Flatliners
Here are all of the lateJoel Schumacher ’s movies , ranked from forged to good . Joel Schumacher passed awayon June 22 , 2020 in his New York dwelling house at the age of 80 . Over the course of nearly 50 geezerhood , Schumacher carved out a captivating and oft - misunderstood life history in cinema . He begin body of work as a costume designer in film such as Woody Allen’sInteriorsbefore moving into screenwriting moving picture likeCar WashandThe Wiz . In 1981 , he moved behind the camera for the first time and ferment systematically in pic , television , and even medicine videos until 2013 . A reliable studio manus , he directed a vast variety of musical genre , from comedies and dramatic play to musical comedy and war motion picture and more .
Schumacher has often been a divisive director and one whose work was frequently subject to the label of , to put it bluntly , “ trash . ” His twoBatman moviesare still the theme of fandom hate and the Razzies could n’t get enough of him . Still , his study symbolise a particular strain of Hollywood that is seldom yield the legitimacy of respect of the auteurs at the top : The reliable studio apartment hand who catch the chore done . Oft - overlooked is Schumacher ’s range . He could go from the muffle nihilism of criminal offense thrillers to the gamey camp of musicals and everything in - between . He also had a lancinating middle for casting , bringing burgeoning stars like Colin Farrell and the Brat Pack of the ‘ eighty to the forefront .
Few major director deal to control the diaphanous grandeur of refugee camp that Schumacher did , often to his own hurt but seldom in a manner that audience could brush aside ( in hindsight , this was specially sharp given that Schumacher was one of the few openly jovial directors working at that level in the business ) . He also made some of the just director commentaries , as anyone who has ever heard his hilariousBatman and Robinone can attest to . Perhaps Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardianput it best in his jubilation of the director:“By the end of the 90s Schumacher himself was a movie - maker who resemble a form of Batmobile , becalmed in the Batcave : huge , sleek , impressive , technocratic , immobile , but capable of a colossal burst of speed when treated correctly . “To fete a much - talk about and oft - misunderstood director , here ’s how all of his characteristic films heap up .
23. The Number 23
Jim Carrey has leaven himself time and time again to be an worker open of deftly complex and excited dramatic work in movie likeEternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindandMan on the Moon . His performance inThe Number 23 , however , feel like a hackneyed mockery of a comedic histrion try out to go serious . Indeed , the entire moving-picture show is a misguided thriller that get by to take itself far too seriously . Nothing about this story of a excruciate man obsess with the 23 brain-teaser makes much sense and the death result is a gawky piece of work that fails to plight on almost every level .
22. Twelve
Schumacher help to define the adolescent movies of the eighties but that magic did n’t carry over to 2010 forTwelve , adjust from Nick McDonnell ’s novel of the same name . Gawker Mediagave it the award of being"the worst picture in the account of Sundance . “Twelvecouldn’t help but seem date stamp or behind - the - times in the age ofThe HillsandGossip Girl , and its take on young rich adolescent experimenting with drug is nowhere near as jumpy as it believes it is .
21. Trespass
The final feature moving-picture show of Schumacher ’s vocation came and croak with a tiny circumscribed release and next to no buzz , despite its starry cast that include Nicole Kidman , Nicolas Cage , and Ben Mendelsohn . The performances serve to liftTrespassaboveThe bit 23but not by much . The abode invasion thriller centers on a diamond dealer and his wife who are take engrossed by a group of thieves , and while it has its moments , the overall viewing experience is ugly and aggressive in a way that is n’t particularly entertaining . Schumacher made far better thrillers than this .
20. Dying Young
In 1991,Julia Robertswas one of the biggest stars on the planet , an A - Lister of stratospheric proportions who could make any moving-picture show a collision . Dying Youngwas a serious loge office success at the time and Roberts is strong in the part of a charwoman engage to be the caretaker of a copious world live with leukemia . The movie itself is n’t quite up to her stratum , although its saccharine romance , accompanied by a Kenny G musical score , is perhaps the most 1991 thing committed to cinema .
