15 Best Michael Keaton Movies Ranked (And Where To Watch Them)

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Rachel Ulatowski

Rachel Ulatowski

JustWatch Editor

Michael Keaton is reprising one of the most iconic roles of his career in the Tim Burton-directed horror film, which sees his poltergeist Betelgeuse return from the afterlife to wreak havoc on the Deetz family.

If you want to see more of Michael Keaton’s best performances, check out our guide for a ranking of his best movies streaming on platforms like Hulu, and more!

As mentioned above, the original Beetlejuice marks one of Michael Keaton’s most iconic roles. In 1988, his unconventional role as the vulgar poltergeist in Burton’s morbid horror comedy earned him widespread recognition in the comedy genre. To this day, Beetlejuice remains a Halloween classic, owing much of its success to Keaton disappearing into the role of the manic Betelgeuse.

However, Keaton’s best and most critically acclaimed performance goes to the 2015 dark comedy Birdman. He offers a career-best as faded actor Riggan Thomson, desperate to relive his glory days. Meanwhile, Birdman earned the Best Picture Academy Award for its superb performances, cinematography, and thought-provoking story on fame and identity.

Another major component of Keaton’s career is his superhero movies. In 1989, Keaton moved away from comedic roles when he took on the role of Bruce Wayne in Jack Nicholson’s The Joker, Batman demonstrated the potential of the Caped Crusader in a film that was more noir than campy and stayed true to the darker tone of Batman comic books.

Keaton later reprised his role in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in a lighthearted, action-packed superhero origin movie.

Keaton also has numerous hidden gems in his resume. Long before Worth, and more.

Where to watch Michael Keaton’s best movies online

Check out our guide below to find out where to watch all of Keaton’s best movies, ranked from the best based on Keaton’s performance and the movie’s quality.

  1. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

    # 1

    A fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.

  2. Beetlejuice

    Beetlejuice

    1988

    # 2

    A newly dead New England couple seeks help from a deranged demon exorcist to scare an affluent New York family out of their home.

  3. Batman Returns

    Batman Returns

    1992

    # 3

    Batman must face The Penguin, a sewer-dwelling gangleader intent on being accepted into Gotham society. Meanwhile, another Gotham resident finds herself transformed into Catwoman and is out for revenge...

  4. Spotlight

    Spotlight

    2015

    # 4

    The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

  5. Toy Story 3

    Toy Story 3

    2010

    # 5

    Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy's toys haven't been played with in years. With Andy about to go to college, the gang find themselves accidentally left at a nefarious day care center. The toys must band together to escape and return home to Andy.

  6. Spider-Man: Homecoming

    Spider-Man: Homecoming

    2017

    # 6

    Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark, tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City, with fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture, emerges.

  7. Batman

    Batman

    1989

    # 7

    Batman must face his most ruthless nemesis when a deformed man calling himself "The Joker" seizes control of Gotham's criminal underworld.

  8. The Trial of the Chicago 7

    # 8

    What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.

  9. The Paper

    The Paper

    1994

    # 9

    Henry Hackett is the workaholic editor of a New York City tabloid. He loves his job, but the long hours and low pay are leading to discontent. Also, publisher Bernie White faces financial straits, and has hatchet-man Alicia Clark—Henry's nemesis—impose unpopular cutbacks.

  10. Worth

    Worth

    2021

    # 10

    Kenneth Feinberg, a powerful D.C. lawyer appointed Special Master of the 9/11 Fund, fights off the cynicism, bureaucracy, and politics associated with istering government funds and, in doing so, discovers what life is worth.

  11. Night Shift

    Night Shift

    1982

    # 11

    A nebbish of a morgue attendant gets shunted back to the night shift where he is shackled with an obnoxious neophyte partner who dreams of the "one great idea" for success. His life takes a bizarre turn when a prostitute neighbor complains about the loss of her pimp. His partner, upon hearing the situation, suggests that they fill that opening themselves using the morgue at night.

  12. Cars

    Cars

    2006

    # 12

    Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters.

  13. The Founder

    The Founder

    2016

    # 13

    Written by Robert Siegel (BIG FAN), THE FOUNDER is a drama that tells the true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

  14. Much Ado About Nothing

    # 14

    In this Shakespearean farce, Hero and her groom-to-be, Claudio, team up with Claudio's commanding officer, Don Pedro, the week before their wedding to hatch a matchmaking scheme. Their targets are sharp-witted duo Benedick and Beatrice -- a tough task indeed, considering their corresponding distaste for love and each other. Meanwhile, meddling Don John plots to ruin the wedding.

  15. Jackie Brown

    Jackie Brown

    1997

    # 15

    Jackie Brown is a flight attendant who gets caught in the middle of smuggling cash into the country for her gunrunner boss. When the cops try to use Jackie to get to her boss, she hatches a plan — with help from a bail bondsman — to keep the money for herself.