The 20 Best Christian Bale Movies, Ranked

Christian Bale is known as one of the best actors of his generation, delivering first-rate performances since his childhood. A 12-year-old Bale was granted the rare opportunity to work with the legendary Steven Spielberg in his breakout film "Empire of the Sun," and he's one of the few child actors who's been able to make the transition into a prolonged career.

Oscar winner Bale is an incredibly versatile performer who has worked within nearly every genre, including action blockbusters, comedies, psychological thrillers, westerns, biopics, mysteries, and even musicals. Whether he's being completely charismatic or utterly detestable, Bale can always be trusted to deliver a committed performance. He's also known for his ability to radically change his physicality in order to transform for a role.

Narrowing down Bale's best work is no easy task, and some great films had to be left off the list. But make no mistake; these are the 20 greatest Christian Bale movies, ranked.

With the massive success of films like "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "The Dark Knight Rises," the box office has been kind to Bale lately. Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case. Bale played a major role in "Reign of Fire," a truly excellent fantasy adventure epic that sadly underperformed when it debuted in theaters in the summer of 2002. It's always sad when a good movie flops, but it's particularly tough when a potential franchise is squashed before it can even get started. "Reign of Fire" has a great premise, a slew of fun characters, and perfectly sets up more installments. If audiences had just gone out and supported it, "Reign of Fire" could have inspired a great fantasy series.

"Reign of Fire" is set in the post-apocalyptic world of 2020, which somehow isn't as scary as what 2020 actually looked like. England isn't facing the consequences of Brexit or COVID, but the British do have another problem in front of them: dragons. The medieval creatures have emerged from their ancient slumber to become the dominant species on Earth. The humans that have survived are led by two very different men: Quinn Abercromby (Bale) and Denton Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey). Bale is known for his commitment to his roles, but McConaughey actually gave him a run for his money when they were working together on "Reign of Fire," refusing to break character during shooting.

In all likelihood, an actor like Bale probably wants to know what he's signing up for when he agrees to star in a film. However, Bale wasn't exactly presented with that type of opportunity when he agreed to play the main character in Terrence Malick's bizarre 2016 drama "Knight of Cups." Although "Knight of Cups" was shot with a completed script, Malick wanted to focus on the themes and recurring motifs instead of any semblance of coherence or plot. In an interview with The Evening Standard, Bale admitted that didn't receive any script pages before each day of filming began, leaving both him and his future "Thor: Love and Thunder" co-star, Natalie Portman, unclear on what their final roles in the film would be.

You can't ever doubt Bale's bravery, though, because no matter what, he always commits to the material. "Knight of Cups" is one of those cases where that commitment really pays off. The film follows a depressed Hollywood screenwriter, Rick (Bale), who contemplates his life and mourns the death of his brother by indulging in sex, drugs, and perpetual meandering. This could have easily been nothing but a self-absorbed passion project from a filmmaker who is far past his prime, but Bale installs a deep sense of sadness in Rick. Rick doesn't know what he wants, and he doesn't really know what he's looking for, but his state of confusion actually makes sense within the context of the story.

After a few minor TV roles, Christian Bale began his career in earnest at age 12 in Steven Spielberg's World War II epic "Empire of the Sun." He delivered one of the most impactful child performances of all time, anchored by the beautifully sung ballad "Suo Gân" from his native Wales. "Empire of the Sun" tells a coming-of-age story about the loss of innocence as the realities of war are witnessed through the eyes of a child. Spielberg has often focused on themes of broken families and lost boys, and "Empire of the Sun" is less focused on political controversy than it is showing a young man's transition to maturity.

Jim Graham is a wealthy English child who lives with his family in a Shanghai International Settlement. During Japan's invasion of China in the aftermath of 1941's Pearl Harbor attack, the Graham family attempts to evacuate, but Jim is separated from his parents and forced to survive on his own. He becomes a prisoner of war, learning to retain hope as he looks to his uncertain future.

"The Machinist" features one of Christian Bale's most dramatic onscreen transformations as he plays the sickly, highly underweight insomniac industrial worker Trevor Reznik. The actor actually lost 62 pounds to take on the role of Trevor, who is unable to relax and experiences frightening visions that question his sanity. Director Brad Anderson tells the story in a nonlinear fashion, as it's never entirely clear when the events are happening and how much of it is part of Trevor's illusions. Bale is able to hide the film's secrets while hinting at the eventual twists.

Trevor is blamed for a workplace accident in which one of his fellow machinists loses his arm. Trevor is fired, but he believes that the responsibility lies with an enigmatic figure named Ivan (John Sharian) who manages to elude him. Ivan haunts Trevor as he begins a romance with an airport waitress named Maria (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón). Trevor feels wracked with guilt, but he's unable to locate the root of his feelings.

Werner Herzog is a highly demanding director who has used non-traditional filmmaking techniques throughout his career in order to tell gripping stories with fly-on-the-wall realism. It can be challenging for an actor to stand out amidst the significance of Herzog's achievements, but the director managed to bring out the best in Christian Bale with his 2006 Vietnam War drama "Rescue Dawn." The disturbing material is not for the faint of heart, but for those who can stomach the violent content, it's a powerful depiction of survival and perseverance.

