Chris

One of the best things to happen in Hollywood in recent years is that Michael Keaton’s career got a major second wind (but don’t call it a comeback) after a somewhat lower-key period. While the extent of Keaton’s career downturn pre-Birdman has indeed been overblown (let’s not forget he was still a big enough star to play the villain in the RoboCop reboot months before Birdman came out), it can’t be denied that Alejandro González Iñárritu’s movie gave him a major boost. Since then, he’s appeared In some amazing films, including Spotlight, The Founder, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. He has also done great TV work, such as the exceptional limited series Dopesick. 

However, Keaton’s pre- and post-Beetlejuice/Batman career tends to be overlooked when discussing his filmography, which is a shame as he was already a pretty huge star before he ever teamed up with Tim Burton. As such, are 10 great Michael Keaton movies that don’t get enough love.

Rank	Film	Year	Director	Genre	Michael Keaton Role	One-Sentence Summary
1	Desperate Measures	1998	Barbet Schroeder	Action thriller	Peter McCabe	A dangerous convict manipulates authorities during a prison escape because he is the only bone marrow match for a detective’s dying son.
2	Multiplicity	1996	Harold Ramis	Science-fiction comedy	Doug Kinney / clones	An overworked father clones himself to balance career and family life, only for chaos to multiply.
3	The Paper	1994	Ron Howard	Journalism drama	Henry Hackett	A stressed newspaper editor races against deadlines to uncover the truth behind a criminal case.
4	My Life	1993	Bruce Joel Rubin	Drama	Bob Jones	A terminally ill man records life lessons for the unborn son he knows he will never meet.
5	Pacific Heights	1990	John Schlesinger	Psychological thriller	Carter Hayes	A charming tenant terrorizes a young couple after moving into their San Francisco home.
6	The Dream Team	1989	Howard Zieff	Comedy	Billy Caufield	Four psychiatric patients are stranded in New York City after losing track of their doctor.
7	Clean and Sober	1988	Glenn Gordon Caron	Addiction drama	Daryl Poynter	A self-destructive real estate agent enters rehab and confronts the reality of his addiction.
8	Johnny Dangerously	1984	Amy Heckerling	Crime spoof comedy	Johnny Kelly	A well-meaning man becomes entangled in organized crime during a parody of 1930s gangster films.
9	Mr. Mom	1983	Stan Dragoti	Family comedy	Jack Butler	A laid-off father becomes a stay-at-home dad while his wife returns to the workforce.
10	Night Shift	1982	Ron Howard	R-rated comedy	Bill Blazejowski	Two morgue attendants accidentally launch a prostitution business while working the night shift.

10. Night Shift (1982)

• Release Year: 1982
• Director: Ron Howard
• Genre: R-rated workplace comedy
• Michael Keaton Role: Bill Blazejowski
• Co-Stars: Henry Winkler, Shelley Long
• Synopsis: Two eccentric morgue workers launch an unlikely business venture that spirals into comic chaos.

Michael Keaton became a star virtually overnight when he landed a plum comic sidekick role in Ron Howard’s first big hit as a director. To give this a bit of context, no one expected much from Night Shift. Ron Howard was best known as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days, and the idea of his directing a racy, R-rated comedy about two morgue attendants who open a bordello must have seemed like a stretch. Yet, Howard’s Happy Days pal Henry Winkler and Keaton have dynamite chemistry. Despite the premise, the movie is quite sweet (as a child, it never occurred to me that Keaton and Winkler were basically playing pimps). Keaton’s off-the-wall acting in this movie was a sensation and put him on the map in a big way. 

https://youtu.be/74fJnjnMnYQ

9. Mr. Mom (1983)

• Release Year: 1983
• Director: Stan Dragoti
• Genre: Domestic comedy
• Michael Keaton Role: Jack Butler
• Co-Stars: Teri Garr
• Synopsis: After losing his job, a suburban father unexpectedly takes over childcare and household responsibilities while his wife pursues a career.

If anything, this John Hughes-penned movie is what made Keaton a legit star, with it being one of the ten highest-grossing movies of 1983 and a favourite of many eighties kids, of which I am one. In this, Keaton plays a father who loses his job, so while his wife (Teri Garr) goes to work, he becomes a stay-at-home dad. This battle of the sexes comedy was way ahead of its time in many ways.

8. Johnny Dangerously (1984)

• Release Year: 1984
• Director: Amy Heckerling
• Genre: Gangster spoof comedy
• Michael Keaton Role: Johnny Kelly / Johnny Dangerously
• Co-Stars: Joe Piscopo, Marilu Henner
• Synopsis: A kind-hearted man reluctantly enters organized crime in a parody filled with exaggerated gangsters and slapstick humor.

Amy Heckerling directed this spoof of 1930s, James Cagney gangster flicks. We previously tackled this one for The Best Movie You Never Saw (you can watch it embedded above), and we’ve always had a soft spot for this silly flick. As good as Keaton is, the film is all but stolen by Joe Piscopo as the movie’s bad guy, Danny Vermin (once Johnny. ONCE!). 

7. Clean & Sober (1988)

• Release Year: 1988
• Director: Glenn Gordon Caron
• Genre: Addiction drama
• Michael Keaton Role: Daryl Poynter
• Co-Stars: Kathy Baker, Morgan Freeman
• Synopsis: A cocaine-addicted businessman checks into rehab to hide from legal trouble but slowly begins confronting his self-destructive behavior.

Perhaps to keep from being typecast, Michael Keaton starred in this dark addiction drama as an eighties yuppie who joins rehab to get a handle on his out-of-control drug habit. Keaton’s performance in this was raved about, and while it didn’t make a ton of money, the right people saw it, with the rumor being it was his performance in this that convinced the nervous producers of Batman that he was the right man for the job. 

