disappointment media's Favorite Lead Actress Performances of 2019

By disappointment media Staff

Sean Boelman's Pick: Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale

Aisling Franciosi as “Clare” in Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films release.

Although her performance is unlikely to receive much awards attention due to its genre roots, Aisling Franciosi’s performance in The Nightingale is undeniably one of the year’s best. The amount of subtlety and nuance she brings to the role, even despite the extremely dark subject matter which the film is addressing, never ceases to impress. It couldn’t have been easy for her to pull off some of the film’s intense scenes in a way that feels entirely believable and honest. The film is certainly hard-to-stomach at times, and Franciosi’s performance is one of the main reasons why it packs such a punch. Her chemistry with co-star Baykali Ganambarr is also excellent, creating some of the film’s best moments. Since there have been plenty of notable big performances this year, Franciosi’s quiet one stands out.

Camden Ferrell's Pick: Lupita Nyong'o, Us

Lupita Nyong’o delivers one of the best horror performances of all time in Us. This film follows a family as an uprising of doppelgängers threatens their existence. Nyong’o has the task of playing two roles as the matriarch of the respective families. As the regular mother, she is a gripping protagonist who plays fear and concern masterfully. However, her real achievement is as her doppelgänger. She is incredibly haunting and frightening in this role. Without even being a physical threat, she can incite fear with only a monologue. She plays the role in a calculated yet unpredictable way that makes this movie so enjoyable. It’s a horror performance that doesn’t rely on cheap thrills and incessant screams, but it’s one that employs all of her facilities as an actress to create an environment of fear.  Her dual performance is impressive, and it is the best performance by a lead actress in 2019. ​

Dan Skip Allen's Pick: Charlize Theron, Bombshell

Charlize Theron as ‘Megyn Kelly’ and Liv Hewson as ‘Lily Balin’ in BOMBSHELL. Photo Credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle SMPSP.

Theron has won an Academy award in her past as Ilene Wuornos in Monster. I feel like she is overdue for her second Academy Award. Theron gives a great performance as Megyn Kelly, the Fox News anchor. She's stuck in the middle between her boss Roger Ailes and the women who have been sexually harnessed by him. She fights with herself because she believes in Fox but she has her own dark secret as well. She acts in an ensemble with two other great actresses of our time: Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman. These three are all terrific, but Theron rises to the top of the Best Actress race. She is so mesmerizing and disappears into the role of this woman who is stuck between her loyalty and what is right.

---

What are your favorite performances of 2019? Let us know!