10 Great Dave Bautista Movies And How To Watch Them
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If you take a look at some of the great Dave Bautista movies, you’ll find some of the best Marvel movies, a couple of titles from the list of all-time great sci-fi films, and so much more. Since the wrestler-turned-actor stepped away from the squared circle as a full-timer more than a decade ago, he’s given commanding lead performances and played unforgettable supporting roles that have honestly made him one of the most interesting and versatile faces in Hollywood.
So, if you want to revisit Bautista’s portrayal of Drax the Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, check out his complex take on Rabban in the Dune films, or some of his additions to the buddy action genre, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to watch all of those and more on some of the best streaming services.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Though he only briefly appears in Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve’s sequel to Ridley Scott’s landmark sci-fi film, Dave Bautista’s Sapper Morton is one of the most consequential figures in the entire movie. Set decades after the events of the first film, the movie starts with Ryan Gosling’s K tracking down Morton, an on-the-run replicant, a figure who essentially sets the stage for the rest of the film.
This would also be the first time Bautista, who was on the rise as an actor at the time, worked with Villeneuve, a pairing that would continue with the well-received Dune films a few years later.
Rent/Buy Blade Runner 2049 on Amazon.
Buy it on 4K on Amazon.
The Dune Movies (2021, 2024)
Glossu Rabban is not only one of Bautista’s best roles, but the nephew of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsg?rd) is also one of the most interesting and captivating characters in the entire Dune film franchise so far. While he doesn't get much to do in the first movie, Rabban is a key figure in Dune: Part Two, transforming from one of the big bads to an extremely complex and sympathetic character by the end.
Bautista shows off both his physicality and emotional range as an actor in these movies, and his performances show just how much he’s grown as an actor over the past decade.
Stream Dune on Max.
Stream Dune: Part Two on Max.
Rent/Buy Dune on Amazon.
Rent/Buy Dune: Part Two on Amazon.
Buy Dune on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Buy Dune: Part Two on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Guardians Of The Galaxy Movies (2014 - 2023)
Try to imagine a world in which Dave Bautista wasn’t cast as Drax the Destroyer, one of the most beloved and strongest Marvel characters, in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy all those years ago. It’s hard to think of anyone other than Bautista playing the OG GOTG because he was just so damn good in the role and made it his own.
Whether it was in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, his appearances in the third and fourth Avengers movies, or various other films in the MCU, Bautista killed it as Drax, and we have his time with Marvel to thank for propelling the former WWE Champion to such heights.
Stream the Guardians of the Galaxy Movies on Disney+.
Buy the Guardians of the Galaxy 3-Movie Collection Amazon.
Buy the Guardians of the Galaxy 3-Movie Collection on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Boy And The Heron (2023)
Easily one of the best Studio Ghibli movies, The Boy and the Heron is also one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most emotional and transfixing films to date. After a young boy, still grieving his dead mother, enters a fantastical world to find his missing stepmother, he embarks upon a life-changing journey and meets all kinds of strange characters along the way.
Dave Bautista comes into the picture as the Parakeet King, an anthropomorphic ruler who has multiple run-ins with Mahito Maki (Luca Padovan) as he tries to get back home. Just like Bautista as an actor, the Parakeet King is a complex and nuanced character that steals the show.
Buy The Boy and the Heron on Amazon.
Buy it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the second installment in Rian Johnson’s murder mystery series, has been one of the best movies on Netflix since its release back in 2022 and features a tremendous performance by Dave Bautista. More of a caricature than anything else, Bautista plays Duke Cody, a men’s rights activist and streamer who gets wrapped up in the big scheme.
Featuring one of his funniest performances, this instant-classic whodunit is worth checking out or revisiting.
Stream Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix.
Spectre (2015)
When it comes to big, bad henchmen in the James Bond movies, Bautista’s Mr. Hinx from Spectre is up there on the list. The top assassin in the Spectre organization, Hinx gave Daniel Craig’s 007 a run for his money multiple times throughout the 2015 spy-action thriller and looked cool as hell in the process.
Sure, he wasn’t as charismatic as he was in Guardians of the Galaxy the year before, but the physicality and mentality of the character make this a Bautista movie worth checking out.
Stream Spectre on Prime Video.
Rent/Buy Spectre on Amazon.
Buy it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Army Of The Dead (2021)
One of the best zombie movies in recent memory, Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead can best be described as “Oceans Eleven meets Dawn of the Dead” but with loads of action. It’s funny, it’s heartful, and exciting as can be, and a lot of the best scenes are those with Dave Bautista’s Scott Ward, the leader of a group of mercenaries sent into a zombie-filled Las Vegas.
The former wrestler once again shows off his acting range in Army of the Dead and allows him to kick all kinds of ass along the way.
Stream Army of the Dead on Netflix.
Stuber (2019)
Released back in 2019, Stuber is a buddy action comedy starring Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani that is full of ‘80s action Easter eggs and some great chemistry by its two main stars. Recovering from eye surgery, LAPD detective Vic Manning (Bautista) gets a ride from Uber driver, Stu Prasad (Nanjiani) after getting a tip about a wanted crime lord. What follows is one wild and hilarious situation after another.
Playing a tough yet out-of-touch cop feels natural for Bautista, who plays the role better than anyone else could.
Rent/Buy Stuber on Amazon.
Buy it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
My Spy (2019)
My Spy pairs Bautista with child actor Chloe Coleman to create a hilarious and action-packed experience for all ages. One of the better movies starring an action star and a young kid, Peter Segal’s 2020 Prime Video original film has a lot of fun with the concept while also adding to it a great deal.
As the title suggests, Bautista plays J.J. a CIA agent who is blackmailed into training Sophie (Coleman) to be a spy after she catches him spying on her family during an investigation. Wholesome comedy and explosive action make this a fun watch.
Knock At The Cabin (2023)
M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin is part psychological thriller and part end-of-the-world disaster film and tells the story of a family who is visited by a group of strangers who offer them an ultimatum: sacrifice one of their own or bring on the apocalypse.
Bautista comes into the picture as Leonard, the leader of the mysterious group and someone who seems to know how the world will come to an end. One of the actor’s more complex roles, the performance helps carry the horror film.
Stream Knock at the Cabin on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Knock at the Cabin on Amazon.
Buy it on Blu-ray on Amazon.
With several upcoming Dave Bautista films on the 2024 movie schedule and beyond, we can expect to see much more of the Marvel star in the near future.
