In an era where superhero and fantasy movies rank almost supreme at the box office and streaming services, viewers are bombarded with numerous options for hard hitting characters (literally). Whether they're using science or mystical abilities, characters from the MCU, DCEU, and other genre franchises top the cinematic lists for physical or supernatural strength.
It's not just the story, but the voices and faces that bring to life the everyday, ordinary people that represent strength in different variations than our beloved superheroes. They can be protagonists, antagonists, or supporting roles, but they all share the same cinematic effect of making viewers feel their pain, anguish, elation, or fear. Many of these stars were nominated or won critical acclaim for turning a character on a page to a powerhouse on the screen.
Tish & Fonny - 'If Beale Street Could Talk' (2018)
An artful and devastating romantic drama, If Beale Street Could Talk follows the love story of Tish (Kiki Lane) and Fonny (Stephan James), a young black couple in 1970s Harlem. Based on the book by James Baldwin, the film follows the couple as they become pregnant and shortly after Fonny is arrested for a rape he didn't commit.
Despite their circumstance, the two remain madly in love and determined to make that love work at all costs. Beautifully directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), this adaptation presents a set of characters that remain poised and graceful through the toughest of circumstances. Tish and Fonny are exquisitely brought to life by Lane and James, capturing the essence of a young couple fighting odds that are determined to beat them.
Jane - 'The Assistant' (2019)
Released during the aftermath of various assault accusations of industry executives, The Assistant places viewers in the uncomfortable position that is Jane's job. Played by Ozark's breakout star Julia Garner, Jane is the lowest on the administrative totem pole for a powerful entertainment executive. Aspiring to become a film producer, Jane must decide to say something when she sees it in her male dominated career.
Directed by Kitty Green, this film and main character bring serious workplace harassment and oppression to the genre and forefront for audiences. Jane's plight and performance and present a resonating image for audience members who can relate to the same workplace struggle.
Terence Fletcher - 'Whiplash' (2014)
His wrath will make or break your musical career. In an Oscar-winning performance, J.K. Simmons as music instructor Terence Fletcher is a gale force that no student wants to reckon with. His intensity to accept nothing but absolute perfection makes him and Damien Chazelle's Whiplash one of the most powerful films of the last decade.
Fletcher's bark and bite are brutal, forcing his students to realize that exceptional isn't enough and if you rush or drag his tempo, a chair will be hurled across the room at you. Bleeding fingers, exhaustion, and confidence won't earn you a spot in his jazz group, only a barrage of insults and emotional scarring.
David Kim - 'Searching' (2018)
With a unique production style, Aneesh Chaganty's web-thriller Searching is this decade's Taken. When his daughter Margot (Michelle La) goes missing, father David Kim (John Cho), scourers the internet and his daughter's web accounts to try and track her whereabouts. Refusing to give up, he becomes an internet sleuth and advocate for his daughter's safe return.
Told through the lens of a computer screen through various social media platforms, David's search for his missing child paints a grim picture as he had already lost his wife to cancer at the film's beginning. He's a grieving widower and now his world is crumbling with Margot's disappearance. Doing anything and everything to bring his child home, David's determination makes his character just as powerful as any other cinematic father.
Charlie & Nicole - 'Marriage Story' (2019)
Dropping viewers in at the end of their love story, Marriage Story (directed by Noah Baumbach), illuminates the opposite side of a love story when the ride after the sunset doesn't end in roses and hearts. Detailing the messy divorce of Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole Barber (Scarlett Johansson) as they fight for custody of their son Henry (Azhy Robertson).
As Charlie and Nicole struggle to find their way after marrying young, the two engage on their individual journeys of self-discovery as the people they were when they got married are not who they are now. Both Driver and Johansson masterfully portray a couple who desperately wishes they weren't going through this major life change, something many viewers can relate with. This couple's saga is one that brought a new life to cinematic marriages from the last decade.
Desmond Doss - 'Hacksaw Ridge' (2016)
Never wavering on his beliefs, this hero proved that the measure of a soldier's worth is not by the number of bullets they fire. Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) joins the American Army in World War II, vowing to never touch or fire a gun with his only concern to save life instead of taking it. Base on the real-life veteran Desmond Doss, Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge brought a heart-stopping story to the screen of an American hero.
Garfield's portrayal of Doss landed him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Doss's perseverance to defend his morals and emotional integrity brought viewers a character they had rarely seen depicted in gruesome war films.
Soonja - 'Minari' (2020)
The best not real Grandma in cinema, Soonja from Lee Issac Chung's Minari is an emotional powerhouse from one of 2020s best films. Brought to life by acclaimed Korean acting legend Youn Yuh-jung, Soonja provides comedic and emotional relief for her family as they take aim at the American Dream in 1980s Arkansas.
Yuh-jung would win her first Oscar for the role as the family's live-in grandmother who helps keep the family afloat in various ways. A wise woman and a skilled card player, Soonja builds a special bond with her grandson David (Alan S. Kim). Her ability to be a stable backbone for the family demonstrates how powerful her character is. Whether a babysitter, financial source, or just another helping hand, Soonja is an impeccable woman from the last decade.
Arthur Fleck - 'Joker' (2019)
A descent into madness, Joker depicts the downfall of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as the cruel world of Gotham swallows him up and spits him back out a beast audiences weren't ready for. Directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover), this film demonstrates how dangerous mental illness can be for those without the right help.
Arthur is a struggling comedian who only wants to see the world smile a little more during the dark days of Gotham's political climate. Time and time again he is beat down by society until he finally breaks and falls victim to the madness of his past. Phoenix's performance earned him his first Oscar win, the film overall winning for its score. The psychological warfare bestowed upon this simple man moved audiences and will continue to with every rewatch.
Chris Washington - 'Get Out' (2017)
A horror character that's actually suspicious and weirded out by his circumstances, Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) authenticity and determination to survive make him a unique and memorable character from the decade's horror installments. Get Out rocked audiences and the cinematic world in 2017 with its inception coming from the mind of comedic legend Jordan Peele, whose new movie Nope comes to theaters in July, but what kept it resonating was its main character. The role would earn Kaluuya his first Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar nomination.
Polite, but reserved, Chris questions the authenticity of his girlfriend's family. He allows himself to be vulnerable with Missy (Catherine Keener) and once he's trapped in the horror, his journey to survive is real and believable. He doesn't waste time ignoring the signs that something's off, and he doesn't fall victim to the usual tropes of the film's genre.
Ma & Jack - 'Room' (2015)
One is trapped in a prison while that same prison is the whole world to the other. Ma (Brie Larson) and Jack (Jacob Tremblay) are a mother-son duo that leap from page to screen in Room based on the novel by Emma Donoghue. Winning her first Oscar and nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Larson portrays a mother who is kidnaped as a young woman, raped, and held captive for five years while raising the child she became pregnant with. When Jack escapes and leads rescues to his mother, the two embark on a journey of discovery and healing as Jack's only concept of the world was "Room," the shed they were held captive in.
Ma's resilience to raise her son with an innocent image of the circumstances he was born into speaks to the volumes a mother's love can protect from. Jack's wonder of his new world brings a breathtaking experience through the lens of a young child.