After what felt like a few down years, Dave Karger calls this “Perhaps the most crowded acting category” of the season, loaded with huge names and rising stars. He notes Timothée Chalamet “could score his third nomination in this category by the age of 30.”
“George Clooney playing a movie star taking stock of his life may not sound like a stretch,” writes Glenn Whipp, “but making something look so smooth takes work.”
Robert Daniels says, “I remain astounded by Dwayne Johnson’s physically taxing and psychologically intense portrayal of MMA star Mark Kerr. I don’t know how he got that look of vacant desperation in his eyes, but it’s chilling.”
Among the others getting limited (but passionate) support: Ethan Hawke — Daniels says his “performance in ‘Blue Moon’ will resonate” — and Michael B. Jordan — whom Anne Thompson calls one of the “two standouts [who] dominate the field” along with Leonardo DiCaprio.
T1. Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another”T1. Jeremy Allen White, “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”3. Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme”4. George Clooney, “Jay Kelly”T5. Dwayne Johnson, “The Smashing Machine”T5. Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners”T5. Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia”8. Wagner Moura, “The Secret Agent”
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