5 best Dave Bautista movies that deserve a spot on your watchlist

Dave Bautista is one of the successful wrestlers turned actors in Hollywood. He enjoyed a long and successful career in WWE. Following the footsteps of The Rock and John Cena, Bautista also ventured into acting.

He is mostly known for his role as Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since then, he has appeared in several titles, including Blade Runner 2049 and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Let's explore five films from his career that deserve to be on your watchlist if you haven't seen them already. The list includes titles like Blade Runner 2049 and Guardians of the Galaxy.

5 best Dave Bautista movies to watch

1) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Guardians of the Galaxy features Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer. He is planning to avenge his family's death at the hands of Ronan. Bautista has reprised this role in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character is known for his awkwardly funny jokes in weird situations. It was one of the first roles that established Bautista as a performer. You can watch the film on Disney+.

2) Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel to 1982's Blade Runner and is directed by Denis Villeneuve. Dave Bautista plays an intimidating and large man named Sapper Morton. The film met with a lukewarm box office response but was loved by the critics. It can be watched for its visuals, strong performances, and tight writing. Bautista's character is more into action with very little dialogue. The film is available on Netflix.

3) Dune (2021)

Dune is an epic space opera film adapted from Frank Herbert's namesake 1965 novel. It focuses on Paul Atreides, whose planet is attacked by the Arrakis people. Bautista plays the role of Glossu Rabban, who is a nephew of Baron Harkonnen. He has several fight sequences in the film that are a delight to watch. The film was followed by a sequel, Dune: Part Two, which was released in 2024. It is available on Apple TV.

4) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a standalone sequel to Knives Out. It focuses on detective Benoit Blanc investigating the death of a tech billionaire. Bautista portrayed Duke Cody, a video game streamer, and is also vocal about men's rights. The film is streaming on Netflix. A sequel was released in 2025.

5) Spectre (2015)

Spectre is a sequel to 2012's Skyfall and is directed by Sam Mendes. Dave Bautista plays the role of Mr. Hinx, who is one of the top assassins of Spectre. The film is the 24th entry in the James Bond franchise. It stars Daniel Craig as a 007 agent. Bautista's performance met with strong reviews upon release. The film can be enjoyed on Netflix.

All these films belong to different genres and feature Bautista in varied roles. Over the course of his career, he has shown that he can convincingly portray characters well beyond action-heavy parts.