Best Supporting Actor and Actress 2019

Supporting Actor

05. Tracy Letts in Ford v Ferrari - It should come as no surprise that I think Tracy Letts is a national treasure, not only as a playwright, but also as an actor. After his layered, heart-warming performance as Lady Bird's dad two years ago, he should (FINALLY) be on everyone's radar. Ford v Ferrari tries to get by on the movie star charisma of Christian Bale and Matt Damon, and it mostly does, but Letts - as Henry Ford II - steals every scene that he is in. His crowning moment is the range of emotion he portrays in a single scene - being driven in a race car for the first time. It's a masterclass in acting and a pleasure to watch.

04. Timothee Chalamet in Little Women - Thank goodness we were blessed with a Little Women retelling when Timothee Chalamet is the perfect age to portray romantic leading man Laurie, because he is effortlessly perfect for the role of lovesick boy and charming, drunken, womanizing (as much as you can be those things in a family movie) young romantic suitor. With his delicate beauty, and endless talent, he mesmerizes as Laurie, and makes it look easy. The entire movie is cast so well, but Chalamet is utterly perfect for this role. He has one great, big scene, that is impressive, but it's the little moments - the under the breath comments, the flirtations - that really make this character.

03. Jonathan Majors in The Last Black Man in San Francisco - As a sensitive artist, Majors breaks out in a big way in The Last Black Man in San Francisco, one of the most underrated, must-see movies of the year. He's quiet and watchful for the majority of the movie, but has a truly impressive, big scene near the end, which will change the way you look at him and the movie. Keep your eye on him, because he's going to be huge.

02. Song kang-ho in Parasite - The entire ensemble of Korean thriller Parasite is truly impressive, but it's Song kang-ho who steals the movie in a big way. As a down on his luck father, fighting to make a buck to help his family, he saunters on to every frame like he's Korea's answer to Daniel Day-Lewis. By the time you get to THAT TURNING POINT and that AMAZING ENDING, you won't be able to stop thinking about him or his performance.

01. Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Let's call 2019, the year I finally started loving Brad Pitt. And Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - and his killer tough, cool guy performance - is one of the many reasons. Is anyone more effortlessly cool than Brad Pitt in this movie? He's a stunt man and personal driver to a movie star who gets mixed up with the Manson family, all while kicking ass. And did I mention the "fixing the roof shirtless scene"? Because, Jesus, he's beautiful.


Supporting Actress

05. Juliette Binoche in High Life - I'm not sure I can recommend High Life as a movie. Sure, it's got a really great twist ending, but it's also slow and long and not exactly fun to watch. But if you are looking for the ballsiest, gutsiest, most daring, out there performance of the year - look no further than Juliette Binoche, who absolutely kills it as a controversial scientist. She is remarkable to watch.

04. Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers - I wanted to watch Hustlers mostly to see if Lopez is as good as everyone on Twitter says she is... and she is. From doing sexy strip dances to Fiona Apple songs, to playing mama bear to a bunch of wayward strippers, to seducing and destroying the lives of men - she drips and oozes with unabashed movie star magnetism and sex appeal. I firmly believe no one else in all of Hollywood could have played Ramona, the stripper with NO heart of gold, better than Lopez.

03. Elisabeth Moss in Us - The first time we see Elisabeth Moss in Us, she is little more than a cliche - spoiled rich wife and mother who has a subtle disdain for her husband and spoiled brat twins. The next time we see Elisabeth Moss in Us, she is an absolute force to reckon with. I think Moss is one of the most gifted and exciting actresses to watch right now. From stealing the entirety of Mad Men away from Jon Hamm, to her next level work on Handmaid's Tale, she has been the queen of television of the 2000's. Hopefully, soon she will be a movie star, too.

02. Florence Pugh in Little Women - Justice for Amy! In every other adaptation of Little Women, Amy has been portrayed as a one dimensional brat, spoiled and unlikable. But with this retelling, we finally get a layered portrait of Amy - a complicated girl living in a complicated time, struggling with sibling rivalry and trying to marry rich to save her poor family. Pugh makes Amy tough, and yes, a little snotty, but she brings such a vivacity to her performance, that you see the tender and loving side too. Being a woman - and a sister - is complicated, not just black or white - likable or unlikable - and Pugh knocks it out of the park.

01. Laura Dern in Marriage Story - Laura Dern took a little time away from being the only good thing about season two of Big Little Lies to give a bat out of hell performance in Marriage Story. As a savage, killer divorce attorney she manages to be kind and killer, polite and deadly, sweet and savage all while wearing killer heels. If she didn't have your vote for Best Supporting Actress before the trial scene, that will seal the deal. Dern is a national treasure and kills it in every moment of this movie.

Best Supporting Actor - 2018

05. Michael B. Jordan in Black Panther - I've said it once and I'll say it again: a superhero movie is only as good as its super villain. Black Panther is easily the best Marvel entry outside of the Captain America trilogy and one very big reason is Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, the absolute best villain Marvel has ever given us (second possibly only to Heath Ledger's the Joker in terms of superhero movies in general). Killmonger is the best kind of villain because he is completely justified in his actions, and he's really only a villain because he is pitted against Black Panther himself in his desire to open the Wakanda borders and use their advanced technology to help all the people. This doesn't seem like a particularly villainous idea. Perhaps this is why Killmonger is so profoundly tragic and Jordan's portrayal is so layered and textured that you can't help but be a little on his side.

04. Timothee Chalamet in Beautiful Boy - Last year, Timothee Chalamet gave one of the best performances of the year as the lovesick teenage protagonist of Call Me By Your Name. This year, he shows why he is one of the most exciting young actors out there with a compelling performance as a meth addict in Beautiful Boy. He gets a showcase for his considerable talents in scenes where he's doing everything from begging for money to stealing from his father, to suffering through withdrawal to living in the ecstasy of the high. The movie isn't necessarily great but the fact that you can't keep your eyes off Chalamet elevates the material.

03. Sam Elliott in A Star is Born - There is a particular moment in A Star is Born that is so emotionally devastating, it's hard to hold back tears. It's not the scene you are probably thinking of. Instead, it's almost a throwaway moment. It's a tiny moment without words. It's just a few seconds. A single shot of Elliott reversing out of a driveway after dropping off his brother Jackson (Bradley Cooper) and having a small sweet moment. The camera focuses on his face as he reverses his truck, and the sadness and pain in his eyes is so heartrendingly raw, that it cuts through your soul. That one moment is the moment I can't stop thinking about.

02. Josh Hamilton in Eighth Grade - Josh Hamilton's performance in Eighth Grade is the kind of performance many people are likely to forget. It's not showy or over the top. It's not big or flashy. His performance is warm and comforting, like a soft blanket and a mug of cocoa on a winter's night. He stars as a well-meaning father, navigating the difficult life of dealing with a teenage girl (and even the awkward, self conscious teenage girls are kind of a nightmare, let's be honest). His performance reminds me of the very best kind of performances - those that feel like real life.

01. Alex Wolfe in Hereditary - Toni Colette seems to be getting all the love for her performance in Hereditary (and deservedly so), but Alex Wolfe goes toe to toe and beat for beat with her. His performance as a carefree teenage boy who sinks slowly and maniacally into a morbid fever dream is so compelling, it's hard to argue there is a better supporting performance this year. His slow descent into darkness is the anchor of the film. While his mother (Colette) may or may not be out of her mind, he is the heart and soul of the film, the one character who you truly care about. And bonus points for his expression during the long take after that car crash. He's incredible.