Some movies are remembered for a single scene; others for their unforgettable soundtrack or shocking special effects. Then, there are those salvaged by a single performance. One star, giving their all to save themselves from the fate of the movies they appear in. Now those are the performances that really stick with you, and they’re more common than anyone would like to admit.
In this list, we’re looking at 15 movies that most people would forget in a heartbeat if not for the brilliant performers who gave us a show for the ages. We’ve added each film’s Rotten Tomatoes score in brackets, and you’ll find where to stream all 15 at the bottom.
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15. Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2
Iron Man had a strange trilogy within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first one is a true masterpiece…and it only goes downhill from there. Iron Man 2 (Rotten Tomatoes: 72%) would be one of the most forgettable parts of the early MCU if it weren’t for Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer. A “villain” fueled by pure jealousy, Hammer is easily the best part of Iron Man 2, fitting perfectly with the movie’s less serious tone. Remember, this still wasn’t post-Avengers MCU, where everyone is quip-happy, so Rockwell’s buffoonery works better in contrast to Mickey Rourke’s more serious villain, Whiplash.
14. Michael Sheen as Castor in Tron: Legacy
The Tron franchise has never been known for its widespread success. Each Tron film, from the original to Ares (which stumbled to a $33.5 million U.S. opening), has been niche by definition. Legacy (Rotten Tomatoes: 51%) was almost great, but a poor combination of flat characters and that uncanny de-aged Jeff Bridges sentenced the film to pop culture oblivion. Except for Michael Sheen: everyone remembers Castor.
Easily the highlight of this flawed flick, Sheen’s performance as a deceitful, extremely flamboyant villain almost seems like it came from a different, much more entertaining movie.
13. Eddie Redmayne as Balem Abrasax in Jupiter Ascending
Jupiter Ascending (Rotten Tomatoes: 27%) was, to put it mildly, chaotic. The movie is all over the place with its convoluted plot and dense world-building. Luckily for him, Eddie Redmayne found the perfect way to stand out amidst the maelstrom of CGI and bizarre creatures: whisper and scream. Constantly.
Redmayne’s character, Balem Abrasax, flip-flops between whispering and yelling at the top of his lungs throughout the whole film (a performance that won him a Razzie). It’s like a Shakespearean villain — if Shakespearean villains appeared in Saturday morning cartoons. Jupiter Ascending is worth a watch just to hear him go from a whisper to a full-throated scream in all its confused, over-the-top glory.
12. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad
The original Suicide Squad (Rotten Tomatoes: 26%) is one of the most divisive films in the now-defunct DCEU. Simply put, you either hated it or you disliked it — there’s no in-between. At least we had Margot Robbie’s now-iconic take on Harley Quinn to save the day. Her Harley didn’t improve the movie itself, but her performance was popular enough to redefine the comic book character. Her future in the DCU, though, is far from certain: James Gunn said in late October that “she may be over that.”
11. Frank Langella as Skeletor in Masters of the Universe
1987’s live-action Masters of the Universe (Rotten Tomatoes: 20%) is a weird film. For a movie based on a cartoon that was explicitly designed to market toys, Masters of the Universe has a curious lack of energy. Not even Dolph Lundgren could save Eternia from mediocrity. Funnily enough, Frank Langella’s Skeletor almost did.
Langella gives a heartfelt performance that feels completely in line with the cartoon character. That’s two Masters of the Universe live-action films now in which Skeletor arguably steals the show, with reviewers singling out Jared Leto’s take in the 2026 reboot. I’m sensing a pattern here.
10. John Goodman as Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones
Much like Danny DeVito was born to play The Penguin, no one could have played Fred Flintstone better than John Goodman. As flawed as the 1994 live-action The Flintstones (Rotten Tomatoes: 23%) was, Goodman’s performance is one of the few things the film got right about Bedrock. The prequel, Viva Rock Vegas, which recast Fred with Mark Addy after Goodman passed on returning, proves that Goodman’s Fred was the only reason why anyone even remembers the first movie.
9. Raúl Juliá as M. Bison in Street Fighter
For some members of the cast of 1994’s Street Fighter (Rotten Tomatoes: 20%), the movie was the chance of a lifetime; for Raúl Juliá, it was Tuesday. Juliá plays M. Bison almost like a cartoon villain – which is exactly how it should be. He understood the assignment perfectly, giving us one of the hammiest, most entertaining villains in any video game flick. The rest of the movie isn’t nearly as fun as any scene with Juliá in it. Luckily for us, he’s on screen for a good chunk of the movie’s runtime. Juliá was battling stomach cancer while filming, reportedly took the role at his children’s request, and died two months before the movie’s December 1994 release. He earned a posthumous Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. With a new Street Fighter in theaters since October 16 (David Dastmalchian plays Bison this time, per our review), it’s the perfect time to revisit Juliá’s original.
