Want to know the best John Waters movies? How about the worst John Waters movies? Curious about John Waters box office grosses or which John Waters movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which John Waters movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences, and which got the worst reviews? Well, you have come to the right place…. because we have all of that information and much more.
John Waters (1946-) is an American director, writer and actor. Waters rose to fame in the early 1970s for his cult movies, Multiple Maniacs (1970), Pink Flamingos (1972) and Female Trouble (1974). His IMDb page shows over 100 assorted credits since 1964. This page will rank John Waters movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. To do well in the rankings, a movie needed to do well at the box office, be liked by both critics and audiences and earn some award recognition.
John Waters Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
2007
Hairspray (2007)
Writer
1988
Hairspray (1988)
Director
1986
Something Wild (1986)
1999
Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
1972
Pink Flamingos (1972)
Director
1994
Serial Mom (1994)
Director
1990
Cry-Baby (1990)
Director
2015
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
1998
Pecker (1998)
Director
1981
Polyester (1981)
Director
2006
This Filthy World (2006)
Limited Release
Writer
1974
Female Trouble (1974)
Limited Release
Director
1977
Desperate Living (1977)
Limited Release
Director
1970
Multiple Maniacs (1970)
Limited Release
Director
2000
Cecil B. Demented (2000)
Director
2007
In the Land of Merry Misfits (2007)
Film Festival Circuit Only
2004
Seed of Chucky (2004)
2012
Excision (2012)
2004
A Dirty Shame (2004)
Director
2002
Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat (2002)
Limited Release
1969
Mondo Trasho (1969)
Limited Release
Director
2007
Each Time I Kill (2007)
Limited Release
2014
Suburban Gothic (2014)
Film Festival Circuit Only
1989
Homer and Eddie (1989)
1998
Welcome to Hollywood (1998)
2011
Mangus! (2011)
Film Festival Circuit Only
| Year | Movie (Year) | Rating | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Movie (Year) | Rating | S |
| 2007 | Hairspray (2007) Writer |
|
|
| 1988 | Hairspray (1988) Director |
|
|
| 1986 | Something Wild (1986) | |
|
| 1999 | Sweet and Lowdown (1999) | |
|
| 1972 | Pink Flamingos (1972) Director |
|
|
| 1994 | Serial Mom (1994) Director |
|
|
| 1990 | Cry-Baby (1990) Director |
|
|
| 2015 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015) | |
|
| 1998 | Pecker (1998) Director |
|
|
| 1981 | Polyester (1981) Director |
|
|
| 2006 | This Filthy World (2006) Limited Release Writer |
|
|
| 1974 | Female Trouble (1974) Limited Release Director |
|
|
| 1977 | Desperate Living (1977) Limited Release Director |
|
|
| 1970 | Multiple Maniacs (1970) Limited Release Director |
|
|
| 2000 | Cecil B. Demented (2000) Director |
|
|
| 2007 | In the Land of Merry Misfits (2007) Film Festival Circuit Only |
|
|
| 2004 | Seed of Chucky (2004) | |
|
| 2012 | Excision (2012) | |
|
| 2004 | A Dirty Shame (2004) Director |
|
|
| 2002 | Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat (2002) Limited Release |
|
|
| 1969 | Mondo Trasho (1969) Limited Release Director |
|
|
| 2007 | Each Time I Kill (2007) Limited Release |
|
|
| 2014 | Suburban Gothic (2014) Film Festival Circuit Only |
|
|
| 1989 | Homer and Eddie (1989) | |
|
| 1998 | Welcome to Hollywood (1998) | |
|
| 2011 | Mangus! (2011) Film Festival Circuit Only |
|
John Waters Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
Sort John Waters movies by co-stars of his movies.
Sort John Waters movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
Sort John Waters movies by yearly domestic box office rank
Sort John Waters movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each John Waters movie received and how many Oscar® wins each John Waters movie won.
Sort John Waters movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews, and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | Hairspray (2007) Writer |
John Travolta | 118.90 | 216.0 | 368.00 | 23 | 85 | 00 / 00 | 97.8 | |
| 2 | Hairspray (1988) Director |
Sonny Bono & Ruth Brown |
6.70 | 20.3 | 20.30 | 111 | 80 | 00 / 00 | 73.0 | |
| 3 | Something Wild (1986) | Jeff Daniels & Melanie Griffith |
8.40 | 28.2 | 28.20 | 75 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 68.6 | |
| 4 | Sweet and Lowdown (1999) | Sean Penn & Directed by Woody Allen |
4.20 | 10.4 | 10.40 | 156 | 77 | 02 / 00 | 67.6 | |
| 5 | Pink Flamingos (1972) Director |
Divine & David Lochary |
7.00 | 51.5 | 51.50 | 52 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 63.9 | |
| 6 | Serial Mom (1994) Director |
Kathleen Turner & Sam Waterston |
7.80 | 24.0 | 24.00 | 125 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 58.7 | |
| 7 | Cry-Baby (1990) Director |
Willem Dafoe & Johnny Depp |
8.30 | 24.4 | 24.40 | 103 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 54.6 | |
| 10 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015) | Jason Lee & Justin Long |
85.90 | 127.4 | 348.20 | 33 | 31 | 00 / 00 | 52.8 | |
| 8 | Pecker (1998) Director |
Edward Furlong & Christina Ricci |
2.30 | 6.1 | 6.10 | 166 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 52.6 | |
| 9 | Polyester (1981) Director |
Divine & Tab Hunter |
1.50 | 6.9 | 6.90 | 126 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 50.0 | |
| 11 | This Filthy World (2006) Limited Release Writer |
Jeff Garlin | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 325 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 48.5 | |
| 12 | Female Trouble (1974) Limited Release Director |
Divine | 0.50 | 3.1 | 5.00 | 145 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 48.2 | |
| 15 | Desperate Living (1977) Limited Release Director |
Mink Stole | 0.10 | 0.3 | 0.30 | 160 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 39.2 | |
| 13 | Multiple Maniacs (1970) Limited Release Director |
Divine & Mary Vivian Pearce |
0.10 | 0.9 | 0.90 | 183 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 38.6 | |
| 14 | Cecil B. Demented (2000) Director |
Melanie Griffith & Stephen Dorff |
1.30 | 3.0 | 4.50 | 176 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 38.1 | |
| 16 | In the Land of Merry Misfits (2007) Film Festival Circuit Only |
Bob Backlund | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 351 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 38.1 | |
| 17 | Seed of Chucky (2004) | Jennifer Tilly & Brad Dourif |
17.10 | 34.4 | 34.40 | 112 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 31.3 | |
| 18 | Excision (2012) | Malcolm McDowell | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 329 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 27.1 | |
| 19 | A Dirty Shame (2004) Director |
Tracey Ullman & Chris Isaak |
1.30 | 2.7 | 2.70 | 195 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 25.9 | |
| 20 | Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat (2002) Limited Release |
Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 323 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 23.7 | |
| 21 | Mondo Trasho (1969) Limited Release Director |
Mary Vivian Pearce | 0.10 | 0.4 | 0.40 | 176 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 20.6 | |
| 22 | Each Time I Kill (2007) Limited Release |
Rob Vidal | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 343 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 20.0 | |
| 23 | Suburban Gothic (2014) Film Festival Circuit Only |
Mckenna Grace | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 268 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 15.9 | |
| 24 | Homer and Eddie (1989) | Whoopi Goldberg | 0.50 | 1.7 | 1.70 | 177 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 14.6 | |
| 25 | Welcome to Hollywood (1998) | Dennis Hopper & Peter Fonda |
0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 296 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 9.3 | |
| 26 | Mangus! (2011) Film Festival Circuit Only |
Jennifer Coolidge | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 404 | 43 | 00 / 00 | 5.8 |
John Waters Adjusted World Wide Box Office Grosses
Movie (Year)
UMR Co-Star Links
World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil)
S
Movie (Year) UMR Co-Star Links World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) S
Hairspray (2007)
Writer
John Travolta
368.00
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
Jason Lee &
Justin Long
348.20
Female Trouble (1974)
Limited Release
Director
Divine
5.00
Cecil B. Demented (2000)
Director
Melanie Griffith &
Stephen Dorff
4.50
| Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | World-Wide Box Office Adjusted (mil) | S |
| Hairspray (2007) Writer |
John Travolta | 368.00 | |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015) | Jason Lee & Justin Long |
348.20 | |
| Female Trouble (1974) Limited Release Director |
Divine | 5.00 | |
| Cecil B. Demented (2000) Director |
Melanie Griffith & Stephen Dorff |
4.50 |
Check out ‘s John Waters’ career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time
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