Oftentimes, even actors with the longest careers in Hollywood get to be forever known for the one iconic role they played. Christian Bale, however, is perhaps one of few who doesn’t fit in such a category because he played more than one emblematic role. Can you imagine another American psycho or a more sensitive and intelligent portrayal of Bruce Wayne?
Based on Rotten Tomatoes movie ratings, 24/7 Tempo assembled a list of the best movies starring Christian Bale. We ranked the films based on their Rotten Tomatoes audience score. Foreign movies in which Bale starred were excluded due to missing data.
The British actor has become one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood over the last two decades. Many people may forget that he actually started as a child actor — Bale is a rare example of one becoming a strong leading man.
Bale’s first appearance in a major feature film was in 1987, when he was 13 years old, in Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun.” He played a boy who was separated from his parents and taken to a confinement camp after the Japanese invasion of Shanghai in 1941.
Over the years, Bale has become known for his work ethic and the intensity with which he prepares for and plays his characters, dedicating himself so much that he even gained and lost a lot of weight for various roles.
Bale has been nominated for an Oscar four times, twice in the leading actor category and twice in the supporting actor category. His sole win so far was in 2011 for playing a troubled boxing trainer for his half-brother in “The Fighter.”
Whether it’s a superhero flick or a biography drama, Bale has starred in some of Hollywood’s top grossing films. These are the most bankable actors of the 21st century.
Click here to see fan-favorite movies starring Christian Bale
33. Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
> RT audience score: 35%
> Tomatometer: 31%
> Fellow leads: Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley
> Director: Ridley Scott
> Domestic box office: $65,000,000
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32. Knight of Cups (2015)
> RT audience score: 37%
> Tomatometer: 47%
> Fellow leads: Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman
> Director: Terrence Malick
> Domestic box office: $566,000
31. Shaft (2000)
> RT audience score: 41%
> Tomatometer: 67%
> Fellow leads: Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams
> Director: John Singleton
> Domestic box office: $70,300,000
30. Reign of Fire (2002)
> RT audience score: 49%
> Tomatometer: 42%
> Fellow leads: Matthew McConaughey, Izabella Scorupco
> Director: Rob Bowman
> Domestic box office: $43,100,000
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29. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001)
> RT audience score: 50%
> Tomatometer: 28%
> Fellow leads: Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, John Hurt
> Director: John Madden
> Domestic box office: $25,500,000
28. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018)
> RT audience score: 51%
> Tomatometer: 52%
> Fellow leads: Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch
> Director: Andy Serkis
> Domestic box office: N/A
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27. Out of the Furnace (2013)
> RT audience score: 52%
> Tomatometer: 54%
> Fellow leads: Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana
> Director: Scott Cooper
> Domestic box office: $11,300,000
26. Laurel Canyon (2002)
> RT audience score: 52%
> Tomatometer: 68%
> Fellow leads: Frances McDormand, Alessandro Nivola
> Director: Lisa Cholodenko
> Domestic box office: $3,700,000
25. Terminator Salvation (2009)
> RT audience score: 54%
> Tomatometer: 33%
> Fellow leads: Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin
> Director: McG
> Domestic box office: $125,300,000
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24. Harsh Times (2005)
> RT audience score: 55%
> Tomatometer: 48%
> Fellow leads: Freddy Rodríguez, Eva Longoria
> Director: David Ayer
> Domestic box office: $3,300,000
23. The New World (2005)
> RT audience score: 58%
> Tomatometer: 62%
> Fellow leads: Colin Farrell, Q’orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer
> Director: Terrence Malick
> Domestic box office: $12,700,000
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22. Public Enemies (2009)
> RT audience score: 59%
> Tomatometer: 68%
> Fellow leads: Johnny Depp, Christian Stolte
> Director: Michael Mann
> Domestic box office: $97,000,000
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21. Vice (2018)
