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This year gave audiences some of the boldest and best female performances in years. Many films this year were unafraid to show womanhood in all its messiness, whether it’s grieving mothers, singing revolutionaries, or religious leaders.
Finally, women were allowed to show their rough edges, admit that motherhood was quite the gift promised, and shatter the glass ceiling of expectations. This year felt like unspoken truths were finally said out loud, and women on the big screen were allowed to be more than wives, mothers, and conduits for the stories of their leading men.
These 10 stars defined the Best Actress Performances of 2025 with fearless, unflinching work that all but guarantees award season recognition.
Also, check our list of 10 Best Horror Films of 2025
Jessie Buckley (HAMNET)
Jessie Buckley gives a heart-wrenching performance in the stunning Hamnet as Agnes, William Shakespeare’s wife. Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s book of the same name, Hamnet is the story of Shakespeare’s family and the family tragedy that inspired the bard’s great work. It’s a beautifully tragic love story anchored by Buckley’s devastating vulnerability.
The Irish actress’s performance as a grieving mother left crowds around the world sobbing as Hamnet broke the hearts of film festival goers. A subtle and delicate portrayal of a woman at one with nature, Buckley brings Shakespeare’s overlooked wife into the light with an unforgettable performance that has been hailed as an Oscar winner before awards season had even started.
Jennifer Lawrence (DIE, MY LOVE)
Die My Love may just be the best performance in Jennifer Lawrence’s illustrious career. Playing a postpartum mother suffering a mental breakdown, Lawrence gives a brave and unflinching portrayal that isn’t afraid to go into dark places.
Stripped of fear and fully immersed in the role, the Oscar-winner unleashes her animalistic side as a struggling wife and mother. It’s a groundbreaking performance that addresses the lesser spoken side of motherhood and womanhood. Chaotic and emotionally draining, Lawrence gives herself fully to the uncomfortable role many women saw themselves reflected in.
Chase Infiniti (ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER)
It’s hard to argue that anyone had a better breakout this year than Chase Infiniti for her performance as Willa in One Battle After Another. Holding her own against the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, Infiniti delivers a razor-sharp performance as a daughter of revolutionaries thrown suddenly into their world. It’s not just a good performance for a debut film, but a great performance for any actress at any stage of their career.
In a movie that has a lot going on, Chase’s Willa anchors the story and gives the audience an entry point into the second part of Paul Thomas Anderson’s film. The heart and soul of the frontrunner for Best Picture, Chase Infiniti, could be a surprise Lead Actress nomination as One Battle After Another promises to sweep award season.
Renate Reinsve (SENTIMENTAL VALUE)
Renate Reinsve reunites with The Worst Person In The World director Joachim Trier to deliver a delicate portrayal of an anxious daughter processing her relationship with her father. The subdued family drama requires an emotional maturity from its leading lady, who is trying to navigate a world after the loss of her mother and the return of her selfish father (also excellent Stella Skarsgard).
Renate’s one powerful monologue in Sentimental Value is enough to earn her an Oscar nomination. It’s a performance that feels real and lived-in as her character, Nora, is torn between nostalgia, fear of adulthood, and artistic ambition. Reinsve sucks audiences into truly believing they are watching a woman confront her childhood anxieties and realization about who her father truly is.
Rose Byrne (IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU)
Better associated with comedy, Rose Byrne gives an extraordinary performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You as a woman on the edge. The Australian actress plays Linda, a woman balancing her sick daughter, a hole in her ceiling, and a roster of demanding therapy clients. A story mostly told through close-up shots of Byrne’s face, it’s a performance that has nowhere to hide.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a frank portrayal of motherhood, filmed more like an anxious cosmic horror than a family drama. Byrne’s performance as a woman balancing so many parts of her life, she threatens to buckle under the weight of the pressure, is brave, unshowy, and suitably uncomfortable. Perhaps one of the most underrated leading actresses of this award season, it’s a performance that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Amanda Seyfried (THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE)
Amanda Seyfried gives the performance of her career as the titular founding leader of the Shakers in Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee. She’s a force of nature in the role of an 18th-century religious leader in this bold pseudo-musical.
It’s no surprise that the Les Misérables star can sing, dance, and act, but her role as Ann Lee is like a woman possessed. This is beyond the light-hearted fare the actress is known for, as the haunting spirit of Ann Lee moves through her. In a film that often veers into the eccentric, Seyfried gives a fearless performance as a grieving mother seeking hope in her faith.
Emma Stone (BUGONIA)
In Bugonia, Emma Stone returns to the world of Yorgos Lanthimos, the duo remaining the most exciting collaborators in Hollywood. In their fourth collaboration, she plays a wealthy CEO kidnapped by two men who believe she is an alien sent to destroy humanity.
In a more toned-down role than her Oscar-winning turn as Bella in Poor Things, Bugonia predominantly sees Stone’s icy boss bitch face off against Jesse Plemons’ conspiracy theorist. Shaving her head for the role, Emma Stone is a committed physical actor who understands precisely how much to give to a role. A lesser star would have gone too far in this zany black comedy, but Stone knows exactly when to play it straight and when to lean into the madness.
Tessa Thompson (HEDDA)
Tessa Thompson radiates in Nia DaCosta’s reimagining of Hedda Gabler. The actress effortlessly takes on the role of the icy yet seductive socialite, using her party guests like pawns in her bored game of 3D chess. It’s a precise performance from Thompson, reminiscent of Old Hollywood icons.
Hedda is a character played by thousands of women since the Ibsen play first premiered in 1981. Thompson’s take on her, in this modernized queer retelling, is full of hidden complexities as she battles the frustrations of social inequalities and her own inner turmoil. While externally she purrs around her mansion like Eartha Kitt’s Catwoman, there is a darkness behind this Hedda that makes you want to know me.
Sydney Sweeney (CHRISTY)
Despite her controversial year off-screen, Sydney Sweeney proves herself as a serious actress in Christy, the real-life story of female boxing pioneer Christy Martin. Sweeney is physically and emotionally convincing as the professional boxer going through personal trauma in and out of the ring.
Even when the biopic falls into cliches, Sydney Sweeney grounds proceedings with a sensitive and grown-up portrayal of a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. It’s a brave performance that physically transforms the actress and sells the brutality of her life professionally and personally.
Cynthia Erivo (WICKED: FOR GOOD)
Although relegated somewhat to supporting to Ariana Grande’s Glinda, Cynthia Erivo is a highlight of the less-than-perfect Wicked: For Good. Erivo’s Elphaba battles animal cruelty, media lies, and fascism in the musical sequel, all while belting out ballads from a broomstick.
It’s no surprise to audiences that Erivo is a powerhouse singer, but the second part of the Wicked adaptation proves her to be an emotionally raw and heartfelt actress. She defies the film’s uneven pacing to shine as a reluctant yet powerful revolutionary trying to do the right thing in a world that treats her like the bad guy. It’s a stark contrast to the lonely outsider her character is in the first film, showcasing Erivo’s ability to mature before the audience’s eyes.
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