The Best James Franco Movies, Ranked
85 credits from 2001 to 2024, ranked by the Movie Echo Score — a blend of critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) comes out on top with a score of 80. The biggest box office hit is Spider-Man 3 (2007) with $892M worldwide. Below: the best films by genre and by decade, the most awarded and the newest releases.
Top Rated James Franco Movies
The 9 highest-rated films James Franco is credited on. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) leads with 80, followed by The Show (2017) at 75. The Movie Echo Score blends critic reviews, audience ratings, cultural impact and how well a film holds up.
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#1 Movie Echo Score: Score 80 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 2018 · Drama -
#2 Movie Echo Score: Score 75 The Show 2017 · Drama -
#3 Movie Echo Score: Score 68 Don't Come Back from the Moon 2019 · Sci-Fi -
#4 Movie Echo Score: Score 60 Kin 2018 · Action -
#5 Movie Echo Score: Score 60 The Vault 2017 · Thriller -
#6 Movie Echo Score: Score 47 Arctic Dogs 2019 · Adventure -
#7 Movie Echo Score: Score 36 The Pretenders 2019 · Drama -
#8 Movie Echo Score: Score 33 Zeroville 2019 · Drama -
#9 Movie Echo Score: Score 30 Future World 2018 · Sci-Fi
Biggest James Franco Box Office Hits
James Franco's films have made $2.46B worldwide in total. Spider-Man 3 (2007) is the biggest hit at $892M, ahead of Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) ($493M). Lifetime grosses, with each film's domestic share.
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Spider-Man 3 2007 · Action $892M $337M dom. - 2
Oz the Great and Powerful 2013 · Action $493M $235M dom. - 3
Rise of the Planet of the Apes 2011 · Action $482M $177M dom. - 4
This Is the End 2013 · Action $126M $101M dom. - 5
Pineapple Express 2008 · Action $102M $87.3M dom. - 6
127 Hours 2010 · Adventure $60.7M $18.3M dom. - 7
Homefront 2013 · Action $48.4M $20.2M dom. - 8
The Broken Tower 2011 · Biography $36.5M - 9
Spring Breakers 2013 · Drama $32M $14.1M dom. - 10
City by the Sea 2002 · Drama $29.7M $22.4M dom.
The Best James Franco Movie in Every Genre
The best-rated film in each genre James Franco has worked in, the genres with the most films first. Drama leads with 29 films, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) is the pick of them.
- Drama 29 films The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 2018 · as Cowboy (segment "Near Algodones") Movie Echo Score: 80
- Action 13 films Kin 2018 · as Taylor Balik Movie Echo Score: 60
- Biography 4 films The Broken Tower 2011
- Adventure 3 films Arctic Dogs 2019 · as Lemmy Movie Echo Score: 47
- Sci-Fi 3 films Don't Come Back from the Moon 2019 · as Roman Smalley Movie Echo Score: 68
- Thriller 3 films The Vault 2017 · as Ed Maas Movie Echo Score: 60
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Romance 2 films Camille 2008 · as Silias
The Best James Franco Movie of Each Decade
One pick per decade of James Franco's career, newest decade first: the best-rated film of each ten years, from 2000s to 2020s.
The Latest James Franco Movies
The most recent films James Franco is credited on, newest first — starting with Hey Joe (2024). Open any of them for the cast, ratings, box office and where to watch.
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Hey Joe 2024 · Dean Barry - Arctic Dogs 2019 · Lemmy
- The Pretenders 2019 · Maxwell
- Zeroville 2019 · Vikar
- Don't Come Back from the Moon 2019 · Roman Smalley
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Pretenders 2018 · Maxwell - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 2018 · Cowboy (segment "Near Algodones")
- Kin 2018 · Taylor Balik
- Future World 2018 · Warlord
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The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards 2017 · Conrad - The Show 2017 · Drama
- The Vault 2017 · Ed Maas
The Best James Franco Movies: Questions & Answers
The best-rated, highest-grossing, most awarded and newest James Franco films, answered from the rankings on this page.
What is the best James Franco movie?
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) is the best-rated James Franco film, with a Movie Echo Score of 80, ahead of The Show (2017) (75) and Don't Come Back from the Moon (2019) (68). The Movie Echo Score blends critic reviews, audience ratings and how well a film has lasted.
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: cast, ratings & box office What is the highest-grossing James Franco movie?
Spider-Man 3 (2007) made the most at the box office, with $892M worldwide, followed by Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) with $493M. Together, James Franco's films with box office figures have made $2.46B.
Which James Franco movie won the most awards?
127 Hours (2010) is the most decorated James Franco film, with 1 win from 29 nominations across the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database.
What is the best James Franco drama movie?
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) is the best-rated of James Franco's drama films, with a score of 80. In other genres: Kin (action), The Broken Tower (biography) and Arctic Dogs (adventure).
What is the newest James Franco movie?
The newest film on James Franco's filmography is Hey Joe (2024), with James Franco as Dean Barry.
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