Let’s be honest: Michael Keaton may be one of Hollywood’s greatest chameleons. He’s Batman. He’s Beetlejuice. He’s the man of the people who can get you to laugh, cry, and feel absolutely uncomfortable, all in the same scene. Though his blockbusters receive much adoration, some of his best performances go unnoticed. So, here’s to devoting some attention to them. Here’s a top ten countdown of ten Michael Keaton performances that need so much more attention.
10. Night Shift (1982)
Before the cape and the poltergeist hijinks, Keaton had his breakout in Ron Howard’s Night Shift. As the free-spirited, unstable Bill Blazejowski, he converts a morgue into the scene for a ridiculously warped business venture. He brings electrifying energy, half chaos, half charm, and it’s the film that established that he could anchor a comedy on sheer charisma.
9. Knox Goes Away (2023)
Keaton takes a step back and forward of the camera in this gripping, navel-gazing thriller. Playing a hitman suffering from early-onset dementia, he delivers a performance that’s eerily contained. Rather than action movie stereotypes, Keaton creates a poignant character study of memory, identity, and redemption. It’s low-key, intelligent, and quietly shattering.
8. Worth (2020)
In Worth, Keaton gives one of his most emotionally connected performances as Kenneth Feinberg, the actual lawyer who ran the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. His soothing, measured performance grounds a narrative that is full of heartbreak and moral nuance. By never raising his voice, Keaton embodies the impossible task of putting a price on human lives.
7. Jackie Brown (1997)
As ATF agent Ray Nicolette, Keaton is the perfect fit in Quentin Tarantino’s hip, crime-drenched universe. He’s witty but in over his head, struggling to keep up with con artists on all sides. It’s one of those subtly great supporting performances that lend texture to each scene. Subtle, real, and naturally charming.
6. Out of Sight (1998)
Reprising his role as Jackie Brown, Keaton appears again as Ray Nicolette in Steven Soderbergh’s high-gloss heist movie. It is a brief appearance, but it bridges two Elmore Leonard adaptations in a manner unique to Keaton. Even with only a few minutes of screen time, he exudes that blend of humor and humanity that makes his characters memorable.
5. Porco Rosso (2005, English Dub)
Yes, Michael Keaton once played a pig pilot, and he absolutely nailed it. In the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso, Keaton voices the jaded, heroic Porco with weary charm and old-school swagger. His delivery balances melancholy and mischief, proving that even in animation, he can bring a fully realized soul to life.
4. Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Keaton’s performance as bumbling constable Dogberry in Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare adaptation is unadulterated comedic genius. He takes a traditional fool and makes him an outright scene-stealer, embracing physical comedy and absurdity with reckless abandon. It’s Shakespeare infused with a blast of madcap energy that only Keaton could execute.
3. The Other Guys (2010)
In a film that’s full of outlandish comedy, Keaton finds a way to be the wittiest guy in the room. His performance as Captain Gene Mauch, a serious-minded police officer who moonlights at Bed Bath & Beyond, is a masterclass in deadpanning. His ubiquitous TLC allusions (which he insists he doesn’t get) are the icing on the cake for an already absurd movie.
2. Pacific Heights (1990)
Keaton becomes an outright villain here in this tense psychological thriller, and it’s completely spine-tingling. As Carter Hayes, he uses charm and brains as weapons to harass his unwitting landlords. The payoff is a performance that’s both hypnotic and frightening, a reminder that Keaton is just as charismatic playing straight-up bad.
1. The Founder (2016)
First on the list is Keaton’s breathtaking performance as Ray Kroc, the salesman who transformed McDonald’s into a worldwide phenomenon. The Founder is not a straightforward success story; it’s an ethical conundrum regarding ambition, greed, and the price of the American dream. Keaton toes that thin line between likeable and merciless, making Kroc one of his most nuanced characters to date. It’s one of those shows that creeps up on you and sticks with you long after the credits finish rolling.
Michael Keaton has done everything from ghosts to gangsters, superheroes to con artists. But it’s those underrated performances that really reveal the extent of his craft. Whether he’s having you laugh, cringe, or question your moral fiber, Keaton’s skill is in bringing every character, no matter how big or small, to life.