One of the finest actors of a generation, Christian Bale disappears into fictional roles with unbridled commitment. Whether losing record-breaking weight to play haunted characters in The Machinist and The Fighter or beefing up to portray Batman, few actors have shown dedication to their craft in the way Bale has since his career began in the mid-1980s. In 2017, Bale gave one of his most outstanding performances in a contemplative Western that sadly failed to resonate among the masses.