There are some movies that don’t need any help and there are some that are beyond help. Despite that, I think there are some actors who always make a movie better than it would have been. They aren’t always leads, but any scene they’re in is worth watching. My list would start with: JK Simmons Rachel McAdams Michael B Jordan Tilda Swinton Jeff Daniels Ming-Na Wen
Who are the actors you feel the same way about? Or do you disagree with the premise?
I heartily agree about Bale, Oldman, Pitt, and Dafoe. Simon Pegg doesn’t always do it for me. Bernthal is a great actor, but I thought his contribution to the Daredevil series was more loss than gain (which I realize is not the common reaction).
I think Branagh can be good, but he can also be tiresome. I made the mistake of watching his Poirot movies in combination with their earlier incarnations. I think he is a better director than actor.