
When I think back on the year's best acting performances in film, the first word that comes to mind is "surprise". Of the 20 performances I most anticipated at the start of the year, only 2 of them ended up on this final list. Instead, a slew of dynamic duos, breakout stars, comedians-gone-serious and A-listers at the top of their game came along and impressed me with their unforgettable turns. But most of all, 2015 was the year of the actress. Indeed, women dominated the top ranks of this Top 20, with a long line of other incredibly worthy performers just missing the cut. Compiling the following names was therefore as difficult as ever, but I'm happy with my choices. Here are the 20 performances that resonated with me the most in 2015:
Honorable Mention: Jason Mitchell in Straight Outta Compton
20. Greta Gerwig in Mistress America

19. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez in Tangerine

18. Jesse Eisenberg in The End of the Tour

17. David Thewlis in Anomalisa

16. Jason Segel in The End of the Tour

15. Seth Rogen in Steve Jobs

14. Tom Hardy in The Revenant

13. Jessica Chastain in Crimson Peak

12. John Cusack in Love and Mercy

11. Johnny Depp in Black Mass

10. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant

9. Elisabeth Moss in Queen of Earth

8. Oscar Isaac in Ex Machina

7. Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn

6. Emory Cohen in Brooklyn

5. Amy Schumer in Trainwreck

4. Lily James in Cinderella

3. Cate Blanchett in Truth

2. Rebecca Hall in The Gift

1. Melissa McCarthy in Spy