Bale stars as German-American pilot Dieter Dengler, held captive by the People's Liberation Army after his plane is shot down over Laos. The crash sequence is brutal, but the majority of the story focuses on how Dengler clings to his health while he's imprisoned. Bale delivers an incredible physical performance as Dengler deteriorates during his captivity. The relationship between Dengler and his close friend Lieutenant Duane Martin (Steve Zahn) is particularly moving.

Terrence Malick's "The New World" isn't a standard biographical account of history, reimagining the story of America's settlement as a sweeping love epic of overwhelming visual splendor. The film is less concerned with providing the audience with a history lesson, but rather a story of love, loss, and kinship where Malick handles the indigenous representation quite well. Christian Bale delivers one of his most heartfelt and reserved performances, not expressing true joy until the film's conclusion.

As American settlers begin colonizing the town of Jamestown, Virginia, Captain John Smith (Colin Farrell) falls in love with the young Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher) and claims her as his love. However, throughout their relationship Smith grows too focused on his career and forgets that initial spark of romance. As a result, Pocahontas is married to John Rolfe (Bale) while still desiring Smith. It's only after her visit to England that she realizes she never would have received the kindness Rolfe showed her from Smith, and she accepts him as her true love.

Christopher Nolan is one of the most important figures within Christian Bale's career, providing him the opportunity to deliver a fully-formed dramatic performance as a comic book character in The Dark Knight Trilogy that solidified Bale's range. Nolan was an elevated filmmaker who is brilliant at hiding plot twists, and Bale showed the same excellence when he appeared in Nolan's highly complex period thriller "The Prestige." It takes an immensely talented actor to conceal a film's twist until the ending, and Bale's performance is even better for viewers who have watched the film multiple times.

Set in the late 19th century, "The Prestige" follows a competitive rivalry between illusionists Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale). The two start off as allies, but an accident that claims the life of Robert's love interest causes the two to split off and work to outdo each other's stage shows.

Charisma is a hard thing for an actor to naturally bring out in a performance. Christian Bale certainly isn't charismatic for every role in his versatile filmography, but he doesn't have an issue with making himself slick and charming if needed. However, it's not just always for traditional reasons, as Bale can subvert the audience's expectations of what a true villain looks like. Patrick Bateman of "American Psycho" is one of the most complex psychopaths in modern movie history because Bale is able to show how even the most seemingly well-adjusted person can be harboring a ruthless dark side.

Beneath the appearance of a highly successful Wall Street businessman lurks a deadly serial killer who stalks and preys on his victims at night. Bale explores the complexities of Bateman's struggle, as he's driven by his impulses and goes to meticulous lengths to hide his crimes. It's a fascinating depiction of toxic masculinity that's also hilarious, and Bale can get the viewer laughing during even some of the most disturbing moments. Should we be laughing or cringing while Bateman hacks up Paul Allen (Jared Leto) to the tune of "It's Hip To Be Square"?

Turning tragic figures into complex characters is one of Christian Bale's greatest strengths. He's an actor who can combine impressive physicality with emotional resonance to match, and that's exactly what he did with "The Fighter." Based on a true story, David O. Russell's acclaimed 2010 sports drama is based on the true story of famed boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his training under brother Dicky Eklund (Bale). The film came with the added responsibility of being based on a real man's struggles, as Dicky suffered from drug addiction and was severely underweight.

Bale's physical transformation to play Eklund is haunting when compared to his physical dominance in other roles, as "The Fighter" was released between jacked-up performances in "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises." However, it's not simply the physicality that makes Bale's performance (which earned him the best supporting actor Oscar in 2011) so heartbreaking. Eklund is in complete denial about the realities of his situation, dismissing the concerns of his family with comedic asides and a charismatic persona. Despite his addiction's heavy toll on his health, Eklund truly loves his brother Micky and wants to see him succeed. He pushes back against Micky's girlfriend Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams) trying to hire a professional trainer, as he believes his untraditional approach is all that is needed.

It's almost strange to think that Christian Bale's contribution to "The Dark Knight" is in any way underrated considering what an unprecedented success the film was. However, most retrospectives about the legacy of one of the great American films of the 21st century focus on the tour de force performance by Heath Ledger as well as the meticulous direction of Christopher Nolan that brought gritty realism to Bob Kane's characters.

Yet, Bale is the one at the center of the story, and his performance as Bruce Wayne brought out the humanity in the world's darkest superhero. No actor has successfully depicted the tortured soul of Batman quite like Bale, who shows how childhood tragedy and training crafted him into the man he is. Bale delivers subtle work as Bruce hides his pain while putting on the facade of a slick businessman with lavish expenses and gorgeous women at his disposal, forced to hide his truly empathetic nature beneath a plastic public persona.

Bruce goes through some of his most emotional moments in the film as he tries to reconnect with his childhood flame Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is now dating the idealistic public attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). Her death is one of the most heartbreaking moments, and Bale makes it clear that one of the rare hopeful presences in Bruce's life is now gone, intensifying Batman's loneliness.