John Waters: Movies, Awards & Box Office
- films
- 110
- as director
- 11
- on screen
- 1000–2026
- box office
- $71.7M
- nominations
- 2
- average score
- 65
- Born
- April 22, 1946 (age 80)
- Birthplace
- Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
- Full name
- John Samuel Waters Jr.
- Citizenship
- American
- Occupations
- Filmmaker, Writer, Actor, Artist
- Years active
- 1964-present
The Best John Waters Movies
The highest-rated films John Waters is credited on, by the Movie Echo Score that blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Better Man (2024) scores highest, at 84. The full ranking adds the biggest box office hits and the most awarded films.
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Movie Echo Score: Score 84 Better Man 2024 · Michael Parkinson -
Movie Echo Score: Score 84 The Velvet Underground 2021 · Music -
Movie Echo Score: Score 70 Blaze 2023 · Magistrate -
Movie Echo Score: Score 65 Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears 2020 · Professor Linnaeus -
Movie Echo Score: Score 52 2:22 2017 · Action
John Waters's Career in Numbers
John Waters's films in numbers — as an actor and a director, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres John Waters works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from It's Dorothy! (1000) to The Rooster (2025), and the 2010s were the busiest decade.
John Waters Movies by Decade
- 1000s 1
- 1920s 2
- 1930s 1
- 1940s 1
- 1960s 3
- 1970s 7
- 1980s 10
- 1990s 6
- 2000s 10
- 2010s 11
- 2020s 11
The 2010s were John Waters's busiest decade, with 11 films.
John Waters Movies by Genre
- Documentary 13
- Comedy 12
- Drama 11
- Horror 3
- Mystery 2
- Adventure 2
- Thriller 2
- Family 2
- Crime 2
- Biography 1
Documentary is the genre John Waters has worked in most, with 13 films, ahead of comedy (12).
John Waters Career Milestones
- First film
- It's Dorothy! 1000
- Biggest box office hit
- Seed of Chucky $24.8M worldwide
- Best-rated film
- Better Man Movie Echo Score 84
- Newest film
- The Rooster 2025
John Waters Filmography: Every Movie
Every film John Waters is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 11 as director and 52 as actor. Rated films average a score of 65. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.
Movies Directed by John Waters
11- 2015
Kiddie Flamingos Comedy - 1977
Desperate Living Comedy Worldwide box office: $1.11K - 1974
Female Trouble Comedy Worldwide box office: $9.82K - 1970
Multiple Maniacs Crime Worldwide box office: $39K - 1968
Dorothy, the Kansas City Pot Head - 1967
Roman Candles Comedy - 1964
Hag in a Black Leather Jacket - 1947
The Mighty McGurk Adventure - 1935
Donkey Baseball Family - 1928
Beau Sabreur Romance - 1927
Nevada Western
John Waters Movies as an Actor
52- 2025
The Rooster as Norris · Drama - 2024
Better Man as Michael Parkinson · Biography Worldwide box office: $22.5M Movie Echo Score: 84 - 2023
Lynch/Oz as Host (Chapter 3: 'Kindred') · Documentary Worldwide box office: $69K Movie Echo Score: 56 - 2023
Blaze as Magistrate · Drama Worldwide box office: $56.9K Movie Echo Score: 70 - 2021
The Velvet Underground Music Worldwide box office: $5.63M Movie Echo Score: 84 - 2020
Aggie Documentary - 2020
Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp as Host · Documentary - 2020
Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi as Host · Documentary - 2020
Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness as Host · Documentary - 2020
Joel Calls Indie Film Type Dudes Comedy - 2020
Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears as Professor Linnaeus · Mystery Worldwide box office: $2.39M Movie Echo Score: 65 - 2019
Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn Documentary Movie Echo Score: 60 - 2017
Three Summers as Eamon · Comedy Worldwide box office: $526K - 2017
2:22 Action Worldwide box office: $3.95M Movie Echo Score: 52 - 2016
Wall Writers as Narrator (voice) · Documentary - 2015
The 1000 Eyes of Dr Maddin Documentary - 2013
Return to Nim’s Island as Booker · Adventure Worldwide box office: $1.08M - 2012
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab as Mark Frettlby · Drama - 2012
Excision as William · Comedy Worldwide box office: $2.76K - 2011
