Actors Took Big Swings in 2025. Here Are Some of the Best. | Cannonball

SZA, Emma Stone, Brad Pitt, ASAP Rocky, Julia Roberts and Timothée Chalamet all made the list. But why?

On today’s show, Wesley Morris unveils his favorite film performances of the year. This is not an ordinary best-of compilation, though — he zeroes in on the specific details that make each performance great. Like, who did the best acting in a helmet this year? Who were the most convincing on-screen best friends? And who refused to play it safe? Find out in our first annual Cannonball Great Performers special. (Watch with caution if you haven’t seen a film they mention, there may be spoilers in the discussion.)

[00:00:22] What Makes the Best Actors Great?
[00:06:55] Brad Pitt in “F1 The Movie”
[00:10:44] SZA and Keke Palmer in “One of Them Days”
[00:15:51] Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in “Bugonia”
[00:21:50] ASAP Rocky in “If I Had Legs” and “Highest 2 Lowest”
[00:26:54] Julia Roberts in "After the Hunt”
[00:30:39] Jessie Buckley in “Hamnet”
[00:39:18] Timothée Chalamet in “Marty Supreme”
[00:49:28] Kathleen Chalfant in “Familiar Touch”
[00:55:56] What Does It Mean This Year?

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/11/po...

“Cannonball” is a podcast from The New York Times, with the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Wesley Morris. Every week, Wesley talks to writers, artists and friends about the culture that moves us — the good, the bad and whatever’s in between. Surprisingly personal and never obvious, new episodes drop on Thursdays.

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