Movies - TV
The Best Horror Movie Performances Of 2022
By WILLIAM BIBBIANI
12. Sebastian Stan
In "Fresh," Sebastian Stan is a charming hunk who eventually turns out to be an inhuman monster; weirdly enough, that doesn't mean he loses all his appeal. Stan is just that engaging a performer, somehow balancing his grotesque dehumanization of his victims and his affable rom-com charms.
11. Sandra Oh
"Umma" uses its creepy story as an effective allegory, but the real reason to watch is Sandra Oh, who understands that her character's strengths are held up by her vulnerabilities. In her turn as Amanda, a Korean immigrant, she's terrified and terrifying, and she captures the inner turmoil of "Umma" on a level that the rest of the movie can't quite keep up with.
10. Ethan Hawke
In "The Black Phone," Ethan Hawke turns up as The Grabber and treats the audience with a truly fascinating, frightening horror villain. While he doesn't make it easy to empathize with his child murderer character, he does make it easy to understand that his evil stems from a place of genuine pain and that he is held hostage by his own behavior.
9. Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult's Tyler thinks he's better than everyone else because he can recognize genius, even though he understands none of it, and his taste is highly questionable. Hoult's twisted performance in "The Menu" is the latest in a long line of intriguingly weird performances from one of the best character actors of his generation.
8. Julia Stiles
Although Isabelle Fuhrman is great in "Orphan: First Kill," she isn't the scene-stealer; that distinction goes to Julia Stiles, who plays Tricia Albright, the matriarch of a well-to-do family. The film is a fabulous return to form for Stiles, who hasn't headlined many projects since the mid-2000s but gives a dominating performance here.