Acting can make or break a movie. Of course, many other factors go into the making of a quality movie, but acting plays a very large and integral part in its creation. A movie can be wonderfully shot, edited, and written, but it would all mean nothing if the acting wasn't convincing.
Luckily, these movies contained some fantastic acting. So much so that the lead actors walked away with the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Let's see what the general audiences had to say. These are the ten Best Actor winning movies of the 2010s, ranked according to IMDb.
10 Lincoln - 7.3
Starting at the bottom we have Lincoln, which currently sits at a surprisingly middling 7.3/10. But then again, general audiences don't seem to care much for these slow, methodical, and somewhat turgid period pieces. Daniel Day-Lewis walked away with the Best Actor award for his portrayal of the titular Abraham Lincoln, and it was another well-deserved win for the acclaimed actor.
And while most people agree that Lewis was fantastic, people seem generally split on the qualities of the film itself. Brilliant biopic or just another pretentious period Oscar-bait movie? You decide.
9 Darkest Hour - 7.4
Speaking of slow, methodical, and somewhat turgid period pieces - Darkest Hour! This movie stars an unrecognizable Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill and follows Churchill's accounts throughout World War II and the War Cabinet Crisis.
Oldman's performance as Churchill was universally lauded, as he won the Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild award. However, the movie received surprisingly "good" reviews, with many critics noting the languished pace and narrative flaws. This one was purely held together by Oldman.
8 The Theory Of Everything - 7.7
It's clear that the Academy loves them a good biopic. The Theory of Everything details the tragic but unbelievably amazing life of Stephen Hawking, played brilliantly by Eddie Redmayne. Redmayne won numerous awards for his performance, including the BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG, and Oscar. Fun fact - this win also made Redmayne the latest-born winner of the Best Actor Academy Award, having been born in 1982.
Like Darkest Hour, the movie itself received relatively average reviews (relative to other movies of its esteemed caliber - only 79% on Rotten Tomatoes), and this is reflected in its low IMDb score.
7 Manchester By The Sea - 7.8
Casey Affleck walked away with the Oscar for his performance in Manchester by the Sea, a searing drama about a troubled and depressed man who is asked to care for his nephew after his brother dies. Affleck was the heavy favorite heading into the Academy Awards, so it was really no surprise to see him standing on the stage.
Unlike the other movies on this list, Manchester by the Sea received widespread acclaim, earning 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, 96 on Metacritic, and a 7.8/10 on IMDb. Certainly not one of the site's highest scores, but still...
6 The Artist - 7.9
The Artist is certainly one of the more controversial movies of the past decade. Not because of anything it does, but because it was so acclaimed. Critics revered this film, but some members of the general audience simply could not get behind it.
Despite the vocal naysayers, the film currently sits at 7.9/10 on IMDb, a clear indication that it was generally accepted by the mainstream. Lead actor Jean Dujardin also became the first French actor to win the Academy Award, giving The Artist and himself a piece of Oscar history.
5 The King's Speech - 8.0
The King's Speech is yet another Oscar-bait-y biopic, but it seems like general audiences actually got behind this one. Colin Firth was the first Best Actor winner of the 2010s, having taken home the Oscar at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011.
He also beat out the likes of James Franco, Javier Bardem, Jeff Bridges, and Jesse Eisenberg. It's a stellar line-up, but Colin Firth snuck out ahead with his brilliant and tragic portrayal of King George VI. The movie was also a surprising success with general audiences, landing an 8.0/10 on IMDb and grossing over $400 million.
4 Dallas Buyers Club - 8.0
Tying with The King's Speech is Dallas Buyers Club, a biographical drama about the creator of the titular Dallas Buyer's Club, Ron Woodroof. A nearly unrecognizable and skeletal Matthew McConaughey portrayed Woodroof in what was generally considered to be the greatest performance of his career.
It signaled his status as a reputable leading man, and it proved his qualities as a serious actor. This is McConaughey's only Academy Award nomination and win, but what a win it was.
3 The Revenant - 8.0
The Revenant was another somewhat controversial award-winner. While most people agreed that Leonardo DiCaprio was great (as always) and went through Hell during filming, some didn't think his performance was Oscar-worthy material. According to them, he had far better performances under his belt, all of which were never properly awarded.
As such, his win was seen more as a symbol than a legitimate win, a "sorry for screwing you all these years" consolation prize. Regardless, it's still highly rated on IMDb, although many of the top-voted reviews are more middling than glowing.
2 Bohemian Rhapsody - 8.0
Now this is truly baffling. Not that Rami Malek won Best Actor - he was pretty much a lock. The baffling part is Bohemian Rhapsody being rated so highly. Most critics agreed that Malek was the best thing about the movie, and it currently stands at just 61% on Rotten Tomatoes (and a horrible 49 on Metacritic).
But it seems like general audiences are more willing to forgive or overlook its flaws, as it stands at an astoundingly high 8.0/10 on IMDb. We guess the love for Freddie Mercury is just that passionate...
1 Joker - 8.6
Speaking of baffling, Joker currently sits at 8.6/10 on IMDb! Joker walked away with two awards at the 2020 Academy Awards - Best Score and Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix. It was a well-deserved and predictable win, but it's fascinating to see Joker getting such acclaim from general audiences. Critics have given it a resounding "meh," and it sits at 68% on Rotten Tomatoes and 59 on Metacritic.
However, its amazingly high 8.6 rating on IMDb places it in the top forty movies of all time (#36 as of writing). Good movie, yes. Great movie? Maybe. 36th best movie ever made? We don't know about that.
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