Slowly and steadily, Bill Murray has become one of the most fascinating figures of 21st century cinema. He may have stayed out of the spotlight for most part in the last 24 years or so, but the legendary comedian has also delivered some truly memorable performances of his career during the time.
Murray has his own signature style of acting. His subtle and subdued wit allows for both laugh-out-loud comedy and unexpected emotional depth. He’s also known for infusing already scripted works with an improvisational feel; it’s as if he’s discovering new things in the moment with us.
Despite bearing the weight of superstardom during the 1980s and 1990s with movies like Ghostbusters, Rushmore, Ed Wood, Groundhog Day, and more, Murray has remained decidedly independent in choosing his late-career turns. He has starred in passion projects helmed by acclaimed directors like Sofia Coppola and Wes Anderson and captivated a brand new generation of moviegoers with his wicked comedic timing.
This list celebrates 20 of his finest film contributions; these movies prove why Bill Murray is the eternal king of do-it-your-own-way comedy.
20 The Lost City (2005)
The Lost City (2005)
- Release Date
- September 3, 2005
- Cast
- Alfredo Armenteros , Danny Pino , Richard Marquez , Franklin Dominguez , William Marquez , Andy Garcia
Set in the 1950s in Havana, Cuba, The Lost City documents the life of a wealthy family. One of the sons in the family is the owner of El Trópico, a swank nightclub, and his brothers, Ricardo and Luis, are a revolutionary for Castro’s rebel army and member of the student opposition respectively. As the world around him transitions from Batista’s regime to the oppressive Communist government of Fidel Castro, Fico Fellove is forced to flee to New York City.
Andy Garcia’s Bittersweet Classic
The intense and powerful drama is directed by Andy Garcia, who also stars in the movie as the lead character. The promising story is filled with layers of nuance, defeat and witty cynicism. Its portrayal of the complexity of the Cuban revolution is on point. As for Bill Murray, he plays The Writer, who first asks Fico for a job, then hovers over him, providing philosophical insights on life and its many absurdities. Much of Murray’s dialogue was improvised, which is why it’s so memorable.
19 City of Ember (2008)
Based on Jeanne DuPrau’s 2003 novel of the same name, City of Ember takes you to a futuristic underground city struggling with dwindling resources. Matters get worse when Ember’s most powerful generator begins to fair and the lights begin to flicker. Two teenagers, Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet, take it upon themselves to uncover the clues to Ember possibly being in danger.
Teenagers Experience Great Change
As a fantasy adventure starring Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Toby Jones, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, and more, City of Ember has both heart and humor in abundance. The movie is director Gil Kenan’s feature directorial debut and he focuses on building the underground city to perfection. As Major Cole, Murray plays a pivotal part. Despite being barely present on screen, he makes sure the movie benefit’s from his role as the antagonist.
18 Osmosis Jones (2001)
Combining live-action and animated sequences directed by two different pairs of directors (the Farrelly brothers and Piet Kroon and Tom Sito) is this incredible movie. Murray voices Frank DeTorri, a zookeeper prone to consuming unhealthy foods. Assisting him is a white blood cell, played by Chris Rock, whose attempt to try and defeat a deadly virus threatening his human’s host leads to utter chaos.
A Madcap Comic Gem
A madcap adventure of a movie, Osmosis Jones provides a much needed escape from the hustle and bustle of life. Murray brings his impeccable sense of comedic timing and elevates the fast-paced action. His chemistry with Rock’s exasperated but devoted defender is genuinely amazing. The absurd problems of being a tiny pill to having to cop the inside of a human body makes for wacky and humorous jokes.
17 The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022)
The Greatest Beer Run Ever is a biographical war comedy drama based on the true story of war veterans John “Chickie” Donohue and Joanna Molloy. Zac Efron plays Chickie, who misses his brothers in action, and to show them support, he decides to travel to the frontlines and distribute beer to his hometown buddies who are still deployed. But when he arrives in the war-torn country in 1967, Chickie embarks on an unforeseen emotional journey.
A Humbling Trip Down Memory Lane
Sure, Efron and stars like Russell Crowe, Jake Picking, Joe Adler, and Archie Renaux are the true heroes in the movie. They are soldiers facing the harsh realities and political intricacies of a changing time. But under Peter Farrelly’s deft direction and a brilliant score provided by Dave Palmer, even Bill Murray’s secondary character of The Colonel, a somewhat aging cynic who runs the bar where Chickie often hangs out, appears indispensable.
