Arguably the biggest shame, however, is how many people missed his brilliant turn on “Poker Face” in the episode “The Future of the Sport,” playing the role that /Film writer Michael Boyle named “the smartest psycho of season 1.” His character is downright despicable, the polar opposite of the roles he’s known for playing. In the same way he’s being praised for holding his own alongside Portman and Moore in “May December,” he should certainly be praised for matching the prowess of both beloved character actor Tim Blake Nelson and the incomparable Natasha Lyonne.
Ironically, if you search “Charles Melton Poker Face” on Twitter, the performance is hotly debated. Some fans mark it as the moment they realized he was a brilliant actor, while others have called it “atrocious.” It’s impossible to tell how much of that negative response is rollover “Riverdale” hate or struggling with the fact his character is intentionally unlikable, but I’m of the opinion that he’s absolutely fantastic. Combine this with his hilarious turn on “History of the World Part II” and you’ll see that Melton has been proving himself as a star on the rise for years. It’s not his fault that people haven’t been paying attention.
“May December” is now available on Netflix.
