My Favorite Performances of 2024, Film & Televison

1. Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot - The Penguin

   
   

Following the events of Matt Reeves' Batman, Colin Farrell gives audiences a peek inside the criminal underworld and the rise of Gotham City’s greatest mob boss, the Penguin.

Throughout the show the Penguin betrays everyone he works with, but I still found myself rooting for the underdog right up until the last ten minutes of the finale. 

That sympathy we feel for Penguin is impossible without Farrell’s powerful performance. The Penguin is a psychotic, narcissistic, murderous sociopath but thanks to Farrell we can't help but root for Gotham’s kingpin. 

If you love the Sopranos or Goodfellas this is 100% worth a watch. The last episode scored a 9.5/10 on IMDb. 

2. Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides - Dune Part Two

If Paul Atreides gave me a speech to join the army I might consider it. 

In this sequel we see Paul Atreides turn to the natives of Arrakis, the Fremen, in a plan to take over the Imperium and get revenge for his father's death.

At the start Paul is a total outsider to the tribe. With the help of Zendaya's character Chani, Paul learns how to live among the Fremen. Through his acts of bravery, heroism, and riding a massive killer worm, he proves himself worthy of being a part of the tribe and is made their leader.

To the Fremen, Paul was viewed as a God at least in the eyes of the elders. Some Fremen believe Paul is the savior of their race and will free them from the treachery of the Imperium. 

Once Paul accepts his new role among the people, he rallies the Fremen to victory in a battle against the Imperium on Arrakis. However, after the battle we see Paul lost a part of himself. His drive to become Emperor took its toll on him. The only one who seems to notice this change in demeanor is Chani.

If you enjoy Star Wars or the Avatar series it is definitely worth a watch. Tom Hardy as

3. Tom Hardy as Johnny - The Bike Riders 

Tom Hardy plays Johnny, leader of a biker club in Chicago known as the Vandals. 

What started out as a part time hobby for Johnny and a few of his buddies, including Austin Butler’s character Benny, quickly turned into their only possible lifestyle. 

The bond between Johnny, Benny and the rest of the bikers became stronger than family. Johnny wasn't a typical gang leader. He never went out of his way looking for trouble, but whenever anyone in the group was in danger he was always there to throw down.

When the Vandals numbers started growing across Illinois, the gang strayed from its roots becoming increasingly more violent and unpredictable. Members within the club were beating one another up for the thrill of it. 

The club had lost its way. The code of honor that Johnny and the guys once lived by didn't seem to apply to the new members. Johnny wanted Benny to take over the club but he wouldn’t. Johnny's leadership was eventually challenged by an unethical new member who killed Johnny to take over. 

4. Chris Hemsworth as Dementus - Furiosa : A Mad Max Saga

Chris Hemsworth finally played the bad guy, and it was epic. 

Hemsworth portrays Dementus, one of the three war lords in the post apocalyptic wasteland of Australia. We don’t know much about his past but we know at some point he lost his daughter, and with that his sanity.

Dementus believes the only person standing in his way for control of the wasteland is Immortan Joe, one of the warlords. He has no clue that his demise will come at the hands of his former slave, Furiosa. 

Dementus adopted Furiosa after killing her mother. Dementus looked after Furiosa like a daughter during the years they spent together. It took me by surprise when he sold her away to the Immortan Joe.

Hemsworth’s charm and charisma make you want to root for the psycho warlord as he roams across the wasteland murdering everyone in his path.