10 Underrated Dave Bautista Movies You Must See

Dave Bautista’s career stretches far beyond the biggest blockbusters, with a run of lead and key supporting roles that cover action, thriller, sci fi, and offbeat indie projects. This roundup focuses on titles where he carried major story weight, outlining the role he played, the premise that drives the plot, and the creative teams behind each production.

You will find character names, directors, settings, and cast details you can use to decide what to watch next. The picks include contained thrillers, ensemble crime stories, and genre films with distinctive settings, all featuring specific contributions that show how Bautista approaches different kinds of material.

‘Heist’ (2015)

This crime thriller follows a desperate casino employee who teams with an accomplice to rob a high security gambling palace, only for the getaway to spiral onto a city bus with passengers trapped in the middle of a police dragnet. Dave Bautista plays Cox, a key planner and enforcer whose actions push the crew into a tense standoff that moves through crowded streets and tight interiors.

The film is directed by Scott Mann and is also known by the alternate title ‘Bus 657’. The cast includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the reluctant thief, Robert De Niro as the casino owner, and Gina Carano as a pursuing officer, with a structure that shifts between the heist crew, law enforcement, and the hostages on the bus.

‘Bushwick’ (2017)

Armed forces descend on a Brooklyn neighborhood as residents scramble for safety while street by street control changes hands. Dave Bautista appears as Stupe, a military veteran who joins a young woman on a block by block trek through alleys, subways, and apartment buildings as they search for a safe route across the borough.

The film is directed by Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott and uses extended takes to build a real time feel as the pair navigate shifting front lines. Brittany Snow co stars, and the production stages firefights and escapes across recognizable city locations to ground the invasion scenario in familiar urban spaces.

‘Final Score’ (2018)

An ex soldier visits a friend’s family for a football match and discovers a hostage plot unfolding inside a packed stadium. Dave Bautista plays Michael Knox, who moves from the upper stands to service corridors and control rooms as he tries to track the kidnappers and protect the people under threat.

Scott Mann directs, reuniting with Bautista for an action story set during a live sporting event with the crowd locked in their seats. The production filmed in the real home of West Ham United known as the Boleyn Ground shortly before it was taken out of service, and the cast features Pierce Brosnan and Ray Stevenson in central roles tied to the stadium plot.

‘Marauders’ (2016)

A string of precision bank robberies points to a deeper scheme involving a powerful financial institution and a trail of past wrongdoing. Dave Bautista appears as a federal agent working with an investigative team that follows leads through surveillance footage, internal records, and conflicting witness accounts.

Steven C Miller directs a cast led by Christopher Meloni and Adrian Grenier on the investigative side, with Bruce Willis playing an executive whose organization sits at the center of the case. The film mixes tactical raids with procedural legwork as the agents assemble the events behind the robberies and connect them to earlier incidents.

‘Hotel Artemis’ (2018)

In a near future Los Angeles a hidden emergency ward caters to criminals who pay for access and strict rules that keep the peace. Dave Bautista plays Everest, the orderly who handles security and medical support as the staff stabilizes patients and keeps rival guests from igniting new conflicts inside the facility.

Drew Pearce writes and directs, building the hospital’s rules and membership system around a roster of clients with their own agendas. Jodie Foster leads the cast as the nurse in charge, with Sterling K Brown, Sofia Boutella, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Tyree Henry, Jenny Slate, and Zachary Quinto filling out the list of patients and visitors who collide in the ward.

‘Stuber’ (2019)

A veteran detective schedules eye surgery and still charges into a case with an unsuspecting rideshare driver behind the wheel. Dave Bautista plays Vic Manning, whose pursuit of a drug trafficker forces nonstop navigation of streets, clubs, and warehouses while the driver tries to hold on through the chaos.

Michael Dowse directs a pairing that sets Bautista opposite Kumail Nanjiani as the driver Stu, with Iko Uwais as the target of the investigation. The supporting cast includes Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Mira Sorvino, and Karen Gillan, and the story uses the rideshare setup to move quickly between locations that keep the chase in motion.

‘My Spy’ (2020)

A field operative is reassigned to surveillance and finds his cover compromised by a sharp kid who lives in the apartment he is watching. Dave Bautista plays JJ, whose mission shifts into an unusual partnership that blends tradecraft lessons, school events, and stakeouts that keep the case alive.

Peter Segal directs a family friendly action comedy produced by STX and released widely on streaming after a change in distribution plans. The film features Chloe Coleman as Sophie along with Kristen Schaal, Parisa Fitz Henley, and Ken Jeong, and it balances agency operations with classroom and neighborhood settings tied to the surveillance target.

‘Riddick’ (2013)

A stranded antihero signals emergency beacons that bring multiple teams of mercenaries to a hostile planet with deadly wildlife. Dave Bautista plays Diaz, a hardened member of one of the crews who operates under a volatile chain of command as the rival teams try to collect their bounty.

David Twohy writes and directs the third feature centered on the ‘Riddick’ character, continuing the series focus on survival, traps, and shifting alliances among competing hunters. The ensemble includes Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, Katee Sackhoff, and Bokeem Woodbine, with practical creature effects and rugged locations shaping the environment the crews must cross.

‘The Warrior’s Gate’ (2016)

A teenager receives a mysterious artifact that transports him to a fantasy world where martial arts warriors defend a royal family from raiders. Dave Bautista plays the primary antagonist who leads a force of fighters against the young hero and the princess he is tasked to protect.

Matthias Hoene directs from a story developed with EuropaCorp and producers known for large scale action adventures. The cast includes Uriah Shelton, Ni Ni, Mark Chao, and Sienna Guillory, and the production blends language tracks and international talent to reach audiences in multiple markets.

‘Knock at the Cabin’ (2023)

A family vacationing in a remote cabin is confronted by strangers who arrive with a specific demand tied to a global threat. Dave Bautista plays Leonard, a soft spoken leader who explains the group’s mission as events inside the house intersect with broadcasts and evidence from the outside world.

M Night Shyamalan directs and adapts the story from Paul G Tremblay’s novel ‘The Cabin at the End of the World’. The cast features Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, and Kristen Cui, and the film keeps its focus on a small set of rooms that frame the central dilemma.

Share which lesser known Bautista roles you are planning to watch first in the comments.