3. Charlize Theron, 'Young Adult'

Like Kristen Wiig, Charlize Theron plays a mean girl in 'Young Adult'; unlike Kristen Wiig, her character doesn't get any sort of redemption or even happy ending. Theron is fearless in the Diablo Cody-scripted film, a bit of caustic misanthropy that normally doesn't find its way into the multiplex. She won her Oscar for 'Monster,' but Theron has never been better than in 'Young Adult,' a film that turns her into a monster potentially even worse than a serial killer: one that's relatable to anyone who feels his or her best years happened long ago.