Mangus! as Jesus Christ · Comedy - 2010
Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore Horror - 2008
The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels as Narrator · Documentary - 2007
365 Day Project Documentary - 2007
The Junior Defenders as Narrator · Comedy - 2007
Each Time I Kill as Movie Watcher · Horror - 2006
Mommie Dearest: Joan Lives On Documentary - 2006
Carnivore Reflux as Narrator - 2004
Seed of Chucky Thriller Worldwide box office: $24.8M - 2003
Abby Singer as John Waters (uncredited) · Comedy - 2003
Evil Never Dies as Professor Arkin · Tv movie - 2002
Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat as The Reverend · Horror - 1999
Chameleon II: Death Match as Henry Kubica · Sci-Fi - 1998
Welcome to Hollywood as John Waters · Comedy - 1998
The Real Macaw as Dr. Lance Hagen · Family - 1998
Anarchy TV Comedy - 1994
Family Album as Vincent · Drama - 1992
Jesus Christ Superstar as Pontius Pilate - 1989
Homer and Eddie as Robber #1 · Mystery - 1988
Grievous Bodily Harm as Morris Martin · Drama - 1988
Way USA! - 1987
The Christmas Visitor as Patrick O'Day · Drama - 1987
The Last of the Mohicans as Hawkeye Bumppo (voice) · Animation - 1986
Passion Flower as Leslie Gaitland · Crime - 1985
The Ballad of Sexual Dependency Documentary - 1983
All the Rivers Run as Brenton Edwards · Drama - 1981
Attack Force Z as Ted King · War - 1980
Breaker Morant Drama Worldwide box office: $948 - 1977
Summerfield as David Abbott · Drama Worldwide box office: $333 - 1977
The Getting of Wisdom as Rev. Shepherd · Drama Worldwide box office: $166 - 1976
The Adventures of Eliza Fraser as David Bracefell · Drama - 1976
End Play as Mark Gifford · Thriller - 1000
It's Dorothy! Documentary
John Waters in Documentaries & Specials
47- 2026
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World as Self - Interviewee · Documentary Worldwide box office: $766K - 2025
Tura! as Self · Documentary - 2024
Doc of Chucky as Self · Documentary - 2023
Living with Chucky as Self - Filmmaker, Cry-Baby, Hairspray · Documentary Movie Echo Score: 51 - 2022
Fragments of Paradise as Self · Documentary - 2022
Tell Me Iggy as Self · Documentary - 2022
The Andy Warhol Diaries as Self · Documentary - 2021
Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida as Self [archival] · Horror - 2020
The Mystery of the Pink Flamingo as Self - Interviewee · Comedy Worldwide box office: $9.71M - 2019
30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing as Self · Drama - 2019
At the Video Store as Self · Documentary - 2018
Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution as Self · Documentary - 2018
Sickies Making Films as Self · Documentary - 2016
In Conversation With Director John Waters, Actress Kathleen Turner and Actress Mink Stole as Self - 2015
Sympathy For The Devil: The True Story of The Process Church of the Final Judgment as Self · Documentary - 2015
Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story as Self · Documentary - 2013
Jingle Bell Rocks! as Self · Documentary - 2013
The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies as Self · Documentary - 2012
Frankenstein: A Modern Myth as Self - Director · Documentary - 2012
Paul Bowles: The Cage Door Is Always Open as Self · Documentary - 2011
The Advocate for Fagdom as Self · Documentary - 2011
These Amazing Shadows as Self · Documentary - 2010
Uncle Bob as Self (archiveFootage) · Documentary - 2010
Blank City as Self · Documentary Worldwide box office: $120K - 2009
It Came from Kuchar as Self · Documentary - 2009
For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism as Self · Documentary - 2008
Starz Inside: In the Gutter as Self · Documentary - 2007
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story as Self · Documentary - 2007
Here’s Looking at You, Boy as Self · Documentary - 2006
Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ as Self · Documentary - 2006
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage as Self · Documentary - 2006
Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema as Self · Documentary - 2005
It Came from… Baltimore!! as Self · Documentary - 2005
All the Dirt on ‘A Dirty Shame’ as Self · Documentary - 2005
Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream as Self · Documentary Worldwide box office: $2.14K - 2004
Thinking XXX as Self · Documentary - 2003
Totally Gay! as Self - 2003
A History of Sex as Self · Documentary - 2001
Memories of Oz as Self · Documentary - 1999
In Bad Taste as Self · Documentary - 1999
Forever Hollywood as Self · Documentary - 1998
Divine Trash as Self · Documentary - 1997
Bigfoot Monster Mystery as Himself - 1993
Growing Up with John Waters as Self · Documentary - 1982
No Smoking in This Theater as Self - 1981
Divine Waters as Self · Documentary - 1976
Edith’s Shopping Bag as Self · Documentary
John Waters: Awards & Nominations
2 nominations across 1 award body. Every ceremony is listed newest first, with the category and the film.
Who Is John Waters?
John Waters was born in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. in 1946 and is 80 years old. Credited on films since 1000, as both an actor and a director. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.
John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is a gifted American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist who made his mark in the host of progressive cult films. He rose to fame in the early 1970s with impactful and transgressive cult films such as 'Multiple Maniacs' (1970), 'Pink Flamingos' (1972), and 'Female Trouble' (1974). He also wrote and directed the successful comedy film 'Hairspray' (1988), which later evolved into a Broadway musical and later, a musical film in 2007. Waters has adeptly exuded his skills via multiple films with post-modern comedy and surrealistic elements like 'Desperate Living' (1977), 'Polyester' (1981), 'Cry-Baby' (1990), 'Serial Mom' (1994), 'Pecker' (1998), and 'Cecil B. Demented' (2000).
As an actor, Waters has graced the silver screen in films such as 'Sweet and Lowdown' (1999), 'Mangus!' (2011), 'Excision' (2012), and 'Suburban Gothic' (2014). His role in the 'Child's Play' franchise, as well as his hosting and production of the television series 'John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You' (2006) is commendable. His contribution to the field of visual art across different media, audiobooks, and his touring one-man show 'This Filthy World' denotes him as a multi-talented creative artist of his time. His role in the reformative parole of former Manson family member Leslie Van Houten broadened his societal impact.
Who John Waters Makes Movies With
The actors and directors John Waters shares the most films with. Divine comes first, with 7 films together, followed by Joe Dante (5).
John Waters: Questions & Answers
How many movies John Waters has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.
How many movies has John Waters been in?
John Waters is credited on 110 films, from 1000 to 2026. 52 of them as an actor and 11 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.
What is John Waters's highest-grossing movie?
Seed of Chucky (2004) is John Waters's biggest box office hit, with $24.8M worldwide, ahead of Better Man (2024) ($22.5M). Across every film with box office figures, John Waters's movies have made $71.7M.
John Waters's biggest hits What is the best John Waters movie?
By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, John Waters's best-rated film is Better Man (2024) with a score of 84, followed by The Velvet Underground (2021) (84).
Best John Waters movies, ranked Has John Waters won an Oscar?
John Waters has not been nominated for an Oscar. Across every ceremony in the awards database, John Waters has 0 wins from 2 nominations.
How old is John Waters?
John Waters is 80 years old, born on April 22, 1946 in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S..
What is John Waters's newest movie?
The most recent film on John Waters's filmography is Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World (2026), in the role of Self - Interviewee.
Who does John Waters work with most often?
John Waters shares the most films with Divine (7 films), Joe Dante (5 films) and Jim Jarmusch (5 films).
The Best John Waters Movies, Ranked
Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 110 credits.
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