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The 20 Best Male Movie Performances of the 21st Century

"The 21st century has already delivered some of the most astonishing male performances in film history. Sure, that sounds like a blanket statement, but in that time, we've also been witness to plenty of history being made within that categorization. Times change, and cinema changes with it.
These twenty performances prove that we've been party to a particularly fruitful period in history when it comes to male acting, and what makes these twenty even more impressive is when you consider some of the ones that have missed out."
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Andy Lau – Infernal Affairs (2002)
Andy Lau – Infernal Affairs (2002)
1
Vincent Cassel – Mesrine Parts 1 & 2 (2008)
Vincent Cassel – Mesrine Parts 1 & 2 (2008)
2
Choi Min-Sik - Oldboy (2003)
Choi Min-Sik - Oldboy (2003)
3
Michael Fassbender in Shame (2011)
Michael Fassbender in Shame (2011)
4
Bruno Ganz – Downfall (2004)
Bruno Ganz – Downfall (2004)
5
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds (2009)
6
Franz Rogowski – Transit (2018)
Franz Rogowski – Transit (2018)
7
Mads Mikkelsen in the Hunt (2012)
Mads Mikkelsen in the Hunt (2012)
8
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash (2014)
J.K. Simmons in Whiplash (2014)
9
Brendan Gleeson - Calvary (2014)
Brendan Gleeson - Calvary (2014)
10
Luca Marinelli – Martin Eden (2019)
Luca Marinelli – Martin Eden (2019)
11
Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Nightcrawler' (2014)
Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Nightcrawler' (2014)
12
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator (2004)
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator (2004)
13
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote (2005)
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote (2005)
14
Heath Ledger - 'The Dark Knight' (2008)
Heath Ledger - 'The Dark Knight' (2008)
15
Song Kang-Ho – Memories of Murder (2003)
Song Kang-Ho – Memories of Murder (2003)
16
Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer (2023)
Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer (2023)
17
Denzel Washington - Training Day (2001)
Denzel Washington - Training Day (2001)
18
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men (2007)
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men (2007)
19
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood (2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood (2007)
20
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