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19. D.C Cab
This clowning starringMr . Tand Gary Busey was only Schumacher ’s second spin behind the camera but it made a big enough impression to get Hollywood ’s wider attention . It ’s a dizzying and often confused flick that benefits greatly from a strong cast , a rush - ass soundtrack composed mostly of Giorgio Moroder - bring forth song , and a vibrant cinematic take on Washington D.C. that is n’t focused only on politics as many movies jell in the metropolis are . The main problem is that , for a movie , it ’s often not very funny .
18. Bad Company
Chris Rock andSir Anthony Hopkinsin a buddy clowning thriller : Together at last ? This odd - couple pairing is but too ill - matched to deliver the goods and it simply can not compare to other similarly plotted movies likeRush Hour , 48 Hrs , and , of path , Lethal Weapon , from which it borrow hard . Bad Companydoes , at least , have that Jerry Bruckheimer touch to keep the action mesh enough , but every clock time Rock and Hopkins endeavor to banter , the startling lack of alchemy drive legal proceeding to a complete halt .
17. The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Schumacher made his directorial debut in 1981 with a medley on the sci - fi classicThe Incredible Shrinking Manthat existed mostly as a big - screen comedic platform for the skills of Lily Tomlin . It ’s Tomlin herself who dragsThe Incredible Shrinking Womanto the degree of entertaining through the downright force of her gift . publish by Tomlin ’s unconstipated pardner Jane Wagner , the script for certain plays to her strong point but is oddly crushed - paint give the high concept of the story . It does n’t really gel and it ’s clear that Schumacher is joining the dots ( he ill-use in at the last minute to supplant John Landis ) but the end result still has its minute .
16. Blood Creek
Schumacher got down and dirty with this 2009 horror flick that introduced hearing to a immature Henry Cavill and an up - and - comingMichael Fassbender . The conductor , casting , and screenwriter David Kajganich , who would later on go on to write theSuspiriaremake , have the prison term of their lives with this gruesome tale of Nazi occultists that feature some corking set - piece and a fascinating villain courtesy of Fassbender . While the script could have used some polish , Blood Creekis a solid option for your next midnight movie view .
15. Batman and Robin
Once upon a time , Joel Schumacher was incriminate of killing Batman ’s popularityand metre as a major Hollywood player thanks to the critical mauling thatBatman and Robinreceived . The studio wanted a kiddie - friendly extended toy commercial message and you ca n’t say that Schumacher did n’t deliver on those orders . Still , with the transition of time , it ’s good to say thatBatman and Robinreally is n’t that bad . Is it one of the best Batman movies ? Of course not , but it ’s a delicious slice of methamphetamine with some stunning product intent and some screaming one - liner that would n’t fathom out - of - seat coming from Adam West ’s mouth . A campy caped crusader is just as legitimate a Batman as a scowling tortured grimdark anti - sub .
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14. 8mm
Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker followed up the critical winner of his hand forSe7enwith , perhaps fittingly,8 mm , another grimy thriller with a dour twist.8 mm , however , did n’t quite reach the same elevation at David Fincher ’s drama . Schumacher is extremely adept at beguile a smothering storey of griminess and the truthful ugliness of the felonious underworld , particularly in this story of a detective hired to discover the source of a sniff movie . Roger Ebert , one of the film ’s biggest defender , described8mmas"a material film . Not a slick using drill with all the furnishing of depravity but none of the consequences . “Watch it for an other comedic execution from a sorry - haired Joaquin Phoenix .
13. The Phantom of the Opera
Fans of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicalThe Phantom of the Operahad waited close to twenty years for a big - screen adaptation of what is still the longest - running show on Broadway ( as well as one of the most profitable slice of amusement , full stop ) . It was a movie with big Oscar Bob Hope but the remainder issue fall unconditional . It ’s rummy that he ended up being such an ill fit for the musical given that the source cloth yell out for his stylized camp tactile sensation . Where thePhantommovie succeeds is in the sheer lavishness of its aesthetic , especially the costume and sets . The support dramatis personae is chock - full of setting stealer to trouble from the painful miscasting ofGerard Butler . Still , if you ’re a fan of the musical and just desire a picture show variation of it , Schumacher got the job done .
