9) Jacob Tremblay – Room
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.
