Last Updated on August 5, 2021
#1. Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin
You can consider me one of the very few who didn’t like Jonathan Glazer’s UNDER THE SKIN, but despite the film being a total snoozefest, Scarlett Johansson’s terrifying, often brilliant performance was enough to get me through it, so there’s that. She injects a special kind of performance into this one, showing the many faces of her talent. Innocent one moment, alluring the next, Johansson’s take on a man-devouring alien is one of the very best.
#2. Katrina Bowden – Nurse
NURSE was such a sleazy, sexy, oddly charming little film from director Douglas Aarniokoski that I think it caught a lot of people off guard. Sure, it’s dumb, but it’s probably the guiltiest pleasure of the year. At the center of the film’s blood-soaked madness was Katrina Bowden, who had to survive an hour and a half of the clown-shit crazy Paz de la Huerta. Although this one is probably way more fun than it has any right to be, the sheer simplicity of watching Bowden go up against Huerta is too good to pass up.
#3. Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
If you went into David Fincher’s GONE GIRL not knowing what to expect (you didn’t read the book), such as myself, then you were probably blown away by just how dark it was. While Fincher twists and turns through a slick narrative that keeps the viewer guessing until the final frame, at the heart of all that darkness is the impossibly gorgeous Rosamund Pike turning in one of the best performances of the year.
#4. Karen Gillan – Oculus
Mike Flanagan’s OCULUS stood out from a lot of what we saw out of the genre when it came to wide releases. With films like ANNABELLE and OUIJA stinking up the joint, Flanagan’s haunting tale was a nice breath of fresh air, one that sees the amazingly talented Karen Gillan trying to survive a night with a haunted mirror. Hopefully this isn’t the last time we see Gillan step into the genre either, because a girl that can look this good with half her—SPOILERS—head hanging off, well… that’s something.
#5. Sasha Grey – Open Windows
Told entirely through the dim light of a laptop screen, Nacho Vigalondo’s cluttered OPEN WINDOWS was no doubt a timely slice of horror cinema as Sasha Grey’s damsel in distress hit all the right notes in this voyeuristic cat-and-mouse thriller. While I thought the film’s format did more harm than good, its focus on the seductive Sasha Grey was no doubt one of its highlights.
#6. Brooke Butler – All Cheerleaders Die
Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson’s ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE is one of those movies you could file under the “guilty pleasure” category. It’s a great concept, one that sees a handful of evil-doing cheerleaders out for revenge. The thing about this movie, though, is that it’s entirely fueled by its fantastic cast, especially Brooke Butler, who’s charismatic performance gave this one a nice bloody edge. Sexy, evil, and often hilarious, Butler dished out a hefty dose of the red stuff; all with a smile on her face.
#7. Maika Monroe – The Guest
One of the most talked about thrillers of the year was hands down Adam Wingard’s THE GUEST, a slick and stylish pulse-pounder that put the lovely Maika Monroe in the center of a bullet-flying shitstorm. While her character takes a little while to warm up to, she’s the kind of horror movie hottie you want in your corner once shit hits the fan.
#8. Sara Paxton – Cheap Thrills
No other movie in 2014 was quite like E.L. Katz’s directorial debut CHEAP THRILLS, that’s for sure. I loved Sara Paxton’s character in this one because despite not being front and center of the narrative, she was always in the background tugging on the strings of this terribly demented little game. With those sexy eyes of hers and that black heart, Paxton came off calm, cool, and vicious.
#9. Alex Essoe – Starry Eyes
Personally one of my favorite horror films of the year was Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s STARRY EYES, featuring a breakout performance from Alex Essoe. As beautiful as she is talented, Essoe turned in one of the most haunting, skin-crawling performances of the year as a girl who’d give it all to shine under the bright lights of Hollywood hell.
#10. Rose Leslie – Honeymoon
One of the biggest surprises of the year was Leigh Janiak’s slow-burn cabin in the woods haunter HONEYMOON, starring Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway. Leslie was the first person that came to mind when I started thinking this list up because she delivers a jarring performance as her character goes through an unforgettable transformation, both mentally and physically. With a film that relies so heavily on its eerie atmosphere and slow-burn tactics, getting a talented actress like Leslie to lead the way made this one impossible to turn away from.
Honorable Mentions
Here are the girls that kept bouncing in and out of the lineup but were ultimately edged out by someone else. But just because they didn’t land in the Top 10 doesn’t mean they don’t deserve their own spot to shine, so here it is, the Honorable Mentions! First up, the wonderful Emily Blunt from EDGE OF TOMORROW who managed to look as beautiful as ever while killing hordes of aliens. Then there’s Aubrey Plaza, who might just be the best looking zombie ever in LIFE AFTER BETH. Juno Temple from HORNS also left quite an impression despite not having much screen time. And finally, Annabelle Wallis who made one of the worst movies of the year bearable, giving us all a reason to sit through ANNABELLE from start to finish. That’s saying something.
Follow the JOBLO MOVIE NETWORK
Follow us on YOUTUBE
Follow ARROW IN THE HEAD
Follow AITH on YOUTUBE