> RT audience score: 60%
> Tomatometer: 65%
> Fellow leads: Amy Adams, Steve Carell
> Director: Adam McKay
> Domestic box office: $47,800,000
20. Pocahontas (1995)
> RT audience score: 64%
> Tomatometer: 55%
> Fellow leads: Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt
> Director: Mike Gabriel
> Domestic box office: $141,600,000
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19. I’m Not There (2007)
> RT audience score: 69%
> Tomatometer: 77%
> Fellow leads: Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger
> Director: Todd Haynes
> Domestic box office: $4,000,000
18. American Hustle (2013)
> RT audience score: 74%
> Tomatometer: 92%
> Fellow leads: Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper
> Director: David O. Russell
> Domestic box office: $150,100,000
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17. Rescue Dawn (2006)
> RT audience score: 75%
> Tomatometer: 90%
> Fellow leads: Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies
> Director: Werner Herzog
> Domestic box office: $5,500,000
16. Swing Kids (1993)
> RT audience score: 79%
> Tomatometer: 56%
> Fellow leads: Robert Sean Leonard, Frank Whaley
> Director: Thomas Carter
> Domestic box office: $5,600,000
15. Velvet Goldmine (1998)
> RT audience score: 80%
> Tomatometer: 58%
> Fellow leads: Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
> Director: Todd Haynes
> Domestic box office: $1,000,000
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14. Equilibrium (2002)
> RT audience score: 81%
> Tomatometer: 41%
> Fellow leads: Sean Bean, Emily Watson
> Director: Kurt Wimmer
> Domestic box office: $1,200,000
13. The Machinist (2004)
> RT audience score: 83%
> Tomatometer: 77%
> Fellow leads: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
> Director: Brad Anderson
> Domestic box office: $1,100,000
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12. American Psycho (2000)
> RT audience score: 85%
> Tomatometer: 70%
> Fellow leads: Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas
> Director: Mary Harron
> Domestic box office: $15,000,000
11. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
> RT audience score: 86%
> Tomatometer: 89%
> Fellow leads: Russell Crowe, Ben Foster
> Director: James Mangold
> Domestic box office: $53,600,000
10. Newsies (1992)
> RT audience score: 88%
> Tomatometer: 39%
> Fellow leads: Bill Pullman, Robert Duvall
> Director: Kenny Ortega
> Domestic box office: $2,700,000
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9. The Big Short (2015)
> RT audience score: 88%
> Tomatometer: 89%
> Fellow leads: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling
> Director: Adam McKay
> Domestic box office: $70,200,000
8. The Fighter (2010)
> RT audience score: 89%
> Tomatometer: 90%
> Fellow leads: Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams
> Director: David O. Russell
> Domestic box office: $93,600,000
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7. Empire of the Sun (1987)
> RT audience score: 90%
> Tomatometer: 75%
> Fellow leads: John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson
> Director: Steven Spielberg
> Domestic box office: $22,000,000
6. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
> RT audience score: 90%
> Tomatometer: 87%
> Fellow leads: Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway
> Director: Christopher Nolan
> Domestic box office: $448,100,000
5. The Promise (2016)
> RT audience score: 92%
> Tomatometer: 51%
> Fellow leads: Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon
> Director: Terry George
> Domestic box office: $8,000,000
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4. The Prestige (2006)
> RT audience score: 92%
> Tomatometer: 76%
> Fellow leads: Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson
> Director: Christopher Nolan
> Domestic box office: $53,100,000
3. Batman Begins (2005)
> RT audience score: 94%
> Tomatometer: 84%
> Fellow leads: Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe
> Director: Christopher Nolan
> Domestic box office: $206,900,000
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2. The Dark Knight (2008)
> RT audience score: 94%
> Tomatometer: 94%
> Fellow leads: Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
> Director: Christopher Nolan
> Domestic box office: $534,900,000 million
1. Ford v Ferrari (2019)
> RT audience score: 98%
> Tomatometer: 92%
> Fellow leads: Matt Damon, Jon Bernthal
> Director: James Mangold
> Domestic box office: $117,600,000
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