Top 10 Best Michael Keaton Performances

“Mr. Mom” (1983)

Even when movies and roles don’t hold up with modern audiences, they can provide a great snapshot into a former era. That’s the case with Keaton’s character Jack Butler in 1983’s “Mr. Mom.” When the engineer is dismissed from his job at an auto-plant, his wife has to pick up the slack as an ad executive. The comedy explores gender norms through the lens of Keaton’s humor. As he navigates life as a stay-at-home dad, Jack struggles with everyday domestic tasks. Jack fends off out of control children, desperate housewives, and a bulging waistline. While the plot may seem ridiculous today, in 1983 “Mr. Mom” bridged the gender gap with more than a few laughs.

“Dopesick” (2021)

The Hulu miniseries “Dopesick” is an adaptation of a book about the opioid epidemic. In it, Keaton plays Samuel Finnix: a local family doctor tricked into believing that Oxycontin was a safe miracle drug. Over the course of the series, Finnix watches helplessly as the drug tears his community apart. Soon after, it destroys his own life. He loses his health, his practice, and his medical license. It’s a powerful role, where a good man falls into a deep pit of despair. He claws his way out and tries to heal the damage in his own life and to his town. For Keaton, this role was personal: in his SAG Award acceptance speech, he broke down as he mentioned his nephew, Michael, who died of a substance use disorder.

“Much Ado About Nothing” (1993)

Kenneth Branagh made a big splash in the 80s and 90s with his silver screen adaptations of William Shakespeare. His second, “Much Ado About Nothing,” is an upstairs-downstairs frolic about a noble couple whose hate grows into love. Despite being an ensemble film, Michael Keaton steals the whole thing with grimy and hilarious flair. He plays Dogberry, the dirty, oafish constable leading a crew of bumbling fools. Keaton’s Dogberry is more concerned with insults from the upper crust than doing his job - or using water to bathe. Still, he and his merry band of morons foil a murderous plot by complete accident.

“Jackie Brown” (1997)

“Jackie Brown” is a consistently underrated Tarantino ‘90s classic. Based on an Elmore Leonard novel, the film is a twisty crime caper. It takes a lot to stand out in a cast with Pam Grier, Robert De Niro, and Samuel L. Jackson. But here comes Michael Keaton as Ray Nicolette, hard-boiled ATF agent. Keaton takes a fairly limited stock character - a tough, macho cop - and peppers his performance with charisma and empathy. Despite being a tough guy, Ray is a sympathetic man whose respect for Jackie allows her to pull one over on him. Keaton takes a cliche and turns it on its head to create a great three-dimensional character.

“The Paper” (1994)

In the Ron Howard film, “The Paper,” Keaton stars as Henry Hackett, a New York City metro editor. The dramedy takes place over a crazy 24 hours with a zany cast of characters at a tabloid newspaper. Henry juggles an unhappy pregnant wife, a sick boss, office drama, and a city-wide conspiracy. Keaton does a masterful job conveying the intense pressures brought to bear when balancing work and family. He has an important job, spending the film hunting down a story to save two innocent teens from prosecution. Still, his marriage suffers and the difficult birth of his son teaches Henry the need for balance.

“Night Shift” (1982)

Michael Keaton as a morgue employee-turned pimp? That’s the set-up for his first starring role in a feature film, “Night Shift.” Co-starring Henry Winkler, “Night Shift” tells the story of a workplace odd-couple who turn a morgue into a sex worker ring. Keaton plays Bill Blazejowski, a care-free sex-trepreneur. In “Night Shift,” his famous 1980s screwball humor is on full display. Keaton’s unhinged Bill balances perfectly with Winkler’s straight-man Chuck. His trademark eyebrows and creepy charisma leave their memorable impression. Forty years later, his endearing insanity still stamps itself onto your brain.

“Spotlight” (2015)

Based on a true story, “Spotlight” dramatizes the Boston’s Globe’s investigation into the Church’s sex abuse scandal. Keaton’s ‘Robby’ Robinson is the editor of the ‘Spotlight’ section, a team dedicated to journalism of the investigative and accountability kind At the behest of their new chief, they dig into allegations of priests’ misconduct towards youths. Robby is a Boston fixture, and soon discovers that he has deep ties with some people involved. Like them, Robby faces a choice: bury the truth to protect the institutions he grew up with, or alienate everyone to bring the truth to light. Keaton conveys a deep sense of pathos as he learns just how many friends sold their integrity to the church. It’s an intense movie, and Keaton stands tall at its heart.

“Batman” (1989) & “Batman Returns” (1992)

For twenty years, Batman was a silly figure in popular culture. But when Tim Burton and Michael Keaton joined forces, they put out a darker, more modern vision of the caped crusader. For many people out there, Michael Keaton is the quintessential Batman. Unlike subsequent Batman actors like Christian Bale and Ben Affleck, Keaton’s performance is more psychological than physical. Dressed all in black, this Dark Knight is haunted by loneliness. The mask hides a deep well of sadness at Bruce Wayne’s loss. Still, especially in the 1992 sequel “Batman Returns,” Keaton infuses Batman with hope. When he meets Selina Kyle, Bruce sees a future for himself outside of vigilantism.

"Beetlejuice" (1988)

In 1988, Tim Burton’s second feature film, “Beetlejuice,” cemented his unique style. With a modern spin on German Expressionism, Burton blends creepy and silly into a distinctive brand. To succeed, he needed the perfect lead actor to bring the Ghost with the Most to life. Enter Michael Keaton, with his idiosyncratic mix of creep-factor and charisma. There is literally no other actor who could have done the part justice. Filthy, funny, scary, slick; these are traits that make very little sense together. But, in every frame, Beetlejuice can’t help but make you smile. Audiences were disgusted, frightened, and entranced by the character; so much so that over thirty years later, Burton has announced a sequel.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Keaton Captivates & Crushes Your Soul as the Merciless Founder of McDonald’s

One of the First Honest & Nuanced Portrayals of Substance Use Disorder in a Hollywood Movie

Universally Lauded as One of the Best Villains in the MCU

The Police Captain Steals Every Scene with His Deadpan Humor

Keaton’s Former Attorney General of the United States Is a Beacon of Integrity & Gravitas

“Birdman” (2014)

Michael Keaton has a habit of taking on roles that nobody else can do. Nowhere is this more apt than in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).” Keaton is Riggan Thomson, a washed up actor trying to revitalize his career with an original Broadway show. Like Keaton himself, Thomson’s fame comes from having played a Hollywood superhero, Birdman. Fighting narcissistic castmates, ruthless critics, and the belittling voice of Birdman, Riggan is in a constant state of anxiety. He spirals into a well of self-loathing until, on opening night, he shoots himself in the head on stage. For years, Keaton has consistently said that the film does not portray his own relationship to Batman. Still, that added layer is constantly in the mind’s eye of the viewer as we watch Riggan’s fall.