Top Ten Tuesday: The Best Performances in Steven Spielberg Movies

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.

No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?

Happy Disclosure Day week to all who celebrate. Last week, I ranked the ten greatest film scores from longtime Steven Spielberg collaborator John Williams in anticipation of their latest film.

I was fortunate to see Disclosure Day last night, and I was completely captivated. Driven by a wistful, nostalgic John Williams score that ranks among his best work in years and an otherworldly, career-best performance from Emily Blunt, the film recaptures the cosmic wonder that defined so many of Steven Spielberg’s greatest achievements. There is a tremendous amount of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in its DNA, which only made the experience more enchanting and ethereal.

At its core, Disclosure Day is a thrilling and mysterious exploration of how humanity might react if definitive proof emerged that we are not alone in the universe. Spielberg blends childlike wonder with mature themes of faith, government secrecy, and our place in the cosmos, all while delivering breathtaking visual compositions and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

I walked away feeling that it is Spielberg’s best film since Lincoln, and perhaps even his strongest since Munich. Simply put, it’s movie magic.

That Emily Blunt delivers an Oscar-worthy performance in a Spielberg film should surprise no one. For more than 50 years, Spielberg’s films have given audiences countless memorable performances. Along the way, three actors have won Academy Awards for their work in a Spielberg film: Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln, Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies, and Ariana DeBose for West Side Story. In total, Spielberg-directed performances have earned 17 acting nominations from the Academy.

From breakout stars to career-defining turns by some of the greatest actors of their generation, Spielberg has consistently brought out remarkable work from his casts. So, in honor of one of cinema’s greatest directors, I will now disclose the very best of those performances.

10. Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

9. Henry Thomas in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

8. Emily Blunt in Disclosure Day (2026)

7. Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan (1998)

6. Liam Neeson in Schindler’s List (1993)

5. Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple (1985)

4. Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

3. Robert Shaw in Jaws (1975)

2. Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln (2012)

1. Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List (1993)

What do you agree/disagree with?
What is the best performance in a Steven Spielberg movie?