Worst2First: My Top Ten Breakout Performances of 2022

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Breakout Performances of 2022

 Every year there's actors and actresses who hit it big on the big screen, even if they've been around for years as secondary characters in other films, they'll be remembered for their performances in films released in 2022. They could've had success on television, the music industry, or on stage, but 2022 was their breakout year in film. Here are my top ten breakout performances of 2022.

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

Thuso Mbedu
The Woman King

South African actress Thuso Mbedu's first major film was starring alongside the ever-amazing Viola Davis in the (not so accurate) historical epic "The Woman King" where she plays Nawi, a young Dahomey girl who trains under the powerful all-female army the Agojie, proving herself to be one of the standout students as well as having deeper connections than she expected. She plays Nawi with a sheer determination and raw power that molds itself and makes her as hardened a warrior as any other Agojie, and it was no small feat to debut in a film acting alongside greats like Davis and Lashana Lynch.

#9

Dolly de Leon
Triangle of Sadness

Filipina actress Dolly de Leon recently made history be becoming the first Filipina actress nominated for Golden Globe for her outstanding supporting role as Abigail, a poor worker onboard the luxurious yacht in Ruben Ostlund's satirical "Triangle of Sadness" who finds herself going from the bottom of the food chain to top dog when the ship goes down and a group of survivors find themselves stranded on an isolated island. De Leon's performance shows what happens when power goes to your head, and even though she's just a supporting role, her character is the most memorable due to her tremendous, tour-de-force performance.

#8

Diego Calva
Babylon

In director Damien Chazelle's dizzying epic story of classic Hollywood decadence, Diego Calva emerges as the star alongside greats like Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, forming the bleeding heart character in this outrageous 1920s epic. As Manny Tores, Diego Calva's character's only desire is to make it big in Hollywood despite his lowly upbringing, and after a wild party befriends wannabe starlet Nellie LaRoy (played by Robbie) and established actor Jack Conrad (played by Pitt), whom he becomes a personal assistant to. As the years progress and the film industry moves from silent pictures to "talkies," he also adjusts to the changes and makes his dreams come true - at the cost of his soul.

#7

Hong Chau
The Whale/The Menu

Vietnamese actress Hong Chau earned herself several supporting actress award nominations back in 2017 for the forgettable film "Downsizing," but 2022 was her true breakout on the big screen starring in not one, but two, critically successful films, playing very different roles. In "The Menu," she plays maitre d' Elsa to Ralph Fiennes' chef Julian, and she plays the role with a no-nonsense attitude and quick dry wit. Yet it's her role in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale" that really showcased her dramatic acting chops, playing Liz, the nurse and only friend to Brendan Fraser's obese Charlie. She manages to steal the show in her few moments on screen as her character has deeper connections to Charlie and his predicament than first thought, and Chau completely immerses herself in the role, leading to numerous tear-inducing moments.

#6

Sadie Sink
The Whale

Sadie Sink made a name for herself starring as Max in the hit Netflix series "Stranger Things," and although she's starred in other smaller films, makes her big screen feature debut in Darren Arnonofsky's powerful tale "The Whale," playing Ellie, the estranged daughter to Brendan Fraser's obese Charlie. Ellie is a tortured soul who hides her pain behind a facade of anger, sarcasm, and a false assumption that she doesn't need anyone in her life, but deep down she's still pained by her father abandoning her at a young age, and Sink nails the role with gusto, earning a Critics' Choice Award nomination for Best Young Performer.

#5

Danielle Deadwyler
Till

In the movie "Till," Danielle Deadwyler plays Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till who was lynched in the South after being accused of whistling at a white woman. Tackling such a challenging role would be difficult even for a seasoned veteran, but with this being Deadwyler's first major role in a film proved that she has what it takes to make it big in the years to come, giving Mamie a blend of grief and empowerment as she chooses to have an open-casket funeral for her son so the world could see the deadly effects of racism, as well as her private mourning for losing her only son. It's no wonder she's on the very short list of nominees for the Best Actress Oscar because she delivers an unforgettable performance.

#4

Gabriel LaBelle
The Fabelmans

Imagine being in your big screen debut film. Then imagine you playing the lead role. Then imagine that lead role being a semi-autobiographical role of one of the most acclaimed directors of all time. Then imagine that director directing you in the role. It couldn't be easy, but Gabriel LaBelle tackles the role and absolutely nails it in Steven Spielberg's pseudo-biopic about his own life, "The Fabelmans." As Sammy Fabelman - the fictionalized version of Speilberg - LaBelle balances showcasing Sammy's desire to be a filmmaker alongside his familial turmoils, and he excels on both ends, giving an unforgettable performance and earning himself a Critics' Choice Award nomination for Best Young Performer.

#3

Amber Midthunder
Prey

After starring in one of the worst films of 2021 ("The Ice Road"), Native American actress Amber Midthunder exploded on the (small) screen in Hulu's "Prey," the prequel to the successful "Predator" film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Midthunder plays Naru, a Comanche warrior who discovers the alien Predator has landed and seeks out active prey, and makes it her mission to outsmart it before it kills her entire community. Proving herself to be a hero akin to the likes of Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, Midthunder infuses a strength to Naru that's undeniable and makes for the best "Predator" film since the original.

#2

Jenna Ortega
Scream/Studio 666/X

2022 saw the birth of numerous new Scream Queens to continue the tradition started by the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jenna Ortega sits at the top, appearing in three horror films in 2022 as well as headlining the role of Addams Family daughter Wednesday in the Netflix series of the same name. Ortega's presence shines as she's continually hunted down by different killers in "Scream" and "X" and as a disembodied spirit in the Foo Fighters' B-rated horror comedy "Studio 666," and in every role she gives it all she's got. Her horror stock will only rise in 2023 as she's set to appear in "Scream VI" as well as continuing in her role as Wednesday Addams.

#1

Mia Goth
X/Pearl

In director Ti West's "X," his homage to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," Mia Goth plays both main girl Maxine as well as the elderly Pearl, the latter of which sets out with her elderly husband to massacre the kids (including Maxine) who rent out their farm to film a porno in this 70s flashback slasher flick. It's not easy playing one lead role let alone two, as well as going through the painstaking task of applying prosthetics to play the psychopathic octogenarian, but Goth nails both roles so convincingly that West did something unheard of in cinema - at the end of "X" viewers were shocked with a trailer to his prequel film "Pearl" also starring Goth, a film that they shot in secret that was also released in 2022. That film - "Pearl" - cemented Goth as the newest "it" girl in horror, giving a deep character-driven horror film set against the technicolor dreamscape of the late 1910s and giving you a newfound sense of sorrow for the character. Goth is so invested in Ti West's vision that not only did she co-write and co-produce "Pearl," but she's set to reprise her role as Maxine in 2023's "MaXXXine," giving birth to one of the most original, exceptional horror trilogies of the modern era.