8. Willem Dafoe as Agent Smecker in The Boondock Saints
The Boondock Saints (Rotten Tomatoes: 26%, though audiences give it 91%) isn’t a bad movie; it earned its cult classic status for a reason. It is, however, a very predictable film. As awesome as the premise makes it out to be, every character in The Boondock Saints plays by the numbers. That’s what makes Willem Dafoe’s Agent Paul Smecker such a highlight. You never know what to expect when he’s in a scene, and given how unpredictable Dafoe’s characters can be, he brings a much-needed dose of chaos to the mix.
7. Tim Curry as the Lord of Darkness in Legend
Remember Ridley Scott’s 1985 fantasy Legend (Rotten Tomatoes: 34%)? Most likely, your answer will be a resounding “No.” However, most people are certainly familiar with Tim Curry’s menacing Lord of Darkness. Curry wore some of the most impressive prosthetics we’ve ever seen, transforming him into a devilish figure that has become more iconic than the film itself. The movie earned an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup.
No one plays a charismatic villain like Tim Curry. An honorable mention goes to his portrayal of Pennywise in the 1990 It miniseries. Sure, he wasn’t as terrifying as Bill Skarsgård, but everyone remembers him laughing like a madman in a library.
6. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Psycho II
Only two actors from the original Psycho returned for the film’s unexpected 1983 sequel: Vera Miles as Lila Crane Loomis, and Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. Even without Alfred Hitchcock’s direction, Perkins plays a haunted Norman Bates who’s far more fragile than he ever was in the original film. At the same time, Psycho II (Rotten Tomatoes: 67%) gave Bates a more nuanced character, with Perkins almost making us feel for a ruthless killer.
5. Philip Seymour Hoffman as Sandy Lyle in Along Came Polly
Along Came Polly (Rotten Tomatoes: 27%) is one of those forgettable mid-2000s comedies you watch once and then completely erase from your memory. Even if you can’t remember who Polly was or why Ben Stiller was so in love with her, you most certainly remember Sandy Lyle, the egocentric former child actor played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.
While most of the movie is as predictable as they come, Sandy is the perfect wildcard. Hoffman plays the character with a unique awkward charm that makes it feel more like a real person and less like a cardboard cutout. Also, the basketball scene is the best part of the entire film. Let it rain indeed.
4. Rhys Ifans as Rasputin in The King’s Man
2021’s The King’s Man (Rotten Tomatoes: 41%) is up there in the list of the most unexpected (and unnecessary) prequels ever made. Ever wondered why the Kingsman agents are named after the Knights of the Round Table? No? Well, The King’s Man answers that and even more obscure questions. Can’t blame them; after all, Kingsman: The Golden Circle drove the franchise into a narrative corner.
That said, The King’s Man still has some of its special sauce. Ralph Fiennes delivers an incredible performance as a broken pacifist in search of his legacy, but it’s Rhys Ifans’ bizarre Rasputin that truly steals the show. Everything from his over-the-top performance to that dance/fight scene is just what we’ve come to expect from this outlandish franchise.
3. Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages
Leave it to Tom Cruise to turn it up to 11 in every movie he’s in. In 2012’s Rock of Ages (Rotten Tomatoes: 43%), Cruise plays Stacee Jaxx, a fading rock icon from a bygone era. Cruise prepared meticulously for the role, undergoing six months of vocal and dance training (reportedly five hours a day of each) to become Jaxx. The result is simply glorious: Ethan Hunt acting like Axl Rose. Also, his take on Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is beyond perfect.
2. Matt Smith as Milo in Morbius
You know what time it is. It’s Morbin’ time. And no, Jared Leto’s legendary performance as Morbius wasn’t the movie’s highlight. That distinction goes to Matt Smith’s Milo, the movie’s antagonist. He embraces his vampiric urges — and gives us an unhinged performance in the process. He even has his own version of Bully Maguire’s dance scene in Spider-Man 3, complete with terrible CGI!
I don’t think anyone could say that Morbius (Rotten Tomatoes: 15%) is a good (or even tolerable) film. That said, Smith’s performance is the perfect palate cleanser, giving us reason enough to see where the entire chaos that is Morbius goes next, as long as he’s in the scene.
1. Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
There are many live-action takes on the story of Robin Hood, but only one of them has Alan Rickman. That’s enough to make 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (Rotten Tomatoes: 52%) the best of the bunch. Rickman plays George, the Sheriff of Nottingham. He called the script “terrible,” secretly enlisted writers Peter Barnes and Ruby Wax to punch up his lines, and got director Kevin Reynolds’ blessing to use them.
Rickman reinvented the Sheriff, turning him into a scene-chewing villain who constantly reworked his lines. Many of the character’s most memorable moments (like “You. My room, 10:30.”) grew out of those rewrites. Needless to say, critics and fans loved it. Rickman ended up winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1992, and most people don’t even remember Kevin Costner was supposed to be the star of this film. The movie was no flop, either: it grossed about $390 million worldwide, second only to Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991.
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