6. The Dream Team (1989)

• Release Year: 1989
• Director: Howard Zieff
• Genre: Ensemble comedy
• Michael Keaton Role: Billy Caufield
• Co-Stars: Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle
• Synopsis: After becoming separated from their psychiatrist, four psychiatric patients navigate the dangers and absurdities of New York City alone.

This was the last classic era Michael Keaton comedy, with him the leader of a gang of mental hospital patients on the loose in New York City, with them trying to find their missing psychiatrist. The supporting cast in this is stacked, with Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle, Stephen Furst, and more. Keaton has a great line in this one: “Ah, it’s great to be young and insane.” 

5. Pacific Heights (1990)

• Release Year: 1990
• Director: John Schlesinger
• Genre: Psychological thriller
• Michael Keaton Role: Carter Hayes
• Co-Stars: Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine
• Synopsis: A financially struggling couple rent part of their home to a mysterious tenant whose increasingly destructive behavior threatens their lives.

After Batman, Keaton once again tried to escape typecasting by playing a bad guy in this classic yuppie thriller, in which he plays a border who becomes a nightmare tenant to a young couple, played by Melanie Griffith and Matthew Modine. It also has a great Hans Zimmer score.

4. My Life (1993)

• Release Year: 1993
• Director: Bruce Joel Rubin
• Genre: Family drama
• Michael Keaton Role: Bob Jones
• Co-Stars: Nicole Kidman
• Synopsis: Facing terminal illness, a husband and future father documents advice, memories, and reflections for the child he will never live to meet.

This might one of the saddest movies ever made. No joke. In it, Keaton plays a dying man who spends his last few months making a series of videotapes he can leave to the child he knows he’ll never meet, with his wife (Nicole Kidman) pregnant with their son. The last scene in the movie, where Keaton is on a rollercoaster to heaven, gets me choked up every time, man. Plus, the score is by John Barry (Dances With Wolves, Out of Africa) at his tear-jerking best. 

3. The Paper (1994)

• Release Year: 1994
• Director: Ron Howard
• Genre: Journalism drama / newsroom comedy
• Michael Keaton Role: Henry Hackett
• Co-Stars: Marisa Tomei, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close
• Synopsis: Over the course of one chaotic day, a tabloid editor battles newsroom politics and ethical dilemmas while trying to prevent a false conviction.

This Ron Howard drama is really underrated, with Michael Keaton playing a harried editor at a struggling New York tabloid trying desperately to clear the names of two teenage suspects being held for a violent crime they didn’t commit. Keaton is great in it, but the movie has an incredible ensemble, including Randy Quaid, Robert Duvall, Marisa Tomei, and Glenn Close.

2. Multiplicity (1996)

• Release Year: 1996
• Director: Harold Ramis
• Genre: Science-fiction comedy
• Michael Keaton Role: Doug Kinney and his clones
• Co-Stars: Andie MacDowell, Eugene Levy
• Synopsis: A construction worker uses cloning technology to manage his overwhelming responsibilities, but each duplicate introduces new complications.

One problem with Keaton becoming so identified with serious roles in the wake of Batman was that, when he tried to return to zany comedy, audiences stayed away as they no longer considered him a comedy star. That’s too bad because Keaton is awesome in this as a busy father who has himself cloned. It’s a great Harold Ramis comedy, and Keaton still looks back at it fondly.

1. Desperate Measures (1998)

• Release Year: 1998
• Director: Barbet Schroeder
• Genre: Action thriller / crime drama
• Michael Keaton Role: Peter McCabe
• Co-Stars: Andy Garcia, Brian Cox
• Synopsis: A manipulative murderer exploits his status as a life-saving bone marrow donor to orchestrate a brutal prison escape while being pursued by a desperate detective.

After opting not to make Batman Forever, Keaton tried to shake up his image by playing the bad guy in this violent thriller, which offers co-star Andy Garcia a rare heroic lead in an action flick. In it, Keaton plays a prison lifer whose rare bone marrow is a match for that of Garcia’s dying son. He agrees to provide it, but it’s only cover for a violent escape attempt, with him and Garcia playing cat and mouse over the rest of the film. The hook in this is great, in that Garcia can’t kill Keaton (or allow him to be killed) because if he does, his son will lose his only possible bone marrow match and die.

FAQ

Why is Michael Keaton considered such a versatile actor?

Keaton successfully transitioned between:

• absurdist comedy,
• psychological thrillers,
• prestige dramas,
• superhero films,
• and dark character studies.

His ability to balance manic energy with emotional vulnerability became a defining characteristic of his career.

What movie made Michael Keaton a star?

Night Shift first drew major attention to Keaton’s comedic style, while Mr. Mom established him as a mainstream box-office lead.

Which Michael Keaton movie proved he could handle dramatic roles?

Clean and Sober is widely viewed as the turning point that demonstrated his dramatic acting range and helped convince producers he could play Batman.

What are Michael Keaton’s best non-Batman comedies?

Frequently cited favorites include:

• Mr. Mom
• Multiplicity
• Night Shift
• Johnny Dangerously

What are Michael Keaton’s best dramatic performances?

Many fans and critics point to:

• Clean and Sober
• My Life
• The Paper
• Dopesick

Why did Michael Keaton’s career experience a resurgence?

Birdman reintroduced Keaton to a new generation and reminded audiences of his dramatic depth, leading to acclaimed performances in films like Spotlight and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Which movie on this list is the most underrated?

The Paper and Desperate Measures are often considered particularly overlooked despite strong performances and compelling premises.

Did we leave any Keaton classics off our list? Let us know in the comments!