This year, some of the most interesting actors on television and film breathed new life into familiar relationship dynamics, from decades-long friendship to star-crossed romance to arranged marriage. Here are the performers whose chemistry lit up the screens this season.
Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, and Zendaya
“Challengers”
Between the steamy three-person dynamics in “Challengers” and the latest season of Netflix’s “Bridgerton,” pop-culture buffs have dubbed 2024 the Year of the Throuple. Luca Guadagnino and Justin Kuritzkes’ sexy tennis drama had us reaching for the smelling salts thanks to the work of its three talented stars. Tashi (Zendaya), Patrick (O’Connor), and Art (Faist) first meet as teens while competing in a US Open junior tournament, leading to a drunken hotel tryst. The vibes are complex: Though Patrick and Art both lust after Tashi, their longtime friendship bubbles with sexual tension. By the time they’ve grown into adulthood, Tashi has become a steely force who routinely steamrolls her now-husband, Art. That’s when Patrick blows back into their lives like a stubbly, charismatic tornado. Though they’ve changed a lot over the years, their feelings for each other certainly haven’t.
Courtesy Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures
Martine Gutierrez and Julio Torres
“Fantasmas”
Torres first broke the mold in 2019 with his unapologetically weird supernatural comedy “Los Espookys.” This year, he managed to make an even more esoteric series. On HBO’s “Fantasmas,” the creator-actor plays a fictionalized version of himself who traverses New York City in search of a gold oyster earring he lost at a gay bar. And though he encounters a wide variety of colorful oddballs on his journey, the central relationship is between Julio and performance artist–turned-agent Vanesja (Gutierrez). Their dynamic is both maternal and droll as Vanesja tries to help Julio get his act together. But there’s an underlying affection that can only come from two performers who understand each other inherently.
Credit: Monica Lek/HBO
Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart
“Love Lies Bleeding”
The premise of this erotic thriller from Rose Glass and Weronika Tofilska hinges on the chemistry between its leads—and these two actors certainly rise to the occasion. Stewart stars as Lou, a gym manager in a small New Mexico town who falls fast and hard for Jackie (O’Brian), a drifter with dreams of becoming a competitive bodybuilder. Soon, the pair find themselves embroiled in the criminal schemes of Lou’s estranged father (Ed Harris). The sexual tension between Stewart and O’Brian is explosive from the moment their characters lock eyes across the gym floor. At first, Jackie’s centered, earthy energy soothes Lou’s twitchy restlessness. But when the tables turn, their charged romantic vibe twists into a destructive dynamic that neither can keep themselves away from.
Credit: Anna Kooris
Maya Erskine and Donald Glover
“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”
It’s hard to imagine any actors’ chemistry rivaling Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s in Doug Liman’s 2005 action comedy “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” But Glover and Erskine more than pull it off on Prime Video’s small-screen adaptation, which the former created alongside Francesca Sloane. The two star as John and Jane Smith, a pair of strangers who join a mysterious spy organization that tasks them with going undercover as a married couple. The two actors infuse their characters’ relationship with unexpected vulnerability as they slowly fall for each other amid the chaos of their job. Above all, these two comedy vets are just really funny together.
Credit: David Lee/Prime Video
Irene Maiorino and Alba Rohrwacher
“My Brilliant Friend”
The HBO adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s beloved Neapolitan Novels concludes its four-season run with the same gravitas that’s characterized it from the beginning. Saverio Costanzo’s Italian-language series centers on the complex friendship between Elena Greco and Lila Cerullo as they move from childhood to adulthood. On the final season, actors Margherita Mazzucco and Gaia Girace pass the baton to Rohrwacher and Maiorino to play the older versions of Elena and Lila, respectively. Now in their 30s, the two reunite in the Naples neighborhood where they were raised, bringing up old resentments and past dramas. Rohrwacher and Maiorino establish an immediate rapport that shows even in their physicality; when the two are alone, they assume different postures than they use around others. They bicker like an old married couple, evoking both the tenderness and frustration that builds up over decades of friendship.
Credit: Eduardo Castaldo/HBO
Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall
“One Day”
Based on David Nicholls’ 2009 novel, Netflix’s “One Day” tells the story of Emma (Mod) and Dexter (Woodall), two college students who connect at their graduation ball; their love story then goes on to span 20 years. Nicole Taylor’s limited series has more time to explore their relationship than Lone Scherfig’s 2011 film adaptation did, allowing Mod and Woodall to delve deep into their characters. The result is nothing short of tremendous. Whenever the two are together, it’s impossible to imagine either being with anyone else. Whether Emma and Dexter are laughing or fighting, they always see past the exterior, allowing them to evolve into the kind of people who ultimately find their way back to each other.
Credit: Teddy Cavendish/Netflix
Tilda Swinton and Julio Torres
“Problemista”
Torres’ feature debut is a compelling, fantastical work of cinema unlike any other. That’s partially thanks to his oddball directorial vision, but also to the tense, weirdly sweet dynamic he shares with Swinton. The filmmaker stars as Alejandro, a Salvadoran immigrant and aspiring toy designer who’s scrambling to get a work visa so he can remain in New York City. In his desperation, he takes a job as the personal assistant of art critic Elizabeth (Swinton), a nightmare boss of epic proportions. Torres is the perfect straight man to Swinton’s needy, paranoid whirlwind, a woman who can go from generous to vicious at the drop of a hat. As their relationship swings between violent outbursts and genuine affection, these two actors make us feel every gentle touch and harsh blow.
Courtesy A24
Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin
“Sing Sing”
Domingo meets his acting match in Greg Kwedar’s drama about a theater program for inmates at the titular correctional facility. The Oscar nominee plays real-life figure John “Divine G” Whitfield, a wrongfully convicted man who immerses himself in stage work while he waits for his parole application to go through. Enter Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin (Maclin, playing a version of himself), whose violent outbursts threaten to upset the delicate ecosystem of the troupe. The pair’s initially rocky friendship moves from anger and pain to a place of genuine love and respect. What these two actors bring to the film is nothing short of revelatory, especially considering “Sing Sing” marks Maclin’s screen debut.
Credit: Dominic Leon
Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley
“The Substance”
In Coralie Fargeat’s psychological horror, Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading movie star who injects a black-market drug in order to create a younger version of herself. The result is Sue (Qualley), who relishes in her fresh, supple body. Before long, she’s tormenting Elisabeth at every turn as she ascends to Hollywood fame. Moore goes all-out, never shying away from her character’s despondency and insecurity, and shocking us when she undergoes a monstrous transformation. It’s one of the greatest body-horror performances of the decade. Not to be outdone, Qualley more than matches her freak. The serum’s tagline may be “You are one,” but these two performers put that assertion to the test.
Courtesy Mubi