30 Christian Bale Movies: The Perfectionist of Hollywood

English actor Christian Charles Philip Bale was born on January 30, 1974. He has starred as the leading male in movies of all genres and is renowned for his adaptability and physical modifications for his roles. He has won numerous honors, including two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award.

When he made his acting debut in Steven Spielberg's coming-of-age war epic Empire of the Sun, Christian Bale was just 13 years old. He went on to star in more than 30 movies, including two quiet performances for Terrence Malick and his deranged portrayal of a serial murderer in American Psycho. He also played the sombre Batman in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. He has voiced Howl from the English dub of Howl's Moving Castle as well as Bagheera, Mowgli's panther friend, and both Moses and Dick Cheney from the original film.

Here are our picks for the top 30 Christian Bale movies:

1 Public Enemies

In the movie Public Enemies, two powerful leading men with radically different acting philosophies each take their roles seriously. Bale plays FBI agent Melvin Purvis, who is on the prowl, in this Christian Bale movie. In a way, that is what the movie is about: two systems engaged in a dance or tug of war that will ultimately result in mud.

2 Vice

Dick Cheney eventually succeeds in ascending to the position of the prominent bureaucrat in Washington after many hardships and obstacles. Vice, the new deconstructionist biopic of ex-vice president Richard B. Cheney, begins with a new twist on the cliché "Based on a true story," quickly introduces a fourth-wall-breaking narrator, and "ends" before reaching its halfway point with a note of fictitious closure that is complete with explanation cards and rolling credits over visuals of a Cheney family idyll.

3 Henry V

Young Henry is seen in the historical drama centered on Shakespeare's play about the British monarch as he embarks on an invasion of France in 1415. But Henry struggles with self-doubt, and his men's declining morale doesn't help either. But a stubborn Henry inspires his troops with passionate speeches and leads them into the Agincourt fight, taking France and making Princess Katherine his Queen in the process.

4 Rescue Dawn

Dieter Dengler, an American navy pilot of German descent, lost control of his aircraft in Laos during the Vietnam War while it was engaged in a covert operation. He is taken captive and tortured in a prison camp, but soon he and other inmates come up with a plot to flee. After the escape, there are still issues to resolve, like avoiding being apprehended again, getting in touch with American aircraft, and most importantly, surviving.

5 Equilibrium

Following World War III, the totalitarian regime in charge of the whole planet bans fundamental human emotions to stop such conflicts.

This Christian Bale movie is packed with excitement. When John Preston mistakenly forgets to take his daily dose of the emotion-suppressing medication Prozium, he starts to get more and more involved in the underground opposition to the government. John Preston is a high-ranking cleric who hunts down and executes sense offenders.

6 Knight of Cups

In this Christian Bale movie, Rick is a victim of the industry. Although he is dependent on success, he also feels empty in his life. He is an LA-based screenwriter who attempts to make sense of the bizarre things going on around him.

7 3:10 to Yuma

A destitute Civil War veteran and rancher is tasked with bringing a known bandit to the authorities in another city in the Western movie 3:10 to Yuma. Russell Crowe plays the outlaw in this Christian Bale movie, while Christian Bale plays the rancher who agrees to help in exchange for a bounty that will help him pay off his debts and regain his honor.

8 The Dark Knight Rises

With the aid of the mysterious cat burglar Selina Kyle and his dependable butler Alfred, Christopher Nolan concludes his The Dark Knight trilogy featuring the DC superhero Batman by bringing him back from his self-imposed exile to take on the ruthless mercenary Bane, who intends to take over Gotham City by controlling its seedy underworld.

9 The Fighter

This Christian Bale movie is an absolute must-watch.

Former boxing champion Dicky Eklund is currently addicted to crack and works as Micky Ward's trainer. Micky separates from his brother and mother after realizing they are bad for his boxing career and goes on to write his success tale. But in a vital bout, Dicky takes on the role of his brother's trainer once more.

10 The Big Short

This Christian Bale movie is packed with excitement.

Michael Burry, an eccentric hedge fund manager, places a large wager against the housing market after seeing the fragility of the US housing bubble. This wager grabs the interest of various businessmen, including banker Jared Vennett and hedge-fund expert Mark Baum. They gained enormous wealth as the American economy tanked in the wake of the 2007–2008 financial crisis.

11 American Hustle

Two con artists and lovers, Irving and Sydney, are caught by FBI agent Richie DiMaso in a loan scam, and he forces them to plan intricate sting operations to capture corrupt officials and the mafia, including the mayor. Rosalyn, Irving's erratic wife, has her agenda and the power to sabotage the whole plan.

This Christian Bale movie is an absolute must-watch.

12 Ford v Ferrari

A biographical sports drama called Ford v. Ferrari chronicles the story of race car racer Ken Miles and automobile inventor Carroll Shelby. In this Christian Bale movie, they get together to accomplish their shared objective of creating a vehicle that can compete with Ferrari race cars.

13 Batman Begins

The birth of the cape-wearing vigilante is depicted in Christopher Nolan's reimagining of the Batman television series when he journeys to Asia and trains in battle under Henri Ducard. With the aid of friends Alfred and Lucius Fox, Ducard returns to Gotham to defend the city as Batman after discovering his actual identity and purpose. 

