20 Most Overrated Prestige Performances of the Last 10 Years

Awards seasons over the last decade have been packed with buzzy roles that dominated headlines and trophy tallies. This list rounds up twenty high profile turns that became conversation pieces across festivals, critics groups, and major ceremonies, with a focus on what each performance achieved and how it fit into the larger moment around it.

You will find key facts on roles, production context, festival debuts, audience and industry recognition, and awards results. No hot takes here, just the milestones that turned these performances into prestige touchpoints people still reference when they talk about modern film and television.

Rami Malek in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (2018)

Rami Malek portrayed Freddie Mercury with performance choices shaped by extensive research, movement coaching, and the use of Mercury’s vocals for concert sequences. The production switched directors near the end of the shoot, with credited direction staying in place and an additional filmmaker assisting completion.

The film earned multiple Academy Awards including Best Actor and editing and collected major prizes at guild shows. It became a global box office success that far exceeded the expectations for a music biopic at the time.

Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Joker’ (2019)

Joaquin Phoenix’s take on Arthur Fleck involved significant physical transformation and close collaboration with the director on character beats and dance motifs. The movie premiered at a major European festival where it received the top prize, which set the tone for its campaign.

The film led award-season conversations with double digit Oscar nominations and took home Best Actor and original score. It finished with over a billion in worldwide ticket sales as the highest grossing R rated title at the time.

Brie Larson in ‘Room’ (2015)

Brie Larson’s performance centered on a young mother’s resilience, developed through work with trauma consultants and intimate rehearsal with her child co star. The film originated from a celebrated novel and kept a tight focus on two perspectives to mirror the source.

It earned multiple major nominations and won Best Actress at the Academy Awards along with top honors from guild and press organizations. The movie expanded from a festival launch to a steady specialty release that built strong word of mouth.

Gary Oldman in ‘Darkest Hour’ (2017)

Gary Oldman’s Winston Churchill relied on hours of daily prosthetic application and extensive voice work to capture cadence and posture. The production staged key wartime speeches and cabinet scenes with an emphasis on enclosed spaces to underline pressure.

Oldman won the Academy Award and the film’s makeup and hairstyling team also received Oscars. The movie performed well in limited release before a broader expansion and took home multiple industry and critics prizes.

Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘The Revenant’ (2015)

Leonardo DiCaprio’s role as Hugh Glass involved location shoots in harsh winter conditions with long takes and minimal dialogue. The production prioritized natural light and extended on location schedules to match the frontier setting.

DiCaprio won Best Actor at the Academy Awards while the film also won director and cinematography. It drew a large global audience for a survival drama and collected a wide set of guild recognitions.

Emma Stone in ‘La La Land’ (2016)

Emma Stone prepared for the role of Mia with vocal training and choreography work that informed the film’s audition and duet numbers. The movie shot musical set pieces across Los Angeles landmarks to echo classic studio era traditions in a contemporary setting.

Stone won the Academy Award and the film earned a record tying total of nominations with multiple wins. It began at a major festival where Stone received the best actress prize and later became a crossover hit for a modern musical.

Casey Affleck in ‘Manchester by the Sea’ (2016)

Casey Affleck’s performance grew out of a script built around silence, routine, and small town rhythms. The film used New England locations in winter and a focus on everyday labor to ground the story.

Affleck won the Academy Award and added wins at key ceremonies including the Golden Globes and the British film awards. The movie premiered at a major American festival, landed a high profile distribution deal, and maintained strong legs in specialty theaters.

Renée Zellweger in ‘Judy’ (2019)

Renée Zellweger portrayed Judy Garland with live vocals recorded for performance scenes and preparation that included movement and dialect work. The film centered on a late career concert run while weaving in earlier life moments.

Zellweger won the Academy Award and swept major precursors including guild and press awards. The movie opened in a platform strategy, reached a broad adult audience, and earned further nominations in crafts categories.

Anthony Hopkins in ‘The Father’ (2020)

Anthony Hopkins collaborated closely with the director to align performance beats with the film’s shifting apartment layout and repeated scenes. The adaptation preserved the theatrical structure with visual cues to mirror memory and disorientation.

Hopkins won the Academy Award and the movie also received the adapted screenplay Oscar. It secured several additional nominations and became a notable late season player with strong results in the British awards circuit.

