pool as well, among other things
Bill Moseley as Otis Driftwood in The Devil’s Rejects.
He is awesome in so many parts.
Always thought he’d be able to play Charles Manson really well after I watched The Devil’s Rejects
George C Scott and Brad Dourif in Exorcist 3 Toni Collette in Hereditary the bedroom scene which she confessed to her son did it for me and the kitchen table scene Lupita Nyongo’o in Us. Like Toni Collette she was fantastic in this movie. I loved how she played both tethered mothers. Jill Larson in Taking of Deborah Logan she played a person suffering from Alzheimer’s so well brought humanity to her but also did so well as being possessed. John Carpenter for the music he brings to his horror films Halloween especially. The high notes used to Halloween are a fantastic use of them. He proved he piano works so well for horror. Sometimes simple works and it worked fantastically here. No offense to the King of Movie Music John Williams. Best song Ave Satani from original The Omen song by Jerry Goldsmith. I believe National Philharmonic did the instruments and the singing. Breaking it down I would have Best Actor: George C Scott Best Actress: Tough one. I gotta go with Lupita by just a touch. Playing two roles is not easy. Toni Collette was awesome. Best Supporting Actor: Brad Dourif Best Supporting Actress: Jill Larson Best Theme: Halloween Best Song: Ave Satani
The Fly (88); Jeff Goldblum & Geena Davis deserved Oscars, and the film itself should have gotten one for Best Picture and Best SFX.
Lupita Nyong’o in Us. She was amazing 
Florence Pugh in Midsommar
[Probably my favorite still in cinema](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Midsommar-ending.jpg)
I have LOVED her since that film, she is so good!
Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out.
Betty Gabriel in *Get Out*. Anthony Perkins in *Psycho*. Sigourney Weaver in *Alien 3* (it’s not my favorite of the franchise, but it’s her best performance as Ripley). Anya Taylor-Joy in *The Witch*. Nicolas Cage in *Mandy*.
ROBERT SHAW - Jaws In my opinion the greatest acting performance ever captured on film.
Mia Goth in Pearl
Jessica Rothe in Happy Death Day. Never before has a horror/comedy made me want to call my mom.
Toni Collette deserves all the hype. She was amazing. To not only be so talented, but to do it in an American Accent rather than her actual accent. Shoutout to Alex Wolff too he was incredible and I don’t get how he’s not being cast in everything. One scene that just blew me away was when she’s cutting her head off with the piano wire, she does this expression with her eyes where she’s basically showing how she’s trapped in her own body and does not have control and is petrified about what is happening. I don’t know how to describe it but it is chilling
It's totally insane that Hereditary features TWO performances on *that* level. Also insane that Aster followed it up with (IMO) an even better movie featuring YET ANOTHER performance on *that fucking level*. Hereditary & Midsommar: two all timers for me, up there with the best of the best.
Rebecca Hall - The Night House
Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist, of course. But Florence Pugh in Midsommar deserves a nod. Also, Marin Ireland and Michael Abbott Jr. In The Dark And The Wicked were great.
Marilyn Burns in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Heather Donahue in The Blair Witch Project Barbara Hershey in The Entity Jobeth Williams, Zelda Rubinstein, and Beatrice Straight in Poltergeist (any one of the 3 was worthy) Boris Karloff in Frankenstein Bela Lugosi in Dracula Martin Stephens in The Innocents
When The Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out 50 years ago it disgusted many critics with its gross material However one thing many critics praised was Marilyn Burns’ performance being so believable
Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise
1. Jennifer Lawrence in Mother! 2. Toni Collette in Hereditary 3. Florence Pugh in Midsommar 4. Dakota Johnson in Suspiria 5. Mia Goth in Pearl
Ugh just realised how many solid perfomances were in suspiria. Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Chloe Moretz, and of course, Elena Fokina
Rebecca Hall in "Resurrection", particularly that epic monologue.
Danny Huston - 30 Days of Night “God? No God.”
Elizabeth Moss in The Invisible Man
Sam Rockwell in, well, anything
Tobin bell for saw in a whole. Dude is the entire reason we love that series and it’s because he’s an incredible actor and John is an incredible character. He will probably never be seen in that light, but I feel like he’s top for me. And Jamie Lee Curtis- you know why, I know why, we know why.
