Ranking the Best Performances to Date from Ben Foster

One of my favorite people in Hollywood (or now outside of it, as he’s recently moved to Nashville from Los Angeles) is Ben Foster. Whenever I see him in a project, regardless of its size, I know I’m in for an interesting performance. This week saw him as a part of the cast of the stylized action flick Motor City. Realizing that I’ve never done a ranking for Foster yet, it was all I needed to organize one, which you can see here today. Hopefully, this will showcase just how underrated he truly is.

In my previous interviews with him here and here, I’ve said the following about his talents, which I hold true to: “Ben Foster is one of the best actors in the business. No matter what you see him in, his commitment, intensity, and screen presence is impossible to ignore. Something like Hell or High Water several years ago perfectly showcases his skills, and he was a major Oscar snub.”

In my review of Motor City (here), I briefly said the following about Foster:

As for Ben Foster, he’s suitably volatile and unsettling, if doing the kind of work we’ve seen from him before. Still, few do it better than Foster.

Last year, I had this to say about his performance in Christy back at the Toronto International Film Festival:

Sydney Sweeney has never been better than she is here, while Ben Foster turns in some of his most compelling work as well. Foster always excels at playing loathsome men, with this one being among his most vile. The genius here is in how sad and pathetic he makes Jim as well. 

Below, you can see how Foster stacks up for me. I think his best performance remains Hell or High Water, but he’s also excellent in The Messenger, as well as The Survivor. Then, we can get into quirkier performances like Alpha Dog or Sharp Corner, but when it comes to Foster, you know you’re getting commitment and intensity from anything he does. One day, he’ll be rewarded with an Oscar nomination, presuming the right type of movie, since his performances are always on point.

Here now is my ranking of the best performances to date from Ben Foster. Behold:

Honorable Mention: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Emancipation, Galveston, Lone Survivor, Motor City, and The Program

10. Kill Your Darlings

9. Birds of America

8. Christy

7. 3:10 to Yuma

6. Sharp Corner

5. Leave No Trace

4. Alpha Dog

3. The Survivor

2. The Messenger

1. Hell or High Water

What are your favorite Ben Foster performances? Let us know!