Will Smith in ‘King Richard’ (2021)

Will Smith trained in tennis fundamentals and studied Richard Williams’s speaking patterns to frame the family dynamic at the center of the story. The production worked with real coaches and athletes to stage match sequences and practice courts.

Smith won the Academy Award along with wins at key precursors including the Globes, the British awards, and the actors guild. The film earned multiple nominations across acting and craft categories and released in theaters alongside a same day streaming window.

Brendan Fraser in ‘The Whale’ (2022)

Brendan Fraser’s role as Charlie involved extensive prosthetic work, movement coaching, and research with medical consultants. The movie originated from a stage play and kept a limited set approach to maintain intimacy.

Fraser won the Academy Award and added the actors guild prize among other honors. The film began its run at a major festival with an extended ovation and grew to become a strong specialty success through platform expansion.

Michelle Yeoh in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

Michelle Yeoh balanced martial arts choreography with multiverse character shifts that required multiple costumes, dialects, and performance registers. The production used inventive transitions and in camera tricks for quick look changes.

Yeoh won the Academy Award along with major guild and press awards and the film won Best Picture. It became the highest grossing release for its distributor at the time and collected one of the largest totals of Oscar wins for a modern indie.

Emma Stone in ‘Poor Things’ (2023)

Emma Stone’s portrayal of Bella Baxter combined physical comedy with accent and movement choices supported by rehearsal and costume design. The production’s handcrafted sets and makeup emphasized a storybook visual language.

Stone won the Academy Award and the film earned multiple Oscars across crafts. It premiered with top festival honors and delivered strong international box office for an adult oriented fantasy drama.

Cillian Murphy in ‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)

Cillian Murphy prepared for J Robert Oppenheimer through extensive reading, voice work, and significant weight loss to mirror the historical figure. The film shot on large format cameras with practical effects for the test sequence centerpiece.

Murphy won the Academy Award and the movie won Best Picture among a large haul of nominations and wins. It became a global phenomenon with an unusually high total for an adult historical drama and swept many guild awards.

Daniel Kaluuya in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ (2020)

Daniel Kaluuya’s Fred Hampton relied on months of dialect and cadence practice and a focus on public speaking scenes. The film cast two leads in the same supporting category to reflect the structure of the story.

Kaluuya won the Academy Award and also collected wins at the British awards, the Globes, and the actors guild. The movie received multiple nominations including original song and released in theaters alongside a streaming window.

Alicia Vikander in ‘The Danish Girl’ (2015)

Alicia Vikander built Gerda Wegener through research on early twentieth century art and partnership dynamics with her co star. The production emphasized costume and set textures to situate the story in the European art scene.

Vikander won the Academy Award for supporting actress and added the actors guild prize. The film received additional nominations in categories including acting and design and expanded from a platform release.

Sam Rockwell in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ (2017)

Sam Rockwell’s performance as a small town deputy grew from rehearsal with the ensemble and a script known for sharp dialogue rhythms. The movie shot on location to capture the regional look of storefronts and roads.

Rockwell won the Academy Award and joined the film’s strong showing at the Globes, the British awards, and the actors guild. The feature earned several Oscar nominations and performed well during awards season in specialty theaters.

Zendaya in ‘Euphoria’ (2019– )

Zendaya’s portrayal of Rue Bennett combined work with addiction consultants, heavy voiceover sessions, and choreography input for dream and memory sequences. The show blended stylized lighting with practical camera effects to underline mood.

She became the youngest winner of the Emmy for lead actress in a drama and later became a two time winner in that category. She also received the Globe for the role and the series delivered strong viewership across linear and streaming.

Jeremy Strong in ‘Succession’ (2018–2023)

Jeremy Strong developed Kendall Roy through deep script work, close collaboration with directors, and scene blocking that emphasized power shifts. The show used real corporate locations and handheld coverage to create a documentary feel.

Strong won the Emmy for lead actor in a drama and added a Globe for the same role. The ensemble earned multiple guild awards and the final season concluded with a wave of nominations and wins across categories.

Sarah Snook in ‘Succession’ (2018–2023)

Sarah Snook shaped Shiv Roy with a focus on posture, speech timing, and wardrobe coordination to reflect character strategy. The series scheduled long takes for boardroom and family scenes that encouraged overlapping dialogue.

Snook won the Emmy for lead actress in a drama and followed with wins at the Globes and the actors guild. The show’s concluding run dominated awards tallies and remained a major streaming draw for its network.

Share your own picks for prestige performances that got more love than they deserved in the comments.