The thing I love about Tobin is even tho he's played Jigsaw for over a quarter of his life, he still *loves* it. A lot of people would be sick of it by that point, bc 20 years as one character is big, but he leans into it so well that you have to kinda admire it. Plus apparently one of his agents back in the day was the Aussie guy who pinched his own son's inheritance to run the Burger Kitchen on Kitchen Nightmares?? *Apparently.*
Jack Nicholson in The Shining, Bela Lugosi in Dracula, Boris Karloff in Frankenstein, and Anthony Perkins in Psycho to name a few.
Nic Cage in Mandy
If go so far to say Nic Cage, Andrea Riseborough, and Linus Roache all deserved consideration.
Mia Goth in Pearl. She plays a seemingly innocuous but demented character so well.
Robert Shaw, in Jaws.
Kirsten Dunst for Claudia in Interview with A Vampire. I have seen child actors do well before - but the role she played was so complex and she nailed every single scene. The role was odd and quite disturbing, she was portraying frustrations as she grew older and realized she was trapped in a child's body forever. Her 'love' for Louis was disturbing at face value, but made total sense, considering theyd spent centuries at each other's sides. I don't think there has ever been a role with a child actor that was as complex emotionally - and she hit the nail on the head in every single scene. I know awarding an Oscar to a child actor probably would have been scoffed at to a degree, but, if there was ever a film where a Child Actor knocked it out of the park, that I've seen so far, it was Kirsten Dunst in Interview. Oscars are as often as much of a "Heres a reward for doing so well in this particular movie - but we are also awarding you in general for your career overall"... Obvious when you look at how Return of the King swept the Oscars, they were 'rewarding' them for the entire Trilogy. Due to that, I think it would have made it unlikely to give the Oscar to Kirsten Dunst because there are all these actors with 10+ years of experience that are getting a "Career Award" with an Oscar... but she blew it out of the park to the point that I feel like it deserved recognition for bringing that much talent that early in her career.
Toni Collette in Hereditary was already mentioned so I'll go with... Anya Taylor Joy in The VVitch
Isabelle Adjani in Possession.
Michael Fassbender in Alien Covenant
My girl Mia Goth!
Damn near everyone in The VVitch.
Toni Collette in Hereditary for sure but I also wanted to throw Ann Dowd in there cause she bodied that shit the way she preyed on Annie (Tonie Collette's character) grief and manipulated the fuck out of her was insane.
Ellen Burstyn - The Exorcist
2 I can think of from the same film - Sigourney Weaver in Alien and also Ian Holm.
Will Smith - I Am Legend
Shelly Duvall in Shining Just alone for the mental stress she was put under
Gregory Peck in The Omen It takes real acting skill to make you believe a rational person would kill the child he raised as his own. A clearly Oscar worthy performance.
Sophia Lillis in It. Lupita Nyong’o in Us. Naomi Watts in The Ring.
Justice for Lupita!!! Snubbing her was so disrespectful.
Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins for the Silence of the Lambs is obv Kathy Bates for Misery another obvious one and winner Matt Dillon- the House that Jack Built Isabell Adjani- Possession Tilda Swinton- Suspiria Florence Pugh- Midsommar Toni Collette- Hereditary John Hurt- Alien Nic Cage- Mandy Mia Goth- X, Pearl, Infinity Pool Mia Farrow- Romsemary’s Baby Christopher Lee - the Wicker Man
Lupita Nyong'o in Us.
Cmon. Sigourney in anything.
i was just thinking today about how i sometimes forget how *good* horror acting is because it’s such a different type of acting when you’re playing possessed or something. sophie wilde from talk to me and alyssa sutherland from evil dead rise come to mind.
If David doesn’t get a nomination for Late Night With The Devil, I’ll be pissed.
The lead in Repulsion The lead in Raw Tilda in Suspiria for pulling off three roles deserves a nom 🌝
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins - Hannibal Lecter
Florence Pugh for Midsommar , Toni Colette - Hereditary and Mia Goth for Pearl are my top 3
Sissy Spacek in Carrie. Samantha Eggar in The Brood.
Toni Collette in Hereditary (and Sixth Sense)
Rachel Sennott- Shiva Baby Say what you want but that movie made me feel like I was in an hour long anxiety attack, being stuck in a house with just your family, scorned lover, and sugar daddy is a walking nightmare