2019 proved to be a formidable year not just for film in general, but specifically for the horror genre. After the success of films like It, Get Out, Hereditary, and the Conjuring franchise, horror has once again had to work a little extra hard to stand out from the standard “user friendly” genres in film. No matter how successful -both creatively and financially – the horror genre is, there exists a constant stigma against it, rendering it a genre that must always prove itself for general movie audiences.
When it comes to noteworthy performances from the horror genre, it is unfortunately no different, with many great horror performances getting overlooked in favor of more “acceptable” performances from dramas and comedies and such. 2019 is hoarding a wealth of fantastic horror performances of which only a few have gotten some genuine mainstream attention, but the rest should not go without notice either.
The likes of Jordan Peele, Ari Aster, and many more have helped write and direct some of the year’s most enthralling and compelling performances, making it especially difficult to narrow down what I considered to be the absolute best of the bunch. 2019 contained great work from both leading and supporting actors, so the list will contain a healthy variety of both types in order to give everyone their time to shine. This list is subjective of course, but I do believe these to be the best of the bunch and I hope some of your favorites make it on here too.
So without further ado, let’s get started….
15: Virginia Gardner – Starfish
Virginia Gardner’s excellent melancholic work in the sci-fi horror-drama, Starfish, is the type of work that may not immediately hit the viewer. It’s not showy and a fair portion of Gardner’s acting is subtle, but her performance quietly hits viewers with her phenomenal portrayal of a grief-stricken woman encountering an apocalypse. We follow Gardner throughout the whole film, seeing as how there’s not a large cast to begin with, so following her journey to acceptance and potential happiness is moving and thrilling when seeing what she has to contend with. It’s easily one of the most relatable performances of the year and it elevates an already intriguing film into new heights, so don’t miss out on this one.
14: James Ransone – It: Chapter Two
Leave it to our beloved hypochondriac Eddie Kaspbrak to provide the blueprints for an actor to totally chew the scenery. Jack Dylan Grazer did just that in the first film and James Ransone followed suit with a completely faithful performance that also brought its own share of nuance to the role. Never has Eddie been so incredibly charming to watch onscreen and Ransone’s frantic and oddly poetic delivery of such famous Eddie quirks makes his performance one of the true standouts of the divisive sequel. Equally hilarious and heartbreaking, Ransone’s performance is textbook Stephen King and for arguably King’s most popular book, it’s rather appropriately so. It may not be as universally loved as the first, but hardly anyone should disagree on the high caliber of James Ransone’s work here.
13: Katie Stevens – Haunt
Slasher films aren’t normally the type of films to feature actors truly “acting”, so to speak, as the blood, gore, and creative violence often take center stage in these films. Haunt features all of the above, but Katie Stevens is thrown into the mix to craft a surprisingly compelling main character that held down the fort beautifully throughout the acclaimed slasher on Shudder. The premise of kids going into a haunted house attraction only to be hunted by real killers is brought down to Earth by Stevens’ emotional and gripping performance as a woman dealing with personal issues on top of the usual slasher fare. Nailing both the horror and drama surrounding her character, Stevens provides a truly underrated performance in a fantastic throwback of a slasher that should be on your watchlist right now.
12: Christopher Gray – Harpoon
Harpoon’s premise may be overly simple on paper, it being a story about three tentative friends being stranded on a boat in open water as paranoia and tension soon overtakes the trio. In many ways it is simple even onscreen, but Christopher Gray is that curveball thrown in there to create a suspenseful and tension-filled ride as the three friends start to lose their minds. Gray plays the spoiled trust fund kid of the trio and from the start, he is presented as violent, reckless, and easily irritable, so seeing Gray tap into the deepest and darkest parts of his mind on the boat is nothing short of hilariously mesmerizing and morbid. Gray is hysterical, yet completely intimidating, making for one of the most interesting and downright entertaining psychos I’ve seen in quite some time. Harpoon may not be well known as of the time of this writing, but Christopher Gray is by far the easiest selling point for this darkly hilarious horror-comedy.
