7 Best Performances of Benedict Cumberbatch

There are many people who believe Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the best actors of his time, and there isn't anything to argue about that assumption. The British actor has been bringing fun, suffering, love, and sorrow to the stage, screen, and film for over 20 years. Benedict Cumberbatch has brought fans on thrilling journeys with appearances ranging from comic-book adventure films to WWII-era biopics to all in between. So, without further ado, let's take a look at Benedict Cumberbatch's 7 best performances.

Posted On April 14th, 2021

The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game is based on Alan Turing's life. This genius man served with the British government during World War II, decrypting messages from German intelligence. Turing is initially challenging to deal with. Only with the assistance of Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) does he begin to get along with his colleagues and, as a result, succeed in easily decrypting coded messages. Unfortunately, Turing is guilty of gross indecency due to his homosexuality at the end of the film and undergoes chemical castration instead of prison time. Clarke assures him that his job has saved millions of lives considering everything.

Sherlock

Cumberbatch is most known for Sherlock Holmes's portrayal, the titular character who solves murders in modern-day London. Cumberbatch has a history of playing strange, eccentric characters, and Sherlock is no different. Benedict does an excellent job of expressing the character's intellect and propensity to be cold. We wouldn't take it any other way. Sherlock has become a reluctant star due to Watson's blog on him, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Doctor Strange

When we first met Doctor Strange, he was a well-known doctor with a bloated ego who didn't handle anyone around him well. All of this changes when he is in a car crash, and his hands are ruined, effectively ending his future. Strange goes into debt searching for a cure and discovers the Mystic Arts, where he learns to open his mind, save the earth, and become a happier human. He also predicts the ending of Avengers: Endgame, believing all along that it will take a final sacrifice from Iron Man to finally defeat Thanos.

Atonement

This film earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for young Saoirse Ronan. It is about the consequences of a young girl's false allegations against her sister's boyfriend. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture-Drama. Cumberbatch plays a member of the family at the heart of the drama in a supporting role.

Starter For 10

In Starter for 10, Benedict Cumberbatch plays snobbish Patrick Watts, the captain of his university's University Challenge squad. If his speech on Jackson's (James McAvoy) lack of attention during a match is any indication, he's not much for pep talks. It's amusing that as Patrick begins struggling to answer questions, Jackson is the one who leads them to victory—until Jackson screws up himself. Regardless, seeing Cumberbatch in this capacity is an opportunity not to be missed.

1917

Although Benedict Cumberbatch appears in 1917 for less than five minutes of the film's length, he is an integral part of the struggle driving the plot of this World War I military epic. Though we don't see Cumberbatch's Mackenzie until the end, he is a significant character in the film. The two young soldiers fight against time (and German soldiers) to call off the assault before it turns into a massacre. Cumberbatch's face is drawn with a combination of pride and pain just before he reluctantly calls off the assault, a look that only Cumberbatch could pull off at the time.

Hawking

The Theory of Everything, which also followed Stephen Hawking's early years as a PhD student at Cambridge University, has since eclipsed Benedict's most critically applauded function. While Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for his work, many consider Benedict's depiction of the late physicist to be the greatest.