12. Flatliners
WhileFlatlinersreceived a lukewarm reception upon release , the thriller ’s repute has rise since then to cult motion picture status . It ’s not hard to see why . That key concept - a group of untried aesculapian scholar conduct a series of near - death experience to see if there truly is spirit beyond dying , only for things to spiral out of control - is killer . Headlined by live young favorites Kiefer Sutherland , Julia Roberts , and Kevin Bacon , and full imbue with youthful cockiness , Flatlinersis just bivouac enough to make its more cockeyed moments study .
11. Batman Forever
Batman Foreverdoesn’t get as much antiaircraft gun as its sequel in term of Schumacher ’s supposed tainting of the Batman cinematic bequest . It ’s a much tighter and more entertaining moving-picture show , gross with a cavalcade of thespian hamming it up to delicious point . Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jonesseemed to be engaged in a two - man war to out - ham the other at all cost . The design of Gotham City itself as an lewdly baroque city is one of the most absorbing aesthetic directions the franchise ever take .
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10. Cousins
This American remaking of the French romantic comedyCousin Cousinemay not take the punch of the original narration butCousinsis still a amazingly substance - thawing and grown - up account of two cousin - by - wedding who find they share an exigent connective while attending a family wedding . Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini share a warm chemistry and many witness at the metre were happy to see Rossellini in a more affectionate function surveil her drastic turn inBlue Velvet . mouth of David Lynch , Cousinsalso has a wonderful score courtesy of Angelo Badalamenti .
9. Flawless
A lot about 1999’sFlawlessis , to put it kindly , of its time , especially in its delineation of the LGBTQ+ residential district . What seduce this curious genre mish - mash employment , however , is the undeniable force of its functioning . Robert De Niro , still one of the most imposing actor in American movie theater , convey a lived - in warmness to the office of an injure cop dealing with his hurt ego . The star topology of the show , however , is undeniablyPhilip Seymour Hoffman , andFlawlesswas one of the roles that cement his condition as the great character thespian of his genesis . He brings such honesty , such reality , and such subtleties to his persona that you simply can not take your eyes off him . In the wrong twosome of hands , these characters could have been unbearable clichés but instead , Flawlessrises because De Niro and Hoffman are simply that proficient .
8. Falling Down
There may be no more politically charged or controversial plastic film in Schumacher ’s filmography than 1993’sFalling Down , which starredMichael Douglasas a former defense engineer who go on a red trek through Los Angeles to see his daughter . As Douglas ’s furor increases , so does his anger at the creation . Douglas has seldom been better than he has in the function of a deeply broken man tortured by trauma and entitlement , and Schumacher surely captures the smothering humour of a hot California day that sets everyone on bound . fall Downhas support over the decennary , thanks to its politics , both real and perceived , and the motion picture remains a favorite symbolization among the far - right wing who see Douglas as its hero . For better or worse , Falling Downis the perfect Hollywood avatar of the angry white male stereotype .
7. St. Elmo’s Fire
Few film define the 1980s as good asSt . Elmo ’s Fire , a coming - of - geezerhood drama headlined by some of the biggest names in the so - called Brat Pack , the earned run average ’s most vaunted and mocked bunch of climb young stars . Enjoyment ofSt . Elmo ’s Firemay lift and fall on how much permissiveness you have for this work party of proto - yuppies who are smothered by their own prerogative and ego , but the film perfectly captures the shocking realisation that accompanies discovering that you are indeed not the center of the macrocosm . From the hair to the music to the cast to the first world problems , it ’s the utter 1985 film . It will still revolutionise foolhardy doses of nostalgia for those who turn up with these star .
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6. Veronica Guerin
Given the participation of Schumacher and Jerry Bruckheimer , the 2003 biopicVeronica Guerinis outstandingly restrained . Cate Blanchett is predictably strong in the title roleof the Irish journalist whose investigation into Dublin ’s drug swap head to her murder . While the movie does sink into the occasional biopic clichés , where it succeeds is in allow for a portrayal of its protagonist that is n’t wholly glowing . Here , the late Guerin is shown as determined but also unregenerate to a geological fault and enjoys her own star power a shade too much . It ’s a overstrung move for any biopic but particularly one focus on a woman who had only lately die . Would that more biopics take such risk of infection .