11: Logan Browning – The Perfection
Netflix’s catalog of original films has been pretty hit-or-miss, with the giant corporation clearly being used to just taking whatever projects seem even mildly interesting. But out of all of their acquisitions, The Perfection is by far one of their boldest choices. The story of two women being pit against each other after attending a prestigious music school is spearheaded by an incredible and unfortunately overlooked performance by Logan Browning, one of the two musical prodigies in the film. Initially subtle and restrained, Browning unleashes pure intensity in the second half of the film, matching Allison Williams’ similarly devilish performance (carried over by her infamous work in Get Out) to deliver a satisfying, yet completely fucked up performance that easily stands out as one of the most unusual of the year.
10: Barry Ward – Extra Ordinary
Okay, so Extra Ordinary isn’t all that scary compared to the other films in this list, but that doesn’t stop the actors from giving it their all in this quirky and adorable horror-comedy about a driving instructor with the ability to sense supernatural spirits around her. The film’s casual atmosphere is perfect for actors to completely steal the show from and Barry Ward does just that with a hilariously layered performance as a lonely widow trying to save his daughter from being sacrificed by an insane washed-up rock star. Without spoilers, the premise gives Ward the chance to convey a wide range of different emotions into a tight 90-minute runtime and by the end, I just wanted to see more of Ward’s utterly incredible work. Totally believable and ridiculous in one exquisite package, Barry Ward proves to be the “Actor’s Actor” here and his work should be appreciated more in the horror circle.
9: Bill Hader – It: Chapter Two
As fantastic as James Ransone is with his performance as Eddie Kaspbrak, Bill Hader manages to reach just a bit further into greatness with his outrageous and devastating work as the adult version of Richie Tozier in It 2. Picking up where Finn Wolfhard left off in the first film, Hader brings his usual Hader charm to the role, fitting the role of comedian Richie like a glove and gifting us with the best moments of the entire film, often paired with James Ransone’s Eddie to make the scenes even more memorable. But when the second act hits its stride, Hader proves why he is one of the most criminally underrated dramatic actors today with a powerful performance that was exactly what something like a Stephen King project needed. Obviously Hader has Barry right now, but It: Chapter Two is yet another example of the man’s fantastic work.
8: Marianne Jean-Baptiste – In Fabric
A24 have continued to prove themselves to being quite adept at showcasing ambitious horror from lesser-known directors and In Fabric serves as one of the most underrated A24 titles of 2019, hiding a fantastic performance in it. The performance is from Marianne Jean-Baptiste in a riveting role as a single mother who begins to feel as though a beautiful red dress she recently brought may in fact be sentient with evil intentions. A weird premise, yes, but Jean-Baptiste pulls it off with a captivating and entertaining performance that allows her to freely express herself in both sad and wickedly funny methods. Her performance is arguably the most human of the entire list and despite the kooky premise, her dedication to selling it with the utmost realism strengthened a bizarre and risky horror film that should be on your radar.
7: Lupita Nyong’o – Us
Easily the most recognizable performance on this list, Lupita Nyong’o amazing work in Jordan Peele’s Us has gotten a slew of critic awards and many outlets have highlighted her performance as being one of the best of the year, rightly so in my opinion. Lupita plays her dual role in Us with such finesse and dedication, perfectly distinguishing each character with their own quirks and personalities. She can be the calm and reserved Adelaide in one moment and the fierce and intimidating Red in the next without even breaking a sweat. Her manner of speaking may not work for everyone, but for me, it only added to Lupita’s creepy aura that outright saved the film even when it began to plod along. Her mannerisms and overall performance are destined for iconic status and while it may not be the best of the year, it is arguably the most important of the year for the horror genre. Here’s to Lupita and her amazing-as-usual work.
6: Juan Ramon Lopez – Tigers Are Not Afraid
The only child performance on this list and it still stands out as one of the best performances of 2019 in general. Juan Ramon Lopez’s presence in Issa Lopez’s Tigers Are Not Afraid is one of gut-wrenching realism and melancholy, mirroring the very real situation going on with the Mexican cartels in Mexico. From there, Lopez channels the spirit of Mexico into a challenging and gripping performance of a young boy who is the leader of a group of orphans victimized by the cartels and his work proves just how ahead of his years he truly is. The film is both charming and depressing and Lopez brings this fantasy horror vision to life with maturity, raw emotion, and one of the most devastating gut-punches of the entire year. I’m not sure what’s next for Juan Ramon Lopez, but for anybody who has already checked out the film on Shudder, it may be wise to keep him on your radar for the future. He may just be a star in the making.
