The Best Michael Keaton Movies And How To Watch Them (original) (raw)

After spending a great deal of my life considering my own answer to the age-old question, “Who is your favorite actor?” I think I can confidently say it is Michael Keaton. Seeing the Academy Award nominee reprise two of his most iconic characters, Batman in The Flash and Betelgeuse in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, with nearly flawless results is a testament to his astounding and aspirational versatility as a performer.

Of course, the mischievous bio-exorcist from the horror-comedy movie favorite and the brooding vigilante from the classic superhero movie only offer a taste of what the quick-witted, character-focused actor is capable of. Let’s explore his greatest talents even further by looking back on the best Michael Keaton movies on streaming.

(Image credit: Sugar 23)

Knox Goes Away (2024)

After he is diagnosed with a rapid form of dementia, a hitman (played by Keaton) gets a final shot at redemption when his estranged son (played by James Marsden) comes to him for help.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Keaton also directs Knox Goes Away, which is an amusing crime thriller with a refreshing sense of humanity.

Stream Knox Goes Away on Max.
Rent or buy Knox Goes Away on Amazon.
Buy Knox Goes Away on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)

The Other Guys (2010)

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play two wildly different New York cops relegated to desk duty who seize an opportunity to be the heroes they want to be.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Keaton did more ad-libbing than he was used to in The Other Guys as Captain Gene Mauch in director Adam McKay’s hilarious buddy cop comedy.

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Stream The Other Guys on Netflix.
Rent or buy The Other Guys on Amazon.
Buy The Other Guys on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

The Flash (2023)

After discovering he can use his super speed to travel through time, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) makes a change that sends him into an alternate reality.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: One major change Barry witnesses in The Flash is that Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne does not exist, leading him to seek help from Keaton’s epic reprisal of Batman, which makes this multiverse movie from director Andy Muschietti a fun time.

Stream The Flash on Netflix.
Stream The Flash on Max.
Rent or buy The Flash on Amazon.
Buy The Flash on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures, DC)

Tim Burton’s Batman Movies (1989, 1992)

Wealthy, orphaned Bruce Wayne (Keaton) defends Gotham City from eccentric criminals like the Joker (Jack Nicholson), the Penguin (Danny DeVito), and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Keaton cemented himself as one of the all-time best live-action Batman actors (if not the best) with his layered, brooding performance in two of the best live-action Batman movies so far: director Tim Burton’s 1989 hit and its sequel, Batman Returns.

Stream Batman And Batman Returns on Max.

Rent or buy Batman on Amazon.
Rent or buy Batman on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Rent or buy Batman Returns on Amazon.
Rent or buy Batman Returns on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Disney / Fox)

Mr. Mom (1983)

After losing his job, a husband and father (played by Keaton) takes over household duties with little to no preparation as his wife (played by Teri Garr) climbs the corporate ladder.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Keaton’s otherwise charming and relatable performance in the John Hughes-penned comedy classic, Mr. Mom, actually had comic book fans at the time convinced that the actor would be a poor choice to play Batman.

Stream Mr. Mom on MGM+. Stream Mr. Mom on Tubi. Rent or buy Mr. Mom on Amazon. Buy Mr. Mom on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Beetlejuice (1988)

After losing their lives, Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis) call upon the help of a more troublesome ghost (played by Keaton) to scare a snobbish couple and their “strange and unusual” daughter (played by Winona Ryder) out of their home.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: In his first collaboration with director Tim Burton, a nearly unrecognizable Keaton gives his most ironically lively performance in the Beetlejuice cast, which he would return to for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which improves on the original by giving him a little more screen time.

Stream Beetlejuice on Max.
Rent or buy Beetlejuice on Amazon. Buy Beetlejuice on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Clean And Sober (1988)

Keaton plays a hot shot real estate agent desperate to evade the law who checks himself into a rehab facility, only to realize that it’s just what he needs to kick his bad habits.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: In the same year he starred in Beetlejuice, Keaton revealed one of the first glimpses of his serious side with the acclaimed redemption drama Clean and Sober, which also stars Morgan Freeman as his no-nonsense drug counselor.

Rent or buy Clean And Sober on Amazon. Buy Clean And Sober on DVD on Amazon.

(Image credit: Disney / Fox)

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014)

Former superhero movie star Riggan Thomson (Keaton) tries to make a comeback by writing, producing, directing, and starring in a stage adaptation of an acclaimed novel, if not for constant behind-the-scenes mishaps and his own personal demons getting in the way.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Surprisingly, Keaton would not receive an Oscar nomination (and a Golden Globe win) until he played the lead of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Best Picture Oscar winner, Birdman – a remarkable achievement in seamless visual storytelling and hilarious meta satire in which the actor also pokes fun at his own post-Batman career.

Rent or buy Birdman on Amazon. Buy Birdman on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Disney / Fox)

Pacific Heights (1990)

A couple (played by Melanie Griffith and Matthew Modine) rent out a bottom suite in their new San Francisco home to a seemingly well-meaning yuppie (Keaton) who proves to be an unstoppable nightmare.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: In between his Batman movies, Keaton showed that he can also be bad – really bad – in the intense thriller from Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger, Pacific Heights.

