4) Ben Foster – The Program
The Program – a based-on-truth biopic about disgraced former American icon Lance Armstrong – was clearly designed to be an Oscar contender. Unfortunately, it was dumped this year on VOD and select few cinemas, in the middle of March. As strongly hinted by its release fate, the overall film is flimsy. Ben Foster, meanwhile, still very much deserves awards recognition for his transformation into the cunning world champion cyclist.
Sometimes, Foster’s method intensity can be ill-advised and even unintentionally amusing (see: Warcraft). In The Program, however, his dedication 100% pays off. He doesn’t just imitate Armstrong (the look, the body language and speech cadences are spot-on), he disappears into the part and convincingly becomes the man, to an almost creepily accurate degree.