16 Zombieland (2009)
In a post-apocalyptic America overrun with zombies, we follow reluctant partners Columbus and Tallahassee traveling to Ohio to look for the former’s parents when they stumble upon con artist sisters Wichita and Little Rock, who intend to reach Los Angeles because there’s an area free of zombies. They form an unlikely alliance, and together, the four take the party to the amusement park.
Zombie Flicks Cannot Get Zanier
Murray inserts himself effortlessly into Zombieland. His deliciously meta cameo as a fictionalized version of himself comes right after Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock decide to navigate the dangerous scenario together. Living in his mansion, uninfected but disguised as a zombie, he has an absurd and comedic exchange with the characters before Columbus accidentally kills him.
15 On the Rocks (2020)
On the Rocks is Sofia Coppola and Bill Murray’s second collaboration after Lost in Translation. It tells the story of Laura, a New York author and married mother-of-two, who reconnects with her larger-than-life semi-retired art dealer father, Felix, after she confides in him her suspicions about her career-driven husband having an affair. Mischief and observance meet as the two try to understand Laura’s marriage and bond with each other.
Murray and Jones Add Nuance and Depth
Writer-director Sofia Coppola is known for crafting imperfect characters and making the audiences fall in love with them. Both Murray and Rashifa Jones share an organic, father-daughter chemistry that anchors their complex relationship. Murray shows his gift for landing subtle comedic beats while bestowing Jones with wisdom. Charming yet never condescending, he walks the fine line quite perfectly.
14 St. Vincent (2014)
In St. Vincent, Bill Murray plays the role of Vincent MacKenna, a disgruntled and alcoholic Vietnam war veteran who lives alone in Sheepshead Bay. As misanthropic as he is, Vincent is also thoughtful and observant towards his new next door neighbors – Maggie Bronstein and his young son Oliver. He offers to babysit Oliver when Maggie works late, taking the boy under his wing and discovering the unexpected rewards of reconnecting with people.
A Grumpy Soul Finds Connection
Rather underrated than the rest of his movies, St. Vincent allows Murray to re-establish himself as a maestro capable of mining profound emotions from simple realities. Even though he’s just a bitter man trying to be a better person, his interactions and developing bonds with Oliver feel heartwarmingly authentic.
With Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd and Naomi Watts as the supporting cast, the movie beautifully addresses how life’s greatest lessons come from opening our hearts to new perspectives.
13 Get Low (2009)
Loosely based on real events, Get Low tells the story of a man named Felix Bush, who has been living as a hermit in the woods for 40 years now. He returns to town to organize his own funeral party. He’s got some quirky requirements, though, and Felix promises a large roll of cash to whoever fulfills them. Frank Quinn, who owns a local and downtrodden funeral parlor, agrees to help because he covets the money.
Murray’s Award-Winning Turn
Directed by Aaron Schneider and starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, and Lucas Black, Get Low is a perfectly cast ensemble drama that received overwhelming praise from audiences and critics for its subtlety and zaniness. Murray played Quinn, conveying complex emotions though his eyes and sharing a magnetic chemistry with Duvall. He won a couple of Best Supporting Actor awards as well as an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his performance.
12 The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Wes Anderson’s fantastical caper about a legendary concierge named Gustave H, who works at a famous European hotel and takes a newly hired lobby boy named Zero under his wing, goes into inimaginable directions in its hour-and-forty-minutes runtime. After being framed for murder and stealing a priceless Renaissance painting, Gustave and Zero go on a run across picturesque landscape while the hotel falls from its height.
Bringing Heart to Wes Anderson’s Whimsical Movie
Each of the seventeen actors in The Grand Budapest Hotel inhabit their poised and passionate characters with effortless charm. From Ralph Finneas portraying the famed concierge to Tilda Swinton playing the wealthy dowager, each delicate scene is a visual masterpiece. As for Bill Murray, he stars as the gloriously mustachioed Monsieur Ivan, who is kind and marvelous enough to help Monsieur Gustave and Zero in their time of need. Wistful and hilarious, Anderson’s movie is one of a kind.
11 Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is set 32 years after the events of Ghostbusters II and it acts as a sequel that continues the iconic franchise. In small-town Oklahoma, a single, financially struggling mother, Callie, and her two children, Trevor and Phoebe, have inherited a farm that belonged to Callie’s father, Egon Spengler. The family not only uncovers their link to the original Ghostbusters but also fights the new paranormal threat emerging in town.
