Best actresses: 10 most stunning performances on Netflix in 2022

In 2022, we were blessed with more television and movies on Netflix than we knew what to do with. But within that embarrassment of riches, there were so many memorable performances by some of the best actresses you will ever watch.

Manifest and Firefly Lane each debuted the first half of their respective final seasons, and two particular stars chewed the scenery and left no crumbs. Do Revenge and Echoes showed new layers to established stars, while Wednesday’s lead star came in like a wrecking ball.

Between the breathtaking teamwork on Dead to Me to the unforgettable career-defining performances in titles like From Scratch and Stranger Things, Netflix boasted without a doubt the best actresses on any screen this year.

Best actresses on Netflix 2022

Here are 10 of the most breathtaking, show-stopping performances by the best actresses on Netflix this year, beginning below with From Scratch star Zoe Saldaña.

Zoe Saldaña in From Scratch

It’s safe to say that From Scratch ripped out all of our hearts in 2022. The Netflix original limited series pulls from a true story (based on the memoir by Tembi Locke) about a woman who travels to Italy and happens to fall in love, build a life, and experience all of the requisite highs and lows — and it will move you to ugly tears. Zoe Saldaña brillianty breathes life into this deeply human story and showcases her ability to create a rich and layered character in such a short number of episodes, further emphasizing her amazing talents. Don’t forget about her masterful work come Emmy season.

Sadie Sink in Stranger Things

Throughout the year, there have been plenty of performances people couldn’t stop talking about, but Sadie Sink’s stellar turn in Stranger Things season 4 might have been the leader of the pack. Not only did Sink’s role in the fourth season send an ’80s hit back up the charts, but she delved deeper into shades of Max that we hadn’t seen before. Without Sink bringing likability, relatability, and so much more to her performance, Max’s battle with Vecna might not have packed the same intensely emotional punch. Where are all of the awards for Sadie Sink?!

Camila Mendes in Do Revenge

If you’ve watched Camila Mendes in The CW’s Riverdale, then you know she’s absolutely no stranger to campy comedy. As Veronica Lodge, she’s the campiest and quippiest performer on the show, and she’s often the one to set the tone. That expertise to balance camp with sincerity carried over to the Netflix original movie Do Revenge, a heightened teen comedy that’s larger than life and succeeds squarely on the power of Mendes (and Maya Hawke) as the film’s lead. Simply put, no one else would have understood the assignment quite like Mendes.

Jenna Ortega in Wednesday

Wednesday was easily one of the most highly anticipated new Netflix shows of the year, and we were all correct to have such high hopes for the series. Aside from its huge debut, Jenna Ortega blew us all away with her performance of the iconic Wednesday Addams. She now has a Golden Globe nomination, over 10 million additional fans, and the adoration of the internet (even more than she already did). Ortega is one of the best actresses in a year of exemplary performances.

Michelle Monaghan in Echoes

If there’s a reason to watch the Netflix original limited series Echoes, it’s because the seven-episode mystery will keep you firmly planted on the edge of your seat. But the most important reason to watch Echoes is for Michelle Monaghan’s deeply underrated portrayal of complicated twin sisters.

The actress pulls double duty as twins Gina and Leni, and because the twins switch places, she’s actually often pulling triple duty as one twin pretending to be the other pretending to be the other. Yes, that’s confusing. But imagine how confusing it must have been to make the performance seem effortless. Run Monaghan her Emmy, quickly!

Luna Blaise in Manifest

We’ve watched Luna Blaise grow up on screen in her role as Olive Stone on Manifest, but she fully came into her own as a young woman and actor in the beloved show’s fourth season. Manifest season 4 part 1 picks up two years after the events of season 3, allowing for viewers to see how Olive has grown and changed in that time. Flashbacks to the immediate aftermath of Grace’s death are bone-chilling as Blaise gives hands-down a series-best performance across the entire cast. From Flight 828 and beyond, Luna Blaise is a name to never forget.

Mila Kunis in Luckiest Girl Alive

Even though as a whole Luckiest Girl Alive was a hit or miss movie depending on the viewer, the one thing we can all agree on is that Mila Kunis makes it all work. She’s perhaps at her best as Ani in the Netflix original movie, giving a well-rounded performance both on the exterior of the character but also the interior. Playing Ani required a lot of skill from the performer, and Kunis more than delivered in one of 2022’s best performances on Netflix.

Katherine Heigl in Firefly Lane

We’ve already named Firefly Lane one of the most underrated Netflix shows of 2022, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re also going to uplift one of its two main stars, Katherine Heigl. As the confident Tully Hart, Heigl sinks her teeth into the single most self-assured performance of her career. Firefly Lane has helped Heigl step into her full power as an actress, and it’s a shame to see it ending after two seasons.

Millie Bobby Brown in Stranger Things

Obviously, Millie Bobby Brown has been incredible in the role of Eleven on Stranger Things since its premiere on Netflix back in summer 2016. But her performance in the super-sized fourth season might be her best — and most underrated — yet. The sheer amount of work that she put into these episodes, whether it was reacting to bullying or facing off with Vecna or floating in a tub of water, is astonishing. Brown commits to Eleven and it pays off in spades.

Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini in Dead to Me

After watching the third and final season of Dead to Me, there surely wasn’t a dry eye or unbroken heart in the audience. The writing and direction of the season’s devastating storytelling was beautiful, but it was made even more beautiful by the performances from Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. We had to highlight the stars as a pair because there’s just no separating the force of nature these two brought to the screen.

Since the release of Dead to Me season 3, Applegate has been honest about how difficult powering through production of the series’ final episodes was for her. That makes her performance even more powerful and special. Knowing she and Cardellini had each other’s backs through it all, just like Jen and Judy, is the perfect metaphor for what the show was about. We’re going to miss these two, who are truly the definition of “best actresses.”

Who do you think were the best actresses on Netflix this year? Share your picks in the comments!