With the year's second quarter over, we've begun listing highlights as you saw yesterday with Best Films and Technical Achievements. So here's a listicle of noteworthy male performances we'll eventually compare to what's to come and what came before (the first quarter list is here). These are my personal favorites from screenings and releases from April 1st through June 30th (though not all of these have opened in theaters yet - those that haven't are marked with an asterisk). Herewith the 17 best male performances from the year's second quarter, divvied up into three categories. Did these actors resonate with you?
Disclaimer: Key male actor heavy movies I missed this quarter were Fate of the Furious, Free Fire, King Arthur, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sleight, and Their Finest. If you've seen them give their MVPs a shout-out.
5 LEADING ACTORS
Jon Bernthal as "Sam" in Sweet Virginia*
Ansel Elgort as "Baby" in Baby Driver...
Brilliant casting of fine performance. Sometimes those two things are fused tight. This movie makes grand use of Elgort's charm offensive affectations, and puts them on the spectrum if you will.
Sam Elliott as "Lee Hayden" in Hero
The interiority. That voice. Ahhh
Michael Fassbender as "Walter/David" in Alien Covenant
Tracy Letts as "Michael" in The Lovers
10 ACTORS IN SUPPORTING ROLES
Jamie Foxx as "Bats" and Jon Hamm as "Buddy" in Baby Driver
Not subtle, no, but the movie calls for broad strokes
Angus Macfadyen as "Murray" in The Lost City of Z
Pavel Nový as "Brona" in Ice Mother
Taisto Oksanen as "Alijoki" in Tom of Finland*
Robert Pattinson as "Henry Costin" in The Lost City of Z
Pattinson is overdoing it in his seeming constant need to look terrible on film (to win respect, a trick usually reserved for beautiful actresses) but at least the work that comes with it is good.
Nick Offerman as "Jeremy Frost" in Hero
Ray Romano as "Terry" in The Big Sick
This parental duet couldn't be more perfect.
Andrew Scott as "Mr. Sherry" in Handsome Devil
How is it that Mr Scott is this perfect in every film he's in?
Amos Tamam as "Shimi" in The Wedding Plan
A wonderfully effective straight man to the film's comic-neurotic lead
2 ACTORS IN LIMITED OR CAMEO ROLES
image is not from "The Wall"
Laith Nakhi as "Juba" in The Wall
He doesn't actually appear in the film but that's quite a voice performance.
Udi Persi as "'Blind' Date" in The Wedding Plan