Saoirse keeps getting better, making the construction of this instantly classic character look effortless. But there’s a lot going on as she tracks multiple relationship arcs, inner restlessness, and outer (ill-advised?) confidence. All of that with a perfect American accent, top notch comic instincts and performative joy. 

 A famous actor transforms into a wholly different person and awards bodies… shrug instead of showering the actor with statues? Weird! But Stone the star submerges herself in Billie Jean King, from her hunched shoulders, to athlete’s walk, down to the way she expresses joy. Bonus points for the glorious sense of discovery in that haircut scene.

Finalists: Kate Winslet goes theatrical for Wonder Wheel and its the right heightened pitch, Meryl Streep anchors The Post and gives it climactic intimacy with one of her greatest scenes in years.

Semi-Finalists: Florence Pugh in Lady Macbeth, Tryne Dyrholm in The Commune, Daniela Vega in A Fantasic Woman, Jessica Chastain in Molly's Game, and Judi Dench in Victoria and Abdul

  Men aren’t socialized to show vulnerability. Great acting requires it and Gyllenhaal is a great actor. He’s remarkably open-hearted and tender as this earnest regular guy whose life and enthusiasm for it is pulled out from under him when he loses his legs. His push and pull chemistry with Maslany is a gorgeous thing.

Everyman heroes can be dull but Kaluuya has interiorized every bit of the script: the photographer’s eye, the slight paranoia, his guilt and passivity in stressful situations, his feelings for Rose. Kaluuya stirs it up in his own hypnotic teacup in this wary, funny, nuanced performance.

Finalists: Denzel Washington as the titular Roman J Israel Esq, Nahuel Perez Biscayart as "Sean" in BPM, and Harris Dickinson as "Frankie" in Beach Rats

Semi Finalists: James McAvoy Split, Hugh Jackman Logan, Jeremy Renner Wind River, and Daniel Day Lewis Phantom Thread

*and for the record I think Gary Oldman is great fun in Darkest Hour but he just misses this top 12

 What is it about quartets of women onscreen that they so often follow the Golden Girls formula of “types”. Dinah is the Blanche/Samantha of this round. She embraces the vulgarity and show-pony aspects of the ‘type’ but makes the role entirely fresh. She layers in endearing insecurity and impish mischief, too. Bonus points: “It’s a bootyhole!”

Hunter’s idiosyncratic comedy and incisive acting make her Beth an elevating force in the movie. When she arrives you’re instantly yanked from the limited POV of the protagonist (telling his own story) into a more complicated, thorny, heartbreaking, multidimensional situation. Bonus points: that moment when she strokes Kumail’s face. Gahhh, my heart!

  Magic from that banal cheerful “hello”. It only gets better from there as she shape-shifts upon entering the home. Immediately casting niceties aside, she circles Lawrence like some bored vampire eyeing particularly bloodless prey. The taunting carnality, the weirdly forceful instant contempt, the lemonade-shaking. This star turn is perverse bliss

Finalists: A rich year for supporting actresses. These two I would have liked to have nominated as well -- Lesley Manville's dry ice and even drier affection in Phantom Thread and Betty Gabriel who aces her big two-psyches at war scene in Get Out and moves around the edges of the movie so memorably otherwise.

Semi-Finalists: Allison Janney I Tonya, Beanie Feldstein Lady Bird, Elisabeth Olsen Ingrid Goes West, Nicole Kidman Killing of a Sacred Deer and Catherine Keener in Get Out.

 Given the rare opportunity to play a good guy, he infuses it with tremendous warmth. Was he storing it up for years as a screen villain? In this well modulated performance we get hints of who he is at home and an innate understanding of previous life lessons learned: he’s innately kind and patient but he’s no pushover.

Naturalistic spontaneous feeling comedy can’t be easy to pull off, especially in the heightened context of social satire. Jackson's Batman-loving too-trusting nerd tempers the film’s demoralizing message with goofy charm and forgiving soul. He embodies, in performance, the film’s messaging: authentic humble life > false aspirational one.

 The intense mother-daughter war at the heart of Lady Bird wouldn’t be half as impactful or tender without the contextual shading of his gloriously calm good guy sidebar. Letts tells you exactly what kind of father and husband is, for better (always there for you) and worse (too passive?). Bonus points: “Dori-tos”

Finalists: Woody Harrelson keeps threatening to fully humanize Three Billboards (and pays the price for it) and Angus MacFayden does terrific disruption of the central quest in Lost City of Z

Semi Finalists: Steve Zahn War for the Planet of the Apes,  Barry Keoghan Killing of a Sacred Deer, Sam Rockwell Three Billboards, Ray Romano The Big Sick, and Lucas Hedges Lady Bird