A Few of the Best Performances of the Summer So Far

Actors are a lot like professional sports players. Everyone involved with any major sport will tell you how many other components—front office executives, coaches, trainers, development teams—are crucial for the wheels to turn. But at the end of the day, people really show up to see the stars. It's why actors, like athletes, are showered with awards and fame and giant contracts. It isn't vanity, however. Actors guide us through their director's vision and, usually, make or break a film.

Here are a few examples of actors who made their films. The summer abounds with snarky superheroes, struggling mothers, haunted miniature artists, and more! This list isn't ranked because performances as good as these cannot be compared, only personally preferred.

• Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool 2

Despite the mask and all the special effects hiding Reynolds's famous face, you never lose yourself in the character. You always know that Wade Wilson, or Deadpool, is played by Ryan Reynolds. But it doesn't take you out of the story because the film is so self-referential and meta. It is, in fact, more fun to be reminded that this is his passion project and his dream that he realized through expertly planned, highly sarcastic performance art.

• Martin Freeman in Cargo

It's another zombie movie, but it explicitly tries to separate itself from other zombie flicks through an emphasis on emotional bonds. In quality, however, the movie does little to separate itself—apart from the performance of Martin Freeman. Like many others, I became a true fan of Freeman after his role on the television series Sherlock and have followed his consistent work since then. I believe this to be his best performance yet. Freeman simply connects to his audiences and does so here, protecting his family from zombies in an impossibly grounded way.

• Charlize Theron in Tully

Though Tully was marketed as a comedy, and it is very funny, there is a lot of dramatical depth to Charlize Theron's performance and character, Marlo. She is newly pregnant. She is troubled by a recent and wild past. She struggles with mental health. (The movie was nevertheless criticized for its portrayal of mental health issues.) Theron's is a heavyweight performance by one of the best actresses working today, driving one of the summer's best releases.

• Toni Collette in Hereditary

Hereditary is becoming one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. Its protagonist is unconventional. More often than not, lead characters are quite likable and relatable so as to invite empathy from the audience. This trend is so strong it seems a cliché. Hereditary's Toni Collette plays Annie, an often unlikable woman who sculpts miniature artworks. She is, from the first frame, clearly in distress, which only adds to the dread of the summer's best horror movie.

These are merely a handful of what actors are bringing to the screen. Blockbuster superhero movies and summer horror movies are long-standing traditions and both examples—Deadpool and Hereditary—are led by talented actors. Likewise, two examples of smaller passion projects by new directors—Cargo and Tully—are helmed by relatively older actors basking in a boost in popularity. All of these performances are outstanding, but if pressed I would say Toni Collette has put forth my favorite performance of the summer so far.