Star performances in horror films

We are against just calling films "good" or "bad". It's too elementary. This is not how the world and films work. Even the worst movies usually have at least one redeeming quality, and there really is no such thing as a perfect movie. This is what we are looking for today - virtue from imperfection.

10 PHOTOS

1. Margot Robbie, Suicide Squad.

Suicide Squad came out in 2016 with terrible reviews. Fans were able to forgive the lack of plot, shameless indulgence, and clichéd dialogue because seeing their favorite comic book villains on the big screen was already a reward. Regardless of your point of view, everyone pretty much agreed that Margot Robbie was great as Harley Quinn.

2. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Here Comes Polly.

But Polly and her 27% result on Rotten Tomatoes do not have many fans. When it was released in 2004, the film was a hit at the box office, but many theatergoers regretted their decision. But there was a bright spot: Philip Seymour Hoffman.

3. Glenn Close, Hillbilly's Elegy.

Glenn Close is so good that she received her eighth Oscar nomination for her performance. This usually doesn't happen when movies are critically panned.

4. Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York.

Gangs of New York isn't exactly terrible, but let's all admit that Scorsese didn't make his best film. The common story of the origin of the Big Apple through its most violent citizens is far too similar to a Guy Ritchie movie. Besides, if you delete Bill the Butcher, what do you have left? The film's biggest contribution to the world of cinema is its villain, played by Daniel Day-Lewis.

5. Andra Day, United States vs. Billie Holiday.

Andra Day gives a remarkable and authentic performance as the legendary title singer in the United States v. Billie Holiday. The actress does all the hard work—singing, screaming fighting, smoking, and doing drugs. And it earned her an Oscar nomination in 2021. The thing is, the movie is bad. It's filmed as a commercial and the story has zero momentum.

6. Richard Armitage, The Hobbit trilogy.

The Hobbit takes too long to get going (no need to watch the dwarves do Bilbo's dishes) and the Goblin King looks like a Star Wars bug. In general, gnomes get way too much screen time. And Gandalf gets too little. The magic of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy just couldn't be replicated when he took on the role of The Hobbit ten years later. However, one dwarf who deserves screen time is Thorin Oakenshield from Richard Armitage.

7. Michael Fassbender, X-Men films.

Some X-Men films have been rated better than others, but most critics have criticized the prequels as redundant, overly politicized, and mediocre. However, Michael Fassbender overcame it all as Magneto.

8. Gary Oldman, The Scarlet Letter.

Widely regarded as one of the worst big-budget Hollywood films ever made, 1995's The Scarlet Letter was released at a time when erotic thrillers like Basic Instinct were all the rage. Incredibly, this period film tried to portray erotica while simultaneously killing Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel. A bright spot was Gary Oldman as Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The actor said that this is one of his favorite films.

9. Andy Garcia, The Godfather 3

The third installment of The Godfather mostly disappointed critics, who all revere the first two films as cinematic classics. However, critics liked the performance of the young Andy Garcia. He brought his father Sonny Corleone back to life in the explosive style the film needed.

10. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet.

Harriet takes a safe, largely antiseptic approach to slavery by telling Harriet Tubman's origin story. It looks like a Disney production. But the lead role of Cynthia Erivo should be taken seriously. The actress quickly becomes in demand, and this is because she is good at everything, no matter how weak the script is.