Here are all of the late Joel Schumacher's movies, ranked from worst to best. Joel Schumacher passed away on June 22, 2020 in his New York home at the age of 80. Over the course of nearly 50 years, Schumacher carved out a fascinating and oft-misunderstood career in cinema. He began work as a costume designer in films such as Woody Allen's Interiors before moving into screenwriting movies like Car Wash and The Wiz. In 1981, he moved behind the camera for the first time and worked consistently in film, television, and even music videos until 2013. A reliable studio hand, he directed a huge variety of genres, from comedies and dramas to musicals and war movies and more.
Schumacher has often been a divisive director and one whose work was frequently subjected to the label of, to put it bluntly, “trash.” His two Batman movies are still the subject of fandom hatred and the Razzies couldn’t get enough of him. Still, his work symbolized a particular strain of Hollywood that is seldom afforded the legitimacy of respect of the auteurs at the top: The reliable studio hand who gets the job done. Oft-overlooked is Schumacher's range. He could go from the stifling nihilism of crime thrillers to the high camp of musicals and everything in-between. He also had a keen eye for casting, bringing burgeoning stars like Colin Farrell and the Brat Pack of the ‘80s to the forefront.
Few major directors managed to command the sheer grandeur of camp that Schumacher did, often to his own detriment but seldom in a manner that audiences could ignore (in hindsight, this was especially sharp given that Schumacher was one of the few openly gay directors working at that level in the business). He also made some of the best director commentaries, as anyone who has ever heard his hilarious Batman and Robin one can attest to. Perhaps Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian put it best in his celebration of the director: "By the end of the 90s Schumacher himself was a film-maker who resembled a kind of Batmobile, becalmed in the Batcave: huge, sleek, impressive, technocratic, immobile, but capable of a colossal burst of speed when treated correctly." To celebrate a much-discussed and oft-misunderstood director, here's how all of his feature films stack up.
23. The Number 23
Jim Carrey has proven himself time and time again to be an actor capable of deftly complex and emotional dramatic work in movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Man on the Moon. His performance in The Number 23, however, feels like a hackneyed parody of a comedic actor trying to go serious. Indeed, the entire movie is a misguided thriller that manages to take itself far too seriously. Nothing about this story of a tortured man obsessed with the 23 enigma makes much sense and the end result is a clumsy piece of work that fails to engage on almost every level.
22. Twelve
Schumacher helped to define the teen movies of the 1980s but that magic didn't carry over to 2010 for Twelve, adapted from Nick McDonnell's novel of the same name. Gawker Media gave it the honor of being "the worst movie in the history of Sundance." Twelve couldn't help but seem dated or behind-the-times in the age of The Hills and Gossip Girl, and its take on young rich teens experimenting with drugs is nowhere near as edgy as it believes it is.
21. Trespass
The final feature film of Schumacher's career came and went with a tiny limited release and next to no buzz, despite its starry cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Nicolas Cage, and Ben Mendelsohn. The performances help to lift Trespass above The Number 23 but not by much. The home invasion thriller centers on a diamond dealer and his wife who are held captive by a group of thieves, and while it has its moments, the overall viewing experience is ugly and aggressive in a way that isn’t particularly entertaining. Schumacher made far better thrillers than this.
20. Dying Young
In 1991, Julia Roberts was one of the biggest stars on the planet, an A-Lister of stratospheric proportions who could make any movie a hit. Dying Young was a serious box office success at the time and Roberts is strong in the role of a woman hired to be the caretaker of a rich man living with leukemia. The movie itself isn't quite up to her level, although its saccharine romance, accompanied by a Kenny G musical score, is perhaps the most 1991 thing committed to celluloid.
19. D.C Cab
This comedy starring Mr. T and 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 movie that benefits greatly from a strong cast, a kick-ass soundtrack composed mostly of Giorgio Moroder-produced songs, and a vibrant cinematic take on Washington D.C. that isn't focused entirely on politics as many movies set in the city are. The main problem is that, for a movie, it’s often not very funny.
18. Bad Company
Chris Rock and Sir Anthony Hopkins in a buddy comedy thriller: Together at last? This odd-couple pairing is simply too ill-matched to succeed and it simply cannot compare to other similarly plotted movies like Rush Hour, 48 Hrs, and, of course, Lethal Weapon, from which it borrows heavily. Bad Company does, at least, have that Jerry Bruckheimer touch to keep the action engaging enough, but every time Rock and Hopkins try to banter, the startling lack of chemistry drives proceedings to a complete halt.
17. The Incredible Shrinking Woman
Schumacher made his directorial debut in 1981 with a pastiche on the sci-fi classic The Incredible Shrinking Man that existed mostly as a big-screen comedic platform for the skills of Lily Tomlin. It’s Tomlin herself who drags The Incredible Shrinking Woman to the level of entertaining through the sheer force of her talent. Written by Tomlin's regular collaborator Jane Wagner, the script certainly plays to her strengths but is oddly low-key given the high concept of the story. It doesn't really gel and it's clear that Schumacher is joining the dots (he stepped in at the last minute to replace John Landis) but the end result still has its moments.
