9) Jacob Tremblay – Room
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Imagine what it must take to convincingly portray the sense of wonder, fear and excitement felt by someone literally discovering the world for the first time, five years already into a life. Imagine making the apprehension and anxiousness of such a character appear instinctive. That’s the feat that Jacob Tremblay pulls off in Room, aged just eight.
As Jack, the boy kept isolated inside a tiny room along with his mother since birth, Tremblay gives an almost feral performance, portraying someone made reticent and anxious by a world he sees as perplexingly large and complex.
Director Lenny Abrahamson has form in drawing out great performances, but if Tremblay only half-delivers on the promise he shows in Room, he’s set to have a long career.