Stream Pacific Heights on Amazon Prime.
Stream Pacific Heights on Tubi.
Buy Pacific Heights on DVD on Amazon.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Night Shift (1982)

Overnight morgue attendant Chuck Lumley (Henry Winkler) and his fast-talking colleague, Bill Blazejowski (Michael Keaton), go into business with a kindly sex worker (Shelley Long) and her colleagues after their pimp is murdered.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: The ‘80s movie that launched Keaton’s career was Night Shift – an early hit from director Ron Howard in which the actor absolutely steals the show in his now iconic role.

Rent or buy Night Shift on Amazon. Buy Night Shift on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)

My Life (1993)

After being diagnosed with kidney cancer, Bob Jones (Michael Keaton) prepares for his passing by making videotapes of various essential life lessons for his unborn child to see.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: A film that very effectively proved Keaton’s ability to tug at your heartstrings was My Life – an inspiring drama directed by Oscar winner Bruce Joel Rubin and also starring Nicole Kidman.

Rent or buy My Life on Amazon. Buy My Life on DVD on Amazon.

(Image credit: Universal)

The Paper (1994)

Keaton plays a New York City newspaper editor struggling to balance big changes in his personal life with big changes in his professional life as news of a potentially groundbreaking story dominates office conversations.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: In his third collaboration with director Ron Howard, Keaton gives another wonderfully manic, yet relatable, performance as the lead of The Paper – an underrated and unusually fun film about journalism from the point of view of the press.

Stream The Paper on Netflix.
Rent or buy The Paper on Amazon. Buy The Paper on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Open Road Films)

Spotlight (2015)

In the early 2000s, a team of investigative journalists working at the Boston Globe looks into a sexual abuse case that eventually uncovers shocking evidence of a scandal kept hidden by the Catholic Church for decades.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Keaton has actually made a number of movies about the press and perhaps the most powerful of them all is Spotlight – a biographical depiction of a revealing Pulitzer Prize-winning article that became the actor’s second Best Picture Oscar winner in a row.

Stream Spotlight on Starz.
Rent or buy Spotlight on Amazon. Buy Spotlight on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Columbia Pictures)

Multiplicity (1996)

An overworked husband and father (Keaton) finds that the secret to his problems lies in cloning.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Keaton gives another compelling everyman performance in Multiplicity – a fun fantasy comedy directed by Harold Ramis which sounds kind of like Mr. Mom with a strange sci-fi twist.

Stream Multiplicity on Pluto TV.
Rent or buy Multiplicity on Amazon. Buy Multiplicity on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Miramax)

Jackie Brown (1997)

Pam Grier stars as a flight attendant who agrees to be an FBI informant to avoid jail time for smuggling, which only puts her in more trouble with a ruthless drug dealer (played by Samuel L. Jackson).

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Keaton’s sole contribution to Quentin Tarantino’s best movies, so far, is his performance in Jackie Brown as ace federal agent Ray Nicolette – an Elmore Leonard character whom he would actually reprise in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight the following year.

Stream Jackie Brown on Amazon Prime. Buy Jackie Brown on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Pixar)

Toy Story 3 (2010)

As Andy is about to leave for college, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and their fellow child’s playthings find themselves mistakenly brought to a daycare center and begin hatching a plan to escape.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: I would say that Michael Keaton’s best Pixar movie so far is the clever tearjerker Toy Story 3, in which he lends his voice to a surprisingly perfect performance as Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken.

Stream Toy Story 3 on Disney+. Rent or buy Toy Story 3 on Amazon. Buy Toy Story 3 on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: Gravitas Ventures)

Game 6 (2005)

Boston playwright Nicky Rogan (Michael Keaton) must choose between watching the Red Sox take on the Mets during a dire World Series game or being present for the opening of his latest show in 1986 New York.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Years before starring as a playwright with a tortured ego in Birdman, Keaton starred as a playwright with a tortured ego in Game 6, which also happens to be a quirky, unconventional sports movie and period piece with a stunning ensemble cast.

Stream Game 6 on Paramount+.
Rent or buy Game 6 on Amazon. Buy Game 6 on DVD on Amazon.

(Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Peter Parker (Tom Holland) tries to balance his life as an average teen with being a friendly neighborhood superhero in hopes to appease his mentor, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: It was hard to believe that the Vulture would be remembered as one of the best Marvel movie villains until we saw Keaton’s performance in Spider-Man: Homecoming as a man turning to crime for an otherwise admirable cause.

Stream Spider-Man: Homecoming on Disney+.
Rent or buy Spider-Man: Homecoming on Amazon. Buy Spider-Man: Homecoming on Blu-ray on Amazon.

(Image credit: The Weinstein Company)

The Founder (2016)

A struggling milkshake spinner salesman (played by Keaton) sees dollar signs when he comes across a popular burger joint that he aims to make into a franchise, despite the owners’ reluctance.

Why it is one of the best Michael Keaton movies: Witness the shocking, scandalous truth behind the rise of McDonald’s through the eyes of the man who made a franchise out of it, Ray Kroc, in The Founder from director John Lee Hancock.

Stream The Founder on Freevee through Amazon.
Stream The Founder on Tubi. Buy The Founder on Blu-ray on Amazon.

If you still cannot get enough of Michael Keaton (whose real name is Michael Douglas, by the way), we have not seen the last of the actor. He has another upcoming 2024 movie on the way called Goodrich and, hopefully, we can see him put on the Cape and Cowl again in the canceled Batgirl movie one day…