To celebrate the release of The Way of Water, we’ve rounded up and ranked every James Cameron film from worst to best. The filmmaker is known for taking his time between projects and delivering blockbuster thrill rides like no other. If Steven Spielberg is the master of cinematic wonder, then Cameron is the master of cinematic awe. Here are all James Cameron feature films, ranked.
All James Cameron Movies Ranked
9. Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)
Everyone has to start somewhere, even James Cameron. Piranha II: The Spawning (it won’t make any difference if you’ve seen the first or not) is a greasy, very low-budgeted, mutated blend of softcore porn film and gore porn. It’s about flying piranhas who eat people at a Caribbean resort. It’s vitally important to note that Cameron was a director for hire on Piranha II. Cameron’s most underrated quality has always been his extraordinary characters and story structure, and he had nothing to do with the writing of this garbage. Saturn There are fleeting flashes of technical skill, but even by the standards of innumerable Jaws ripoffs of its era, Piranha II: The Spawning is a God-awful, sleazy wreck. And unlike some more merciful bad movies, it just feels like a chore to watch. The good news is: every other James Cameron film is flat-out great.
8. True Lies (1994)
One of Cameron’s most consistent qualities is his singular gift for writing steel-true female characters that are tough yet believable, even highly sympathetic, badasses that feel real. Jamie Lee Curtis has said her role in True Lies is the best of her career. Arnold Schwarzenegger headlines Cameron’s lightest, if not necessarily his funniest, blockbuster film. It’s a Mr. and Mrs. Smith-style setup about a long-married couple, only he’s secretly a super spy, she’s longing for some excitement in life—then a terrorist threat emerges. 20th Century Fox Throughout, but especially in its stunning final set pieces, True Lies is an utterly magnificent popcorn film that sends everyone in the audience home on a giddy high. It’s only this low on the ranking because this is James Cameron we’re talking about.
7. The Abyss (1989)
With an ever-ballooning budget, several incredible actors but no big movie stars, Cameron’s sci-fi thriller about engineers and drillers exploring a submarine’s disappearance is a relatively chilly, terrific story of first contact—and, beneath that, human fragility. A genuinely disappointing ending from the theatrical cut is more than salvaged in Cameron’s compelling, if lengthy special edition. 20th Century Fox It’s certainly worth mentioning The Abyss doesn’t exist, at least not for consumers, in a suitable transfer. The film is a technical wonder even by today’s standards, and it’s only available in standard definition releases from eons ago. A new transfer