The Best Tom Waits Movies, Ranked
42 credits from 1977 to 2025, ranked by the Movie Echo Score — a blend of critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact. Licorice Pizza (2021) comes out on top with a score of 83. The biggest box office hit is Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) with $216M worldwide. Below: the best films by genre and by decade, the most awarded and the newest releases.
Top Rated Tom Waits Movies
The 5 highest-rated films Tom Waits is credited on. Licorice Pizza (2021) leads with 83, followed by The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) at 80. The Movie Echo Score blends critic reviews, audience ratings, cultural impact and how well a film holds up.
-
#1 Movie Echo Score: Score 83 Licorice Pizza 2021 · Drama -
#2 Movie Echo Score: Score 80 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 2018 · Drama -
#3 Movie Echo Score: Score 71 The Absence of Eden 2024 · Drama -
#4 Movie Echo Score: Score 70 Father Mother Sister Brother 2025 · Comedy -
#5 Movie Echo Score: Score 41 The Dead Don't Die 2019 · Fantasy
Biggest Tom Waits Box Office Hits
Tom Waits's films have made $323M worldwide in total. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) is the biggest hit at $216M, ahead of Licorice Pizza (2021) ($33.3M). Lifetime grosses, with each film's domestic share.
- 1
Bram Stoker's Dracula 1992 · Drama $216M $82.5M dom. - 2 Licorice Pizza 2021 · Drama $33.3M $17.3M dom.
- 3
Seven Psychopaths 2012 · Drama $29.3M $15M dom. - 4 The Dead Don't Die 2019 · Fantasy $15.3M $6.56M dom.
- 5 Father Mother Sister Brother 2025 · Comedy $8.33M $965K dom.
- 6
Coffee and Cigarettes 2004 · Drama $8.02M $2.2M dom. - 7
Ironweed 1988 · Drama $7.39M $7.39M dom. - 8
Down by Law 1986 · Drama $1.53M $1.44M dom. - 9
At Play in the Fields of the Lord 1991 · Romance $1.35M $1.35M dom. - 10
One from the Heart 1982 · Drama $720K $698K dom.
The Best Tom Waits Movie in Every Genre
The best-rated film in each genre Tom Waits has worked in, the genres with the most films first. Drama leads with 12 films, and Licorice Pizza (2021) is the pick of them.
- Drama 12 films Licorice Pizza 2021 · as Rex Blau Movie Echo Score: 83
- Comedy 3 films Father Mother Sister Brother 2025 · as Father Movie Echo Score: 70
-
Music 2 films Candy Mountain 1987 · as Al Silk - Fantasy 1 film The Dead Don't Die 2019 · as Hermit Bob Movie Echo Score: 41
- Romance 1 film At Play in the Fields of the Lord 1991 · as Wolf
The Best Tom Waits Movie of Each Decade
One pick per decade of Tom Waits's career, newest decade first: the best-rated film of each ten years, from 1980s to 2020s.
Most Awarded Tom Waits Movies
Tom Waits's films with wins at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database, the most decorated first. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) leads with 4 wins from 11 nominations.
The Latest Tom Waits Movies
The most recent films Tom Waits is credited on, newest first — starting with Father Mother Sister Brother (2025). Open any of them for the cast, ratings, box office and where to watch.
- Father Mother Sister Brother 2025 · Father
- The Absence of Eden 2024 · Hunley
- Licorice Pizza 2021 · Rex Blau
- The Dead Don't Die 2019 · Hermit Bob
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs 2018 · Drama
-
The Moon’s Milk 2018 · Captain Millipede (voice) - Seven Psychopaths 2012 · Drama
-
The Monster of Nix 2011 · Virgil (Voice) -
Wristcutters: A Love Story 2007 · Drama - Coffee and Cigarettes 2004 · Drama
-
Coffee and Cigarettes III 1993 · Tom - Bram Stoker's Dracula 1992 · Drama
The Best Tom Waits Movies: Questions & Answers
The best-rated, highest-grossing, most awarded and newest Tom Waits films, answered from the rankings on this page.
What is the best Tom Waits movie?
Licorice Pizza (2021) is the best-rated Tom Waits film, with a Movie Echo Score of 83, ahead of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) (80) and The Absence of Eden (2024) (71). The Movie Echo Score blends critic reviews, audience ratings and how well a film has lasted.
Licorice Pizza: cast, ratings & box office What is the highest-grossing Tom Waits movie?
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) made the most at the box office, with $216M worldwide, followed by Licorice Pizza (2021) with $33.3M. Together, Tom Waits's films with box office figures have made $323M.
Which Tom Waits movie won the most awards?
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) is the most decorated Tom Waits film, with 4 wins from 11 nominations across the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA and the other ceremonies in the awards database.
What is the best Tom Waits drama movie?
Licorice Pizza (2021) is the best-rated of Tom Waits's drama films, with a score of 83. In other genres: Father Mother Sister Brother (comedy), Candy Mountain (music) and The Dead Don't Die (fantasy).
What is the newest Tom Waits movie?
The newest film on Tom Waits's filmography is Father Mother Sister Brother (2025), with Tom Waits as Father.
More Movie Rankings & Collections
Best-of lists by year, decade and genre, all-time box office records and the films on the trending list.
Best-Rated Movie Rankings
Best-rated, biggest and most-awarded
New Movies & Top Genres
New releases, popular films and the best of every genre