5. A Time to Kill
Schumacher directed two flick version of John Grisham novels and both represent strong elevation in his life history . A Time to Killtakes on the het up taradiddle of the colza of a untested black girl by two white humans and the murder trial that follows after her father shoots the rapists in public . Hollywood does n’t really make these sorting of potboiler court drama anymore - the musical genre is mostly resigned to TV - and it ’s a ignominy becauseA Time to Killshows how powerful they can be when made by the right manager . Schumacher deftly do by the melodramatic highs of the courtroom yelling matches and balance them with more gist - wrench moments , such as the culmination argument of Matthew McConaughey . Attention must be given toSamuel L. Jackson , who puts in one of his most gripping performances as the defendant who feels no guilt for his justifiable crime .
4.The Client
A Time to Killmay be unspoiled but it’sThe Clientthat stand as the prime example of how a Greco-Roman 1990s court play should be . The fundamental triad of Susan Sarandon , Tommy Lee Jones , and a vernal Brad Renfro bring a substantial force to the often contrived nature of the plot ( a common theme in John Grisham ’s work ) . Schumacher nail the sweaty Southern gothic feel of this tale of a young boy and his attorney going up against the magnate of the pack . Even at its most convoluted , The Clientfeels vulgar and grounded in its root , set , and tension .
3. Tigerland
Schumacher tackle the always - prickly matter of the Vietnam War inTigerland , a plastic film that saw him receive some of the best reappraisal of his career when it premiered in 2000 . The play sadly did n’t get much of a theatrical get-up-and-go in its fourth dimension , mean it is still criminally underseen . star an supporting players of then - unknowns , including a young Colin Farrell , Tigerlandtells the taradiddle of Vietnam inductee in the last stages of advanced infantry breeding before being shipped out overseas . Schumacher manages to make the movie experience both modern in its understated approach to the tarradiddle and former - fashioned in its touch depiction of the dissipation of war . It ’s no curiosity that Hollywood saw this movie and immediately made Farrell a asterisk .
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2. Phone Booth
Colin Farrell reunited with Schumacher forPhone Booth , a claustrophobic thriller about a cocky young publicist whose lifespan is put on the transmission line after he use a sound stall in Times Square and becomes the puppet of a mysterious concealed sniper . Shot in substantial - meter and focused to a great extent on Farrell in a sloshed space , Phone Boothis as close as Schumacher got to Hitchcockian in his calling , and it works with real aplomb . Schumacher shotPhone Boothquickly and maintain that agonizing tenseness throughout , giving Farrell one of the dear roles of his life history up to that point . The true star , however , is Kiefer Sutherland as the unseen sniper , giving an formidable performance made all the stronger by the fact that the hearing does n’t see him until the last tantrum .
1. The Lost Boys
No film exemplify the splendiferous mulleted sleaze of ‘ 80s cinema quite likeThe Lost Boys , a movie that continues to be the standard - bearer for all sexy teen vampires film that play along in its wake ( no-account , Twilight ) . For all its flaws , The Lost Boyscontinues to be an absolute blast . The jokes are large , the atmosphere of Santa Monica Pier is both repellent and alluring , and the fable of vampirism as a conduit for the hazard of adolescence still works in 2020 . What make for best aboutThe Lost Boys , aside from its gloriously overheated aesthetic , is its depiction of manlike bonding and the homoerotic layers within , all play out with biography - or - death stakes in a manner that feels thrilling and familiar . Joel Schumacherat his honorable knew exactly when to inject the ripe level of clique into proceedings andThe lose Boysgets the balance just right on , from the oiled - up saxophone participant to the billowing curtains of the four - poster bottom when Michael and Star consummate their relationship . All that and it has one of the best soundtracks of the era as well as one of the estimable closure lines in any movie ,
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