17 Performances so sad that you won’t be able to hold your tears

Modified Feb 09, 2025 11:34 ET

The Father | Image Source: Sony Pictures Classics

12) Michael Fassbender in Shame (2011)

Shame | Image Source: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Michael Fassbender's performance in Shame is raw and unflinching in its portrayal of addiction and emotional emptiness. With Brandon successful but troubled man hiding a deep-seated compulsion-this is a study into the torment of a man whose entire emotional life becomes dominated by the need for control and isolation. Devastating moments such as when Brandon is faced with spiraling self-destruction call upon the finest fragile qualities Fassbender can bring forth beneath a stoic exterior.