The A.V. Club's favorite film performances of 2021

My pick is a twofer: Nicolas Cage and David Knell in Michael Sarnoski’s Pig. The two come together in my favorite film scene of the year, as Cage—who’s been deliberately sleepwalking through a story of calcified grief (that just happens to be dressed up like a porcine-themed revenge thriller)—quietly and steadily amps up his irresistible star power, pushing Knell’s arrogant head chef to just tell him where his damn pig is already. A dumber movie would have staged this confrontation with violence; it’s far more brutal, though, to watch every layer of Knell’s pretentious armor get stripped away by Cage’s calm surety, until he finally flop sweats himself into anxious capitulation. [William Hughes]

While leading performances from Kristen Stewart in Spencer, Alana Haim in Licorice Pizza, and Agatha Rouselle in Titane will undoubtedly receive their due (and well deserved) praise in the forthcoming award season and beyond, work on   rocked my socks off. Messy, witty, and all around anxiety-inducing, Sennott brought this queer Judaic nightmare to life. Her performance as Danielle in the claustrophobic feature carefully balances the childish moodiness that arises under the watchful eye of overbearing parents with the desire to be an adult who has their shit together. It was a surprising job well done from a comedian plucked from Twitter with only one previous film and a handful of television experiences under her belt. Plus, her delivery of the “girlboss” line had me cackling. [Gabrielle Sanchez]

Was there anyone having more fun this year than Ben Affleck in ? Hot off a successful PR tour that saw him get , Affleck wormed his way back into our hearts one . After years of around, he finally got a chance to bring back the smarm incarnate douchebag we know from . Transported to medieval France as Count Pierre d’Alençon, the actor wears the hell out of that blonde undercut, holds that stupid chin puff high, and exudes the star quality he’s been hiding for the last decade or so. As the bored Count who really just wants to get back to his orgies, he brought much-needed lightness to The Last Duel, which by being much more fun than anyone could’ve anticipated. Welcome back, Ben. More of this, please. [Matt Schimkowitz]

There’s just something about Andrew Garfield in I can’t stop thinking about. He so perfectly embodies the spirit of every desperate theater kid I’ve ever met—that strange admixture of absolute confidence, profound social awkwardness, and an almost frantic need to live for your art, man. Garfield doesn’t so much depict that spirit as he does let it emanate from his very bones. The question of whether or not you like his aspiring musical theater composer Jonathan Larson is almost laughably beside the point; the big, messy, open-hearted drive to do something, anything, in an effort to connect creatively with others is what radiates from the performance, and Garfield’s unabashed passion in the portrayal shines so bright, it almost overtakes the film itself. Talk about a show-stopper. [Alex McLevy]

Adarsh Gourav set the screen on fire in a breakout performance in The White Tiger. The actor is a joy to watch as an unbridled force of nature. He surrenders himself completely to the role of Balram Halwai, an ambitious young boy who begins working for a rich Indian couple in Delhi as their driver. The actor is adept at displaying Balram’s aching vulnerabilities, especially his indignation because he belongs to a lower socioeconomic class. From the quiet realization after an accident that poverty makes him disposable to a rage-induced breakdown on a crowded street, Adarsh delivers on every level. But he is, quite literally, killer as Balram transforms into a wily (and eventually successful) businessman with an agenda. His memorable performance has put him in a global spotlight, and I’m excited to see how he steals the show in all upcoming projects. [Saloni Gajjar]