A Remake for the New Generation
While 2016’s female-driven reboot of Ghostbusters was met with polarizing reviews, Ghostbusters: Afterlife arrived like a breath of fresh air. New cast members included Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd, while Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and Sigourney Weaver reprised their roles from previous movies. Murray, the wisecracking Venkman, ensured the ‘80s classic lived on through a new generation of storytelling.
10 Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)
A fictional dramatization of the close relationship shared by American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Hyde Park on Hudson is loosely based on the private journals of Margaret “Daisy” Suckley, a cousin and childhood friend of the President. Apparently, back in 1939, when FDR hosted the royal British family at his upstate New York Home, Daisy witnessed their unorthodox love affair, and wrote of the same.
An Unreal Look into Roosevelt’s Life
The fact that the movie is so historically misleading does not diminish Murray’s brilliant portrayal of Roosevelt. If anything, he only adds complex layers to the iconic figure with his gestures and expressions, offering viewers an opportunity to look at the influential leader in a different light. Hyde Park on Hudson also stars Olivia Colman, Samuel West, and Laura Linney, all of whom paint fully dimensional portraits of their respective characters.
9 Isle of Dogs (2018)
It is not everyday that you see a stop-motion animation movie set in a dystopian world. Written and directed by Wes Anderson, Isle of Dogs is a critically acclaimed movie partially set in the fictional Japanese city of Megasaki, which is mainly populated by dogs. After a deadly canine flu spreads in the city, the mayor of Megasaki orders a pack leader of trash-dwelling dogs be exiled. Atari, a brave young boy, goes to Trash Island to find his dog, Spots.
Anderson’s Stylish Movie About Dogs
Earning nominations for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Critics’ Choice Awards is this iconic movie that balances humor, danger and emotion – all the tones that are synonymous with Anderson’s works. The scene-stealing voice cast includes Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, and more. Murray voices Boss, the mascot of a highschool basketball team.
8 The Jungle Book (2016)
Adapted from the collective works of Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book is a live-action remake of Disney’s 1967 animated classic. It is directed by Jon Favreau and it follows Mowgli, a young orphaned boy brought into the forest by a pack of wolves. Shere Khan, a murderous Bengal tiger, threatens to kill him, but Bagheera, a black panther, and a brown bear named Baloo, volunteer to care for him and teach him ways of the jungle.
Murray Voices Baloo the Sloth Bear
A hyper-realistic remake that harnesses the beauty of an unforgettable tale, The Jungle Book is nothing short of a visual masterpiece. Its special effects achievements were recognized during the award season; the film took home several major accolades in the category of Best Visual Effects.
Additionally, the cast, which comprised Favreau, Bill Murray (voicing Baloo the sloth bear), Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, and Scarlett Johansson, instilled heart into every character with their expertise.
7 The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
In Wes Anderson’s animated tale adapted from the beloved book written by Roald Dahl, we follow the clever Mr. Fox, who rallies his community of forest creatures to outwit farmers and steal from them over and over again. But his schemes continually put his family and his community at risk. Soon, three farmers wage a war against Mr. Fox to protect their food and their homes.
Highly Entertaining Animation Movie
Anderson crafts a thrilling family comedy that addresses struggles like survival and family when losing everything is at stake. George Clooney voices Mr. Fox, his accent bringing whimsy and urgency to saving the family he holds so dear.
Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, and Owen Wilson also voice characters like Mrs. Fox, Coach Skip and Rat. Bill Murray, in perhaps his career-best animated performance, is perfectly chosen to voice Badger, his low voice acting as a foil to Clooney’s snappy Mr Fox.
6 Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Having mentioned almost half of Wes Anderson’s greatest works, let’s also take a look at how Moonrise Kingdom utilizes his favorite collaborator’s talents. The movie takes place on the fictional island of New Penzance, where a young orphan boy named Sam has escaped from the scouting camp to be with his pen pal, Suzy, whom he loves and wants to spend his life with. Blissfully, they run away to an isolated beach, while the police order a manhunt all over the island.
Murray and Anderson Collaborate Again
Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward are the stars in Moonrise Kingdom, who didn’t even rehearse several scenes because Anderson wanted them to look spontaneous. They’re distanced by their family and peers but their understanding of emotions is sweet and profound.
Other than Bruce Willis and Edward Nortan, it stars Murray as Mr. Bishop. Overall, it explores themes of young romance, sexual initiation, and existential anxiety, and is declared as “a delightful film of innocence lost and regained.”
5 The French Dispatch (2021)
The French Dispatch is Wes Anderson’s love letter to magazine journalists. Its beautiful premise follows the events that conspire after a magazine editor’s death, whose last wish was that the publication be shut after a final issue. Set in the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé, it tells three different stories of individuals that influenced the writer’s career.
An Eccentric Anthology Movie
Like all of his other movies, The French Dispatch has a meticulous and quirky aesthetic that brings the spirit of journalism alive. He paints portraits that feel deeply lived-in through an astounding assortment of the industry’s greatest actors, which includes Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray (who plays Arthur Howitzer Jr., the paper’s editor), Timothée Chalamet, and Jeffrey Wright.
From tongue-twisting monologues to the bittersweet journey of Howitzer Jr.’s passing, the movie has everything.
4 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Back in 2004, Bill Murray decided to go big and take the lead role in Anderson’s fourth film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The quirky adventure drama starred Murray as an oceanographer named Steve Zissou who seeks revenge on the mythical jaguar shark that killed his partner. He brings together a makeshift crew for his expedition, and as the voyage goes on, we see Zissou’s personal life unfolding.
The Captain Sails On
Considered both, a parody of and homage to French diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau, this movie is simply about an unconventional hero refusing to go down without one last voyage. Murray epitomizes his character – one that’s plagued by failures but is unable to let go of his romanticized dreams. Every other scene has a persistently bittersweet time that reminds you just why Anderson’s movies resonate with all demographics. The final scene, in particular, is unforgettable.
3 Broken Flowers (2005)
Much like Anderson, Bill Murray has been a frequent collaborator of another great director. And that’s Jim Jarmusch. In Broken Flowers, Murray stars as Don Johnston, an aging man who receives an anonymous pink letter that tells him he has a son from an old relationship. He embarks on a cross-country road trip to confront his ex-lovers. While some encounters are worth it, others leave him with more questions than answers.
A Quiet Journey of Self-Discovery
Broken Flowers is Jarmusch’s quintessential indie mystery. It is silly at times, gloomy at others. But the heart of the movie is Murray, who locates vulnerability in his character’s trip down memory lane. Jarmusch’s contemplative direction explored themes of relationships, regret and just how unexpected life can get. Critics praised Murray for effortlessly transitioning from cynical to heartbroken to generous to hopeful in this minimalist drama.
2 The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
The Royal Tenenbaums is another one of Anderson’s films that truly lets Bill Murray shine alongside a brilliant ensemble cast. The premise of this dysfunctional family comedy revolves around the Tenenbaums, three gifted siblings whose prodigious youth is wasted as soon as they become adults. Not forced to spend time under one roof when their father falsely claims he has terminal illness, they try to reconcile.
An Understated Appearance as Raleigh St. Clair
Apparently, the movie is influenced by the writing of J. D. Salinger, and it carries the same essence of his humor, wisdom and heart. All the actors display the balance Anderson’s tale demands, with Gene Hackman’s Golden Globe-winning performance stealing the spotlight.
But it’s Murray’s portrayal of the pitiful Raleigh St. Clair, a neurologist who married into the titular family and is unaware that his wife is having an affair with her brother-by-adoption, that speaks volumes through silence and gesture alone.
1 Lost in Translation (2003)
Lost in Translation tells the story of a faded American movie star spending some time in Tokyo to film a whiskey commercial. He strikes up a friendship with a young woman whose husband is mostly away. As two souls feeling adrift, they form a platonic connection and cruise down the dimly lit streets of Tokyo, musing on their own troubled lives and themes of existentialism, isolation and disconnection.
Finds a Powerful Connection in Isolation
Set against the backdrop of cultural displacement in Japan, Lost in Translationfeatures subtexts of loneliness and regret in a way that feels extremely personal. Bill Murray is the lead locating exceptional depths through his expressive eyes, forlorn smiles, and shared glances with Scarlett Johannson.
The role earned him well-deserved applause and he was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Lost in Translation may not have aged well in parts, but it’s definitely one of the best Sofia-Coppola-directed-Bill-Murray-starring movies of all time.