16. Blood Creek
Schumacher got down and dirty with this 2009 horror film that introduced audiences to a young Henry Cavill and an up-and-coming Michael Fassbender. The director, cast, and screenwriter David Kajganich, who would later go on to pen the Suspiria remake, have the time of their lives with this gruesome tale of Nazi occultists that features some great set-pieces and a fascinating villain courtesy of Fassbender. While the script could have used some polish, Blood Creek is a solid choice for your next midnight movie viewing.
15. Batman and Robin
Once upon a time, Joel Schumacher was accused of killing Batman’s popularity and time as a major Hollywood player thanks to the critical mauling that Batman and Robin received. The studio wanted a kiddie-friendly extended toy commercial and you can’t say that Schumacher didn’t deliver on those orders. Still, with the passage of time, it’s safe to say that Batman and Robin really isn’t that bad. Is it one of the best Batman movies? Of course not, but it’s a delightful slice of trash with some stunning production design and some hilarious one-liners that wouldn’t sound out-of-place coming from Adam West’s mouth. A campy caped crusader is just as legitimate a Batman as a scowling tortured grimdark anti-hero.
14. 8mm
Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker followed up the critical success of his script for Se7en with, perhaps fittingly, 8mm, another grimy thriller with a dark twist. 8mm, however, didn't quite reach the same peaks at David Fincher's drama. Schumacher is highly adept at capturing a smothering level of griminess and the true ugliness of the criminal underworld, particularly in this story of a detective hired to discover the origins of a snuff movie. Roger Ebert, one of the film's biggest defenders, described 8mm as "a real film. Not a slick exploitation exercise with all the trappings of depravity but none of the consequences." Watch it for an early comedic performance from a blue-haired Joaquin Phoenix.
13. The Phantom of the Opera
Fans of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Phantom of the Opera had 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 pieces of entertainment, full stop). It was a movie with big Oscar hopes but the end result fell flat. It’s curious that he ended up being such an ill fit for the musical given that the source material cries out for his stylized camp touch. Where the Phantom movie succeeds is in the sheer lavishness of its aesthetic, particularly the costumes and sets. The supporting cast is chock-full of scene stealers to distract from the painful miscasting of Gerard Butler. Still, if you’re a fan of the musical and just want a movie version of it, Schumacher got the job done.
12. Flatliners
While Flatliners received a lukewarm reception upon release, the thriller's reputation has grown since then to cult movie status. It’s not hard to see why. That central concept - a group of young medical students conduct a series of near-death experiences to see if there truly is life beyond death, only for things to spiral out of control - is killer. Headlined by hot young favorites Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, and Kevin Bacon, and fully imbued with youthful cockiness, Flatliners is just camp enough to make its more ludicrous moments work.
11. Batman Forever
Batman Forever doesn’t get as much flack as its sequel in terms of Schumacher’s supposed tainting of the Batman cinematic legacy. It’s a much tighter and more entertaining movie, complete with a cavalcade of actors hamming it up to delightful levels. Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones seemed to be engaged in a two-man war to out-overact the other at all costs. The design of Gotham City itself as an obscenely baroque metropolis is one of the most fascinating aesthetic directions the franchise ever took.
10. Cousins
This American remake of the French romantic comedy Cousin Cousine may not pack the punch of the original tale but Cousins is still a surprisingly heart-warming and grown-up story of two cousins-by-marriage who find they share an instant connection while attending a family wedding. Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini share a warm chemistry and many viewers at the time were happy to see Rossellini in a more affectionate role following her drastic turn in Blue Velvet. Speaking of David Lynch, Cousins also has a wonderful score courtesy of Angelo Badalamenti.
9. Flawless
A lot about 1999's Flawless is, to put it kindly, of its time, especially in its depiction of the LGBTQ+ community. What makes this curious genre mish-mash work, however, is the undeniable force of its performances. Robert De Niro, still one of the most imposing actors in American cinema, brings a lived-in tenderness to the role of an injured cop dealing with his bruised ego. The star of the show, however, is undeniably Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Flawless was one of the roles that cemented his status as the great character actor of his generation. He brings such honesty, such reality, and such subtleties to his role that you simply cannot take your eyes off him. In the wrong pair of hands, these characters could have been unbearable clichés but instead, Flawless rises because De Niro and Hoffman are simply that good.