This Christian Bale movie is a must-watch.

14 American Psycho

Patrick Bateman plays a wealthy and attractive investment banker in this Christian Bale movie who is preoccupied with maintaining his status in front of his friends and fiancée Evelyn and living a life full of vanity. But at nightfall, he transforms into a brutal serial murderer who mercilessly kills anybody in his vicinity.

15 Little Women

In the family drama Little Women, the March sisters' struggles to survive and grow up in a Civil War-ravaged 19th-century America are chronicled after their father departs to serve in the Union Army.

This Christian Bale movie is terrific.

16 The Prestige

After a horrible event claims the wife of Robert Angier, the two shills for a magician, Alfred Borden, vow to destroy one another forever. In this Christian Bale movie, they are now working independently as renowned magicians, and they are obsessed with outsmarting one another in creating the ultimate disappearing trick, teleportation, which ultimately drives their loved ones away and results in their demise.

17 I’m Not There

I'm Not A musical drama movie from 2007 features six varied individuals that reflect various facets of Bob Dylan's life while drawing inspiration from his songs and life.

18 The New World

This Christian Bale movie features the passionate native princess Pocahontas against a historical backdrop. Before being exiled by her father, Mary assisted John Smith, an aspirational English soldier taken prisoner by the indigenous, in numerous ways. Smith loves her back, but his profession is just as essential to him. He then departs for England after telling Pocahontas that he had passed away.

19 Empire of the Sun

In this Christian Bale movie, a young student named Jamie Graham is separated from his affluent British family in Shanghai just after the Japanese army invaded China during World War II and battles hunger on the streets before being taken to a POW camp. He lives with the aid of various strangers whom he meets and manages to remain positive despite experiencing the horrors of war firsthand.

20 The Dark Knight

This Christian Bale movie is widely regarded as one of the best superhero movies ever produced, which tells the story of Batman's fight against organized crime in Gotham City.

21 The Machinist

The protagonist of the psychological thriller is a machinist named Trevor Reznik who experiences terrible sleeplessness. People get alienated by his malnourished appearance and aloof demeanor as he descends further into paranoia and delusion. In the end, it is discovered that Trevor's delusions are a result of his intense remorse for knocking a youngster over with his automobile and then driving off.

Man, you can’t miss this Christian Bale movie.

22 Hostiles

We travel to 1892 in this Western adventure, a complete swag Christian Bale movie. The book chronicles the tale of Joseph Blocker, a renowned Army Captain, who consents to guide a dying Cheyenne war chief and his family through perilous terrain back to their home. The task appears to be far more challenging than they anticipated, though.

23 Treasure Island 

 In this Christian Bale movie, a young guy named Jim Hawkins manages the Benbow Inn with the help of his mother. When he finds the treasure map, his life is changed forever. In search of wealth, he sets off on a perilous journey. Along the way, he forges an odd friendship with a pirate who shares his quest.

24 Velvet Goldmine

British journalist Arthur Stuart looked into the career of Brian Slade, a glam rock icon of the 1970s who was greatly affected as a young man by the rebellious life of American vocalist Curt Wild.

25 Newsies

In this Christian Bale movie, a gang of newspaper vendors decides to rebel against their employers after growing weary of their ongoing mistreatment. Big corporations, on the other hand, respond to them with brutality.

26 Harsh Times

Army ranger Jim Davis experiences challenges after the Gulf War while readjusting to daily life. When he doesn't receive the job in the police department he sought, Jim and his friend Mike resume their previous illegal activities. He subsequently obtains a job offer from Homeland Securities in Columbia. 

Can he fit into the position despite his troubled past during the war?

You just can’t miss this Christian Bale movie.

27 All the Little Animals 

Bobby Platt, a mentally challenged man who escapes his sadistic stepfather who enjoys killing pets, appears in a Christian Bale movie. He encounters an elderly man who is frequently seen wandering along highways along the way.

28 Out of the Furnace

In this Christian Bale movie, Russell Baze discovers his brother Rodney, an Iraq War veteran who ran up a big debt gambling, gone after engaging in an illegitimate bare-knuckle prize fight with psychotic drug dealer Harlan DeGroat. Russell is now back at work at a steel mill. He decides to pursue justice on his own after the police fail to find the offender.

29 Swing Kids

This Christian Bale movie centers on a group of young people who love American music and live in Nazi Germany. Music is prohibited in their country, which causes an issue.

30 The Promise

In this Christian Bale movie, apothecary of Armenian ancestry Mikael Boghosian assures a wealthy neighborhood that he will pay for his medical school in Constantinople. He meets Ana Khesarian, a woman of Armenian descent who is dating American reporter Chris Myers, there and falls in love with her. As mass killings of Armenians begin under the Ottoman government at the start of World War I, the love triangle gets more entangled.

Conclusion

 From the Independent Spirit Awards to the Oscars, he has amassed nearly every small statue an actor can win along the road.

In short, he is just incredible!