5: Florence Pugh – Midsommar
You all knew it was coming at some point. The heavily memed folk horror film from Ari Aster contains rising star Florence Pugh in arguably her best role to date, so of course it was going to be on the list. Pugh continues where Toni Collette left off in Hereditary with an emotional performance as a college student suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder dealing with a new wave of problems when she visits a peculiar village in Sweden for their “midsummer” holiday. Her exhausting and blinding performance has been the talk of the online world, highlighting Pugh’s tenacity and perfect balance of mind-crushing insanity and down-to-Earth kindness. It’s not an easy role at all, but Pugh brings it home nonetheless in a performance that will age like fine wine over the years. Her Oscar attention this year is entirely focused on Little Women, but Midsommar is the definitive Pugh vehicle of 2019.
4: Samara Weaving – Ready or Not
This was never going to be a serious Oscar contender, but Samara Weaving’s performance here is further proof of the Academy’s bias towards horror films. How most people have managed to not have Weaving in their Best of 2019 lists is just baffling to me. Ready or Not is the perfect star vehicle for the talented actress, who has impressed in both large and small roles in The Babysitter and Three Billboards, but completely crushes it here as the fated bride who is hunted by her groom’s wealthy family in a twisted game of hide and seek. Weaving oozes personality as Grace, the quick-witted country girl with an uncanny ability to survive even the most dire situations. All of that is topped with Weaving’s incredible acting, displaying practically every emotion on her blood-stained sleeve with the kind of unhinged intensity that not even most classic horror films contain. Samara Weaving is an absolute revelation in Ready or Not; get ready for her to impress even more in the future.
3: Robert Pattinson – The Lighthouse
Our new Batman and the latest actor to grace a Christopher Nolan film, Robert Pattinson’s career shift has been nothing short of fascinating. We’ve known him as the Pretty Boy of Twilight for the longest time, but Robert Eggers was able to help bring out a side of Pattinson we have never truly seen with The Lighthouse. Playing Winslow, a quiet, but disturbed lighthouse keeper, Pattinson leads the charge with a ferocious, insane, and utterly terrifying performance as Winslow slowly starts to go mad (if he already wasn’t to begin with). Pattinson is frantic, desperate and just plain off-the-wall here, playing with our perception of protagonists and delivering said performance with such confidence and gusto. It’s horrific to see Pattinson go through such emotions, but it’s also something we can’t look away from, which is arguably The Lighthouse’s best feature and the defining aspect of Pattinson’s incredible performance.
2: Aisling Franciosi – The Nightingale
Some will be quick to point out Jennifer Kent’s revenge film, The Nightingale, as being more of a drama than a horror. I disagree wholeheartedly, with Kent’s exploration of discrimination against the Aboriginal Australians proving to be far more terrifying than any slasher film. What makes the film even more terrifying is Aisling Franciosi’s magnificent and traumatizing performance as an Irish convict who spearheads an act of vengeance against British officials who murder her family and leave her raped and left for dead. The disturbing content only escalates from there and Franciosi commands the screen in one of the most heartbreaking performances of the year. Franciosi is tasked with tackling a complex lead character with her own set of faults and seeing her journey take many different turns is riveting to watch at every one of those turns. The story may go in a different path than expected, but it doesn’t once hurt the quality of Jennifer Kent’s beautiful and morbid horror-drama or Franciosi’s fantastic performance.
1: Willem Dafoe – The Lighthouse
Best performance of the year. Not just in horror, but film in general. It may be one of the best of the entire decade and it really isn’t even a question. Willem Dafoe’s captivating performance as Thomas Wake in The Lighthouse is nothing short of masterful. Dafoe’s grumpy, insane, and mesmerizing work gets so much better to watch with each viewing, with extra nuances and quirks constantly being picked up on repeat watches. Dafoe’s performance is truly out of this world and downright inhumane to such a delightfully horrific degree. He’s hysterical to watch, yet nobody can match Dafoe’s pure intensity when his cooking is insulted. Nowhere else will you see an old fart (literally) grab your attention the way Willem Dafoe does in Robert Eggers’ horror masterpiece. Dafoe has set the bar high with his work here and while many will try, I doubt there will be any performances that are able to match the legendary actor’s work in any way. Maybe that’s for the best.