8. Falling Down
There may be no more politically charged or controversial film in Schumacher's filmography than 1993's Falling Down, which starred Michael Douglas as a former defense engineer who goes on a violent trek through Los Angeles to see his daughter. As Douglas's rage increases, so does his anger at the world. Douglas has seldom been better than he has in the role of a deeply broken man tortured by trauma and entitlement, and Schumacher certainly captures the smothering mood of a hot California day that sets everyone on edge. Falling Down has suffered over the decades, thanks to its politics, both real and perceived, and the movie remains a favorite symbol among the far-right who see Douglas as its hero. For better or worse, Falling Down is the perfect Hollywood embodiment of the angry white male stereotype.
7. St. Elmo’s Fire
Few movies define the 1980s as thoroughly as St. Elmo’s Fire, a coming-of-age drama headlined by some of the biggest names in the so-called Brat Pack, the era’s most vaunted and mocked bunch of rising young stars. Enjoyment of St. Elmo's Fire may rise and fall on how much tolerance you have for this crew of proto-yuppies who are smothered by their own privilege and egos, but the film perfectly captures the shocking realization that accompanies discovering that you are indeed not the center of the universe. From the hair to the music to the cast to the first world problems, it's the perfect 1985 movie. It will still inspire heady doses of nostalgia for those who grew up with these stars.
6. Veronica Guerin
Given the involvement of Schumacher and Jerry Bruckheimer, the 2003 biopic Veronica Guerin is remarkably restrained. Cate Blanchett is predictably strong in the title role of the Irish journalist whose investigations into Dublin's drug trade led to her murder. While the movie does sink into the occasional biopic clichés, where it succeeds is in allowing a portrayal of its protagonist that isn't wholly glowing. Here, the late Guerin is shown as determined but also stubborn to a fault and enjoys her own star power a tad too much. It’s a nervy move for any biopic but especially one focusing on a woman who had only recently died. Would that more biopics take such risks.
5. A Time to Kill
Schumacher directed two movie adaptations of John Grisham novels and both represent strong peaks in his career. A Time to Kill takes on the heated story of the rape of a young black girl by two white men and the murder trial that follows after her father shoots the rapists in public. Hollywood doesn't really make these sorts of potboiler courtroom dramas anymore - the genre is mostly resigned to TV - and it's a shame because A Time to Kill shows how potent they can be when made by the right director. Schumacher deftly handles the melodramatic highs of the courtroom yelling matches and balances them with more heart-wrenching moments, such as the closing argument of Matthew McConaughey. Attention must be given to Samuel 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 Kill may be good but it’s The Client that stands as the prime example of how a classic 1990s courtroom drama should be. The central trio of Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, and a young Brad Renfro bring a real force to the often contrived nature of the plot (a common theme in John Grisham’s work). Schumacher nails the sweaty Southern gothic feel of this tale of a young boy and his lawyer going up against the power of the mob. Even at its most convoluted, The Client feels earthy and grounded in its themes, setting, and tension.
3. Tigerland
Schumacher tackled the always-prickly subject of the Vietnam War in Tigerland, a film that saw him receive some of the best reviews of his career when it premiered in 2000. The drama sadly didn’t get much of a theatrical push in its time, meaning it is still criminally underseen. Starring an ensemble of then-unknowns, including a young Colin Farrell, Tigerland tells the story of Vietnam draftees in the last stages of advanced infantry training before being shipped out overseas. Schumacher manages to make the movie feel both modern in its understated approach to the story and old-fashioned in its affecting portrayal of the wastefulness of war. It’s no wonder that Hollywood saw this movie and immediately made Farrell a star.
2. Phone Booth
Colin Farrell reunited with Schumacher for Phone Booth, a claustrophobic thriller about a cocky young publicist whose life is put on the line after he uses a phone booth in Times Square and becomes the puppet of a mysterious hidden sniper. Shot in real-time and focused heavily on Farrell in a tight space, Phone Booth is as close as Schumacher got to Hitchcockian in his career, and it works with real aplomb. Schumacher shot Phone Booth quickly and maintained that agonizing tension throughout, giving Farrell one of the best roles of his career up to that point. The true star, however, is Kiefer Sutherland as the unseen sniper, giving an unnerving performance made all the stronger by the fact that the audience doesn’t see him until the final scene.
1. The Lost Boys
No film exemplifies the glorious mulleted sleaze of ‘80s cinema quite like The Lost Boys, a movie that continues to be the standard-bearer for all sexy teen vampires movies that followed in its wake (sorry, Twilight). For all its flaws, The Lost Boys continues to be an absolute blast. The jokes are great, the atmosphere of Santa Monica Pier is both repellent and alluring, and the allegory of vampirism as a conduit for the perils of adolescence still works in 2020. What works best about The Lost Boys, aside from its gloriously overheated aesthetic, is its depiction of male bonding and the homoerotic layers within, all played out with life-or-death stakes in a manner that feels thrilling and familiar. Joel Schumacher at his best knew exactly when to inject the right level of camp into proceedings and The Lost Boys gets the balance just right, from the oiled-up saxophone player to the billowing curtains of the four-poster bed 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 best closing lines in any movie,