Michael Keaton is reprising one of the most iconic roles of his career in the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. He will join Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, and Catherine O’Hara 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 Disney+, Max, 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 Batman. Starring alongside 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 Batman Returns, and, to this day, he is often hailed as the best iteration of the hero. Decades after his Batman stint, he returned to the superhero genre with Spider-Man: Homecoming as the villain Adrian Tomes (a.k.a. Vulture). His villain perfectly complements Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in a lighthearted, action-packed superhero origin movie.
Keaton also has numerous hidden gems in his resume. Long before Ryan Gosling was Ken in Barbie, Keaton voiced Ken in Toy Story 3, the critically acclaimed animated movie that saw the franchise’s toys find a new home after Andy outgrew them. Keaton also boasts a supporting role in the Academy Award-winning movie Spotlight. Meanwhile, his blockbuster career has occasionally overshadowed other underrated movies of his, like The Paper, 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.
