Buddy Duress

Buddy Duress talks in a rush in Good Time (2017), and the unevenness is what makes us listen. As Ray, he sounds as though he is still deciding what he means while he speaks. We found that delivery unnerving, because a stretch of dialogue offers no relief from the film's panic. The words keep coming, with little sense that he has prepared them for an audience. It is a distinctive piece of supporting acting in a film that hardly needs help making us nervous.

His debut was as Mike in Heaven Knows What (2014), before Good Time gave him a breakout supporting role opposite Robert Pattinson. Those two films are the clearest starting point for understanding his appeal. Josh and Benny Safdie keep Good Time moving at speed, and his speech fits their pace without becoming mechanical. His uneven phrasing helps Ray sound like a particular person, even within a plot that leaves little time to get to know anyone.

That does not mean everything around him works equally well. We recommend Good Time with a reservation about its later complications, which offer less than the early panic promises. Duress's energy is a reason to stay attentive, but it cannot make those complications more rewarding. Pattinson's desperate crook remains the main attraction, and there is no need to diminish that performance to recognise what Duress contributes. The rough rhythm of his speech gives Ray a character before we have had much time to study him.

Other parts took him through Person to Person (2017), The Mountain (2018), PVT Chat (2021) and Funny Pages (2022). These were smaller appearances, and we would be cautious about using them to claim gifts the parts had little room to test. Nor should an unpolished delivery be enough on its own: it works for Ray because it sustains the tension. Start with Good Time, and give the talking as much attention as the plot.