10 Underrated Bill Murray Movies You Must See
Bill Murray’s career reaches across broad studio comedies, intimate character studies, and oddball experiments that mix tones and styles in surprising ways. Tucked among the blockbusters are films that show how easily he moves from sharp physical timing to quiet dramatic weight, often working with distinctive writers and directors who shape their stories around his rhythm.
This list gathers titles that many viewers miss on first pass yet reward attention for their craft, collaborators, and context in his filmography. You will find adaptations of noted authors, offbeat genre riffs, and projects that mark important collaborations or milestones, along with details about who made them, how they were put together, and where they sit in Murray’s body of work.
‘Quick Change’ (1990)
Murray shares the director credit with Howard Franklin on ‘Quick Change’, adapting Jay Cronley’s novel about a meticulously planned bank robbery that turns into a city wide escape puzzle. The cast includes Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, and Jason Robards, and the production shot on location across New York City to capture gridlock, transit snarls, and outer borough detours that drive the plot.
This remains Murray’s sole directing credit, showing him juggling performance and behind the camera decisions through tight heist staging and street level logistics. Warner Bros released the film to theaters, and its script structure is often cited in craft discussions for how it stacks escalating obstacles while keeping the ensemble in motion.
‘The Man Who Knew Too Little’ (1997)
Directed by Jon Amiel, ‘The Man Who Knew Too Little’ places Murray in London for a mistaken identity caper that revolves around an interactive theater experience called Theatre of Life. The setup pulls him into a real espionage ring while he believes he is still inside a game, with supporting turns from Joanne Whalley, Peter Gallagher, and Alfred Molina.
The production uses central London locations and leans on practical set pieces so gags read clearly without heavy visual effects. Screenwriter Robert Farrar adapts his own novel, and the finished film is a tidy example of how a high concept premise can be mapped onto real streets with careful blocking and second unit coverage.
‘Mad Dog and Glory’ (1993)
‘Mad Dog and Glory’ pairs Murray with Robert De Niro and Uma Thurman under director John McNaughton with a screenplay by novelist Richard Price. Set in Chicago, the story flips expectations by casting De Niro as a shy evidence technician and Murray as a volatile club owner who fancies himself a stand up comic.
The film builds its conflicts out of favors, debts, and uneasy power dynamics, and it draws on Chicago locations to ground the shifts between police work and nightlife. Composer Elmer Bernstein provides the score, and the production takes a restrained approach that lets dialogue and timing drive the tension.
‘The Razor’s Edge’ (1984)
Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s novel, ‘The Razor’s Edge’ gives Murray a serious leading role as Larry Darrell, a seeker whose postwar journey stretches from Europe to South Asia. John Byrum directs, and the film emphasizes location work and period detail to trace Larry’s search for meaning across social circles and spiritual encounters.
The project is notable within Murray’s career because he pursued it alongside major studio comedy commitments, using that leverage to get the adaptation financed. It stands as a clear marker of range in his filmography, with source material that invites a measured performance built on stillness and reflection rather than riffs.
‘Hyde Park on Hudson’ (2012)
Roger Michell directs ‘Hyde Park on Hudson’, which follows President Franklin D. Roosevelt during a weekend visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the family estate in upstate New York. Murray portrays Roosevelt across private and public moments while Laura Linney plays Margaret Suckley and Olivia Williams plays Eleanor Roosevelt.
The production recreates the presidential retreat setting with care, including period cars, picnic spreads, and press photo opportunities that became part of the story of Anglo American relations. Murray earned major award recognition for the role, and the film serves as a compact study of how ceremony, family, and politics intersect during a single high stakes visit.
‘On the Rocks’ (2020)
Sofia Coppola reunites with Murray for ‘On the Rocks’, released by A24 in theaters and by Apple TV Plus for streaming. Rashida Jones co stars as a writer and mother, and Murray plays her charming father as the two move through Manhattan restaurants, lofts, and late night stakeouts while they talk about love, work, and trust.
Coppola and cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd favor naturalistic city light and handheld movement to keep scenes intimate and conversational. The film’s distribution approach bridged limited theatrical play with a global streaming rollout, placing Murray’s performance in front of a wide audience day and date across platforms.
‘Where the Buffalo Roam’ (1980)
In ‘Where the Buffalo Roam’ Murray steps into the persona of journalist Hunter S. Thompson for a series of misadventures inspired by Rolling Stone reportage. Art Linson directs, and Peter Boyle co stars as Carl Lazlo, a character based on attorney and activist Oscar Zeta Acosta.
The soundtrack features original music by Neil Young, and the film stitches its episodes around Thompson’s voice, newsroom chaos, and courtroom blowups. It predates later screen versions of the Thompson mythos and shows how early Murray engaged with a real life figure whose writing style shaped American counterculture coverage.
‘The Dead Don’t Die’ (2019)
Jim Jarmusch casts Murray in ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ as a small town police chief dealing with a slow building zombie event alongside Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny. The film assembles a wide ensemble that includes Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, and many Jarmusch regulars, and it places the action in a placid community called Centerville.
Production took place in upstate New York, using practical makeup effects for the undead and a recurring theme song by Sturgill Simpson as a running gag inside the story world. Focus Features handled distribution, and the film extends the Jarmusch Murray collaboration that also includes ‘Broken Flowers’ and ‘Coffee and Cigarettes’.
‘Osmosis Jones’ (2001)
‘Osmosis Jones’ blends live action scenes featuring Murray with animated sequences set inside his character’s body. The Farrelly brothers directed the live action material, while Piet Kroon and Tom Sito oversaw the animated portion, with voice performances from Chris Rock as Osmosis and David Hyde Pierce as Drix.
The project used two production pipelines that had to meet cleanly in editorial so jokes and stakes lined up between the real world and the inner city of cells and organs. Warner Bros released the film, and its mixed format makes it a useful case study in coordination between physical sets and full animation units.
‘Rock the Kasbah’ (2015)
Barry Levinson directs ‘Rock the Kasbah’, where Murray plays a down on his luck music manager who discovers a young singer in Afghanistan with a voice that could change her life. The plot centers on efforts to get her in front of a national audience on the program ‘Afghan Star’, while navigating local customs and security challenges.
Primary photography took place in Morocco with production design built to match Kabul streets and interiors, and the supporting cast includes Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, and Leem Lubany. The film looks closely at behind the scenes mechanics of talent scouting, visas, and television bookings that sit beneath a rags to spotlight arc.
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