The dynamic and always entertaining Jason Bateman is an esteemed actor, director, and producer who has been a considerable force in Hollywood for nearly 40 years. The performer first gained widespread recognition as the bad boy best friend of Ricky Schroder on famed ‘80s sitcom Silver Spoons, before earning the status as teen idol for his role as David Hogan on The Hogan Family.
Bateman went on to appear in a slew of both famous and infamous projects, such as 1987’s Teen Wolf Too; the sports comedy Necessary Roughness, and the short-lived 1995 sitcom Simon. After a brief career lull in the 1990s, during which he struggled with a substance use disorder with alcohol and drugs, the performer came back with a vengeance in the 2003 critically-acclaimed comedy series Arrested Development.
Updated November 30th, 2022: To keep the article fresh and relevant by adding more information and films, this article has been updated by Rachel Johnson.
Jason Bateman would star in the cult show for three seasons before transitioning back to a film career with impressive performances in the coming-of-age 2007 dramedy Juno, superhero flick Hancock, and dramatic thriller Disconnect. He embraced his comedic gifts in a plethora of hit farces like Horrible Bosses, Bad Words, and Game Night, as well as the Disney animated blockbuster Zootopia. Bateman returned to Arrested Development for two additional seasons at Netflix and currently stars and directs the highly renowned and popular crime drama Ozark.
The actor has been the recipient of numerous accolades including a Golden Globe, Satellite, and Screen Actors Guild Awards, and most recently appeared as Jerry “The Crab” in the 2021 Netflix superhero comedy Thunder Force. These are the best Jason Bateman movies.
11 Extract (2009)
From the creative mind of Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-Head) comes the 2009 comedy Extract, an uproarious flick featuring Hollywood's brightest performers including Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig and Ben Affleck that follows an unhappy owner of a flavoring extracts company (Bateman) who devises a plan to get his wife to cheat on him so he himself can have an affair. Judge has stated that the farce is the companion piece to his '90s hit Office Space, having completed over 40 pages of the follow-up's script shortly after its 1999 release.
Bateman is completely in his comedic element as the down-on-his-luck owner Joel Reynolds, who despite loving his wife feels unwanted and sexually frustrated and is tempted by his attractive worker Cindy. Unbeknownst to Joel, Cindy is a deranged con artist looking to get rich quick, resulting in hilarious chaos and mayhem at the company. According to Judge, "Office Space was told from the point of view of the employees looking up at management as the 'bad guys'. This is told from the point of view of the owner of the place and the workers are the big pain in the butt to him."
10 Hancock (2008)
Peter Berg’s 2008 superhero movie Hancock features an impressive cast including Will Smith, Charlize Theron, and Jason Bateman, and tells the story of a vigilante superhero named John Hancock (Smith), whose alcoholism and reckless attitude cost the city of Los Angeles millions. When he saves the life of public relations consultant Ray Embrey, the thankful man makes it his mission to improve Hancock’s overall public image.
Of his portrayal of the optimistic Embrey, Bateman once said, “My character sees life through rose-colored glasses, so he doesn’t understand how people can’t see the positive side of Hancock. I like being the everyman. I like being the tour guide, the one who tethers whatever absurdity might be in a film and helps make that tangible to the audience.” Despite mixed reviews from critics Hancock was a knockout with moviegoers, grossing over $600 million at the box office; sequel rumors continue to circulate, with Theron revealing she’d love to appear in a Hancock follow-up.
9 Paul (2011)
Comedy geniuses Simon Pegg and Nick Frost teamed up to write and co-star in the 2011 sci-fi comedy flick Paul, with the hilarious Seth Rogen and Jason Bateman joining the hilarious duo. The film centers on two English comic book geeks traveling the U.S. who encounter a sarcastic alien with a penchant for alcohol and cigarettes outside Area 51. The comedy is a parody of popular science fiction films as well as the sci-fi fandom in general; Pegg and Frost came up with the concept in 2003 while they were filming Shaun of the Dead and even went on a road trip across the United States for inspiration.
In the movie, Bateman portrays the ruthless and hilariously mean Special Agent Lorenzo Zoil, who is tracking and attempting to capture Paul. Pegg and Frost made the comedy to demonstrate their love for Steven Spielberg’s classics Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. the Extraterrestrial; the famed director even had a brief voice-over cameo.
8 This Is Where I Leave You (2014)
In the endearing 2014 dramedy This Is Where I Leave You, a dysfunctional family is brought back together when its patriarch passes away, resulting in four vastly different siblings reuniting under one roof for seven days. Jason Bateman stars as Judd Altman, the middle child of the siblings who is reeling over the discovery that his wife was having an affair with his boss, leading him to question the state of his life. Tina Fey, Adam Driver and Corey Stoll appear as Judd's sister and brothers, who show up despite their own chaotic circumstances to properly mourn their father.
Jane Fonda is the mother of the unique brood, rounding out a superb ensemble cast that brilliantly capture the many facets of grief with both humor and tender moments. When discussing the moving dramedy and taking on the role, Bateman once expressed, "It’s a part I enjoy playing – the central figure of some eccentrics. You usually have someone in a comedy that helps to ground it and make it relatable – and to be the audience’s proxy. That's certainly what [my character] Judd is in this film."
7 Disconnect (2012)
The 2012 psychological drama Disconnect deep dives into how people experience the negative side effects of modern communication technology by focusing on three interconnecting stories. Funnyman Jason Bateman made a dramatic turn by starring in the picture, appearing as the concerned father of a young boy who becomes the victim of cyberbullying and ultimately attempts to take his own life. Bateman’s Rich Body embarks on a crusade to discover who harassed his son and caused him to take such heartbreaking measures.
Disconnect garnered widespread praise by critics, with the Chicago Sun-Times writing, “Even when the dramatic stakes are raised to the point of pounding music accompanying super-slow motion, potentially tragic violence, Disconnect struck a chord with me in a way few films have in recent years.” Bateman’s poignant portrayal of a shattered father Disconnect earned widespread acclaim, and undoubtedly showed off his dramatic acting chops and range.
6 Zootopia (2016)
The 2016 Disney-animated movie Zootopia takes place in the titular city where anthropomorphic mammals coexist, and depicts the unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and red fox con-artist as they investigate a criminal conspiracy involving the disappearance of predators. The ensemble picture includes the voices of some of Hollywood’s finest performers such as Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, and J.K. Simmons, with Bateman starring as the sly small-time con-artist fox, Nick Wilde.
Directors Bryon Howard and Rich Moore were inspired to create something different from other animal anthropomorphic films, instead wanting to create a modern world designed by animals for the animals, not having the characters live in the natural/human world. Zootopia grossed over $1 billion worldwide and received the Academy Award for Best Feature Film; Disney+ released a spin-off television series entitled Zootopia+ in November 2022.
5 Bad Words (2013)
Jason Bateman made his directorial debut with the 2013 dark comedy Bad Words, in which he hilariously stars as a middle-aged eighth grade dropout who enters the National Golden Quill Spelling Bee through a loophole. Bateman initially had no plans to headline the picture, but he eventually felt that it would be easier to play the role himself due to the “tricky tone” required, and to ensure the character remained likable despite his terrible qualities. The accomplished performer was also eager to put on his director’s hat, having explained that being able to direct films was “really the only reason I’ve been acting for the last 20 years of this career.”
Bad Words made its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival to mixed bag reviews; many enjoyed the edgy humor and direction while others found it offensive. Regardless, Bateman was able to show off his many talents and ability to bring a story to life both in front and behind the camera.
4 Juno (2007)
The 2007 classic coming-of-age-drama Juno stars Elliot Page as the title character, an offbeat sixteen-year-old who finds herself confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman appear as the prospective adoptive parents of Juno’s child, Vanessa and Mark Loring. Juno and Mark strike up a friendship after discovering they share many common interests, but the dynamic becomes complicated when Mark reveals his true feelings and intentions with his wife to Juno.
The dramedy was written by Cody Diablo and garnered both criticism and praise from members of both the anti-abortion and abortion rights communities; on the issue, Diablo revealed, “You can look at it as a film that celebrates life and celebrates childbirth, or you can look at it as a film about a liberated young girl who makes the choice to continue being liberated.”
3 Game Night (2018)
The 2018 action-comedy Game Night stars Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman as a married couple whose game night with a group of friends turns into a real-life mystery after one of them is kidnapped by apparent burglars. Bateman and McAdams shine as competitive gamer couple Max and Annie Davis, who are invited to a game night at Max’s obnoxious older brother’s home and find themselves at the center of actual crimes.
Bateman stars and produced the comedy, with his portrayal garnering widespread praise by critics; the funnyman received nominations at both the Critics Choice Awards and the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards for best performance by a comedic actor. A possible sequel to the successful hit is currently in discussions.
2 Horrible Bosses (2011)
Seth Gordon’s 2011 dark comedy Horrible Bosses features some of the comedic world’s most gifted performers including Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis, and follows a trio of friends who decide to murder their respective overbearing, abusive bosses portrayed by the dynamite Jennifer Anison, Kevin Spacey, and Colin Farrell. The farce was written by Michael Markowitz, who created the role of financial firm executive Nick Hendricks specifically for Jason Bateman. Horrible Bosses received generally positive reviews and was a smash hit with audiences, raking in over $200 million and far exceeding financial expectations.
Critics praised the zany and sidesplitting performances of the A-list ensemble, and its monumental success led to the 2014 follow-up Horrible Bosses 2. The New York Times commended the comedy, writing, “The laughter is mean but also oddly pure; it expels shame and leaves you feeling dizzy, a little embarrassed, and also exhilarated, kind of like the cocaine the two of the main characters consume by accident.”
1 The Gift (2015)
For his directorial debut, actor Joel Edgerton wrote, produced, and co-stars in the 2015 psychological thriller The Gift, which follows married couple Simon and Robyn Callem as they are intimidated by a menacing figure from Simon’s past, played by Edgerton. They begin to receive mysterious gifts and uninvited encounters by the dangerous Gordo, an old high school classmate of Simon’s who harbors a horrifying secret. The actor-turned-director was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, Fatal Attraction, and the 2005 French film Caché, and upon its release The Gift was heralded by critics for Edgerton’s screenplay and direction as well as Bateman’s riveting performance.
Bateman demonstrated his exceptional acting skills and range, with his portrayal of the terrorized Simon, proving to audiences he is far more than just a comedic star. The masterful thriller currently holds a 91% Rotten Tomatoes rating, with Vulture commending the picture, having written: “The Gift starts out like so many other thrillers before it–with an attractive, well-to-do couple purchasing a big new house–and then beats its own, uniquely tense and twisted path from there.” Between The Gift and Disconnect, there was no doubt that Jason Bateman would succeed in the tense, dramatic thriller Ozark.