The Best James Cameron Movies, Ranked
60 credits from 1978 to 2026, ranked by the Movie Echo Score — a blend of critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) comes out on top with a score of 78. The biggest box office hit is Avatar (2009) with $2.92B worldwide. Below: the best films by genre and by decade, the most awarded and the newest releases.
Biggest James Cameron Box Office Hits
James Cameron's films have made $10.3B worldwide in total. Avatar (2009) is the biggest hit at $2.92B, ahead of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) ($2.34B). Lifetime grosses, with each film's domestic share.
- 1
Avatar 2009 · Action $2.92B $785M dom. - 2
Avatar: The Way of Water 2022 · Action $2.34B $688M dom. - 3
Titanic 1997 · Drama $2.26B $674M dom. - 4
Avatar: Fire and Ash 2025 · Action $1.49B $404M dom. - 5
Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991 · Action $518M $206M dom. - 6
True Lies 1994 · Action $379M $146M dom. - 7
Aliens 1986 · Action $131M $85.2M dom. - 8
The Abyss 1989 · Action $90.5M $55M dom. - 9
The Terminator 1984 · Action $78.4M $38.4M dom. - 10
Ghosts of the Abyss 2003 · Family $27.6M $17M dom.
The Best James Cameron Movie in Every Genre
The best-rated film in each genre James Cameron has worked in, the genres with the most films first. Action leads with 9 films, and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) is the pick of them.
The Best James Cameron Movie of Each Decade
One pick per decade of James Cameron's career, newest decade first: the best-rated film of each ten years, from 1980s to 2020s.
Most Awarded James Cameron Movies
James Cameron's films with wins at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database, the most decorated first. Avatar (2009) leads with 18 wins from 34 nominations.
- Awards: 18 wins Avatar 2009 · 34 nominations
- Awards: 18 wins Titanic 1997 · 40 nominations
- Awards: 11 wins Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991 · 16 nominations
- Awards: 10 wins Aliens 1986 · 22 nominations
- Awards: 7 wins Avatar: The Way of Water 2022 · 29 nominations
- Awards: 3 wins True Lies 1994 · 10 nominations
- Awards: 2 wins The Terminator 1984 · 6 nominations
- Awards: 2 wins The Abyss 1989 · 3 nominations
- Awards: 2 wins Avatar: Fire and Ash 2025 · 5 nominations
The Latest James Cameron Movies
The most recent films James Cameron is credited on, newest first — starting with Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025). Open any of them for the cast, ratings, box office and where to watch.
- Avatar: Fire and Ash 2025 · Director
- Avatar: The Way of Water 2022 · Director
- Avatar 2009 · Director
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Aliens of the Deep 2005 · Director - Ghosts of the Abyss 2003 · Director
- Titanic 1997 · Director
- True Lies 1994 · Director
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991 · Director
- The Abyss 1989 · Director
- Aliens 1986 · Director
- The Terminator 1984 · Director
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Piranha Part Two: The Spawning 1982 · Director
The Best James Cameron Movies: Questions & Answers
The best-rated, highest-grossing, most awarded and newest James Cameron films, answered from the rankings on this page.
What is the best James Cameron movie?
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) is the best-rated James Cameron film, with a Movie Echo Score of 78, ahead of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) (66). The Movie Echo Score blends critic reviews, audience ratings and how well a film has lasted.
Avatar: Fire and Ash: cast, ratings & box office What is the highest-grossing James Cameron movie?
Avatar (2009) made the most at the box office, with $2.92B worldwide, followed by Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) with $2.34B. Together, James Cameron's films with box office figures have made $10.3B.
Which James Cameron movie won the most awards?
Avatar (2009) is the most decorated James Cameron film, with 18 wins from 34 nominations across the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database.
What is the best James Cameron action movie?
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) is the best-rated of James Cameron's action films, with a score of 78. In other genres: Aliens of the Deep (documentary), Ghosts of the Abyss (family) and Titanic (drama).
What is the newest James Cameron movie?
The newest film on James Cameron's filmography is Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (2026), with James Cameron as Self.
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