Timothée Chalamet returns to the big screen on Christmas Day in Marty Supreme, a film that has garnered him some of the best reviews of his already impressive film career. The day has been kind to Chalamet in the past, with A Complete Unknown and Wonka both proving to be successful during the Christmas corridor, but Chalamet’s career has been more than potential box office success. All before the age of 30 (he hits the milestone just two days after Christmas), he has become one of the most respected actors of his generation, scoring two Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe Award nominations, and a SAG Award win for his turn as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, making him the youngest winner to earn the award. Chalamet has even more to do, so instead of breaking down his performances as his five best, we’re looking at this as his best so far because he’s accomplished so much within a relatively short amount of time, and he certainly has even more in store in the future. (*Note: This list was made ahead of seeing Marty Supreme.)

Honorable Mention: Willy Wonka in Wonka (2023)

It would be no easy task for any actor taking on an iconic character once played by the incomparable Gene Wilder, but Chalamet proved his worth in Wonka, a film serving as a prequel to the 1971 film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Directed by Paul King from a screenplay he co-wrote with Simon Farnaby, the film chronicles the early days of Willy Wonka (Chalamet) as a chocolatier and his encounters with some of his future rivals. Chalamet’s performance in the musical fantasy film taps into the actor’s natural charisma but also allows him to bring a sense of whimsy and heart to the role. In all honesty, Wonka is a good film, but it’s Chalamet’s performance is even better than the material, allowing the actor to show off his skills as a singer and dancer in a role that showcases even more of his ability to be a diverse performer who can take on just about any character. The film turned out to be a huge success and a testament to Chalamet’s box office strength, going on to gross over $634 million globally on a $125 million budget, with the actor earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his troubles. There is no pure imagination needed to see the magic in what could very well become a timeless performance in the years ahead.

5. Lee in Bones and All (2022)

Bones and All showcases Chalamet’s love for offbeat material and his ability to make something so unorthodox still feel so honest and real. Bones and All isn’t your typical love story, but beneath all of the weirdness is a story of two people brought together by their commonalities. Directed by Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by David Kajganich, Bones and All is based on the 2015 novel Bones & All by Camille DeAngelis and follows two young cannibals (Chalamet and Taylor Russell) during the 1980s as they develop feelings for each other while on a cross-country road trip. In his reteam with Guadagnino after his Oscar-nominated role in Call Me by Your Name, the role is admittedly a big swing given the plot of the film, but Chalamet pulled it off, thanks in large part to the honesty he brought to the role and his tortured chemistry with his co-star, Taylor Russell. Chalamet portrays two beats as Lee. The first is someone who is monstrous and feral as his cannibalistic urges consume him, and yet there is heart and vulnerability that emerges once it becomes clear that Lee is lonely and seeking connection, something he finds within someone who is much like him. The premise might be gruesome, but there is a depth to the film that rises it above some of its more grotesque elements, and Chalamet matches the film’s changing tones with ease.

4. Paul Atreides in Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024)

The interesting thing about Chalamet’s participation and performance in the Dune films is that they allow the actor to step into what comes close to being a huge tentpole release, but thanks to the talent involved in front of and behind the camera, the project maintains a level of prestige that remains in line with most of Chalamet’s choices so far. Directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, the first part of the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel is set in the distant future and follows Paul Atreides (Chalamet) as his family is thrown into war for the desert planet Arrakis. In Dune: Part Two, a war is then waged against the House Harkonnen as Paul begins to embrace his destiny even further. Chalamet is so good across both films because he conveys Paul’s natural progression from vulnerability to a powerful leader and messiah without missing a beat. On the one hand, Paul is dealing with complex feelings of fear and uncertainty until he has to make the transition to someone who is a commanding presence with fully believable authenticity. There is a strength in his performance, and despite his slight frame and boyish looks, Chalamet has a magnetic charm that makes his growth throughout the two films so far incredibly believable. This is how you showcase power without having to be a hulking presence. Paul’s evolution is purely internal and subtle as the weight of his destiny becomes more prevalent. Chalamet pulls you into Paul’s emotional hero’s journey, and it’s a captivating ride from start to finish.

3. Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown (2024)

Chalamet has always been a dedicated performer, but that dedication came to the forefront when he took on the role of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Directed by James Mangold from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jay Cocks, A Complete Unknown is loosely based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald. The film chronicles the period of 1961-1965, beginning with Dylan’s early success as an American folk singer and then diving into his use of electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, which proved to be controversial. Chalamet gives another revelatory performance in A Complete Unknown as he more than embodies Dylan and essentially becomes him. While he only has a passing resemblance to the folk singer, it’s Chalamet’s attention to all of his other attributes that transports the audience back in time and allows them to see Dylan as he was at the height of his career. Chalamet did not slum it when it came to this role. He took years of harmonica and guitar lessons, and he even sang live so he could match Dylan’s signature singing style. He captured Dylan’s subtle movements and other mannerisms while also embodying the confidence and sometimes arrogance of the legendary musician. Sometimes actors in biopics mimic who they are portraying, but that wasn’t the case with Chalamet. He did Dylan honest by dedicating every fiber of his being to his performance, which earned him a SAG Award win and his second Academy Award nomination.

2. Elio Perlman in Call Me by Your Name (2017)

This is the role that put Chalamet on the map, and it’s fitting that it’s for a performance that he masterfully gives in Call Me by Your Name because it embodies all the things that have served some of his best performances. As an actor, Chalamet has been able to channel complex emotions, sometimes without saying a word, and his turn as Elio Perlman is a prime example of that. Directed by Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name is based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Andre Aciman and is set in northern Italy in 1983. The film follows a romantic relationship between a 17-year-old named Elio Perlman (Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer), a 24-year-old graduate student who happens to be the assistant to Elio’s archaeology professor father, Samuel (Michael Stuhlbarg). A lot of Chalamet’s performance in Call Me by Your Name is unspoken, with the actor using his body language and eyes to showcase Elio’s various feelings. With his eyes, he shows a growing desire for Oliver, conveying his passion for him without saying a word. There is a quiet vulnerability that he brings to the film, and it proves that every performance doesn’t need over-the-top emotion to display a character’s complex feelings. There is joy and agony in Elio. A calmness and a chaotic complexity that emerges throughout the film as Elio struggles between wanting love and absolutely fearing it. A gaze can speak volumes, and Chalamet does that during several moments of Guadagnino’s beautiful piece of work that offers raw emotion with intensity, honesty, and respect. On top of all of this, he shares a palpable chemistry with Hammer who, despite portraying the older character, can’t help but be drawn to Elio’s intelligence that is wise beyond his years, until you realize that he has fears and uncertainties that prove his 17-year-old adolescence.

1. Nicolas “Nic” Sheff in Beautiful Boy (2018)

Chalamet’s performance in Beautiful Boy should’ve easily been his second Academy Award nomination, and it still baffles the mind that it wasn’t. Directed by Felix van Groeningen from a screenplay he co-wrote with Luke Davies, Beautiful Boy is based on the 2008 memoirs Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff. The film chronicles the father-son relationship between David (Steve Carell) and Nic (Chalamet) as it becomes impossibly strained due to Nic’s drug addiction. This is a performance I always circle back to in Chalamet’s impressive filmography because I’ve dealt with family members battling addiction, and his portrayal of how that disease can consume you is relentlessly powerful and authentic. He’s able to showcase Nic’s charm but also his deception as he does in and out of addiction, displaying the manipulation of someone who will deceive even the ones they love the most to get their fix. It’s a raw and very honest look that hits me to my core every single time I see it, and that’s thanks to the nuance that Chalamet offers up in the role. There is no glamorizing drug use here. He shows the physical and emotional transformation of someone in the trenches of drug addiction and is unflinching in that honesty, no matter how ugly it looks. He was nominated for the major precursors for awards when this movie was released, but somehow missed the Oscar nomination. I still maintain it was a major snub for his best performance to date.

Marty Supreme is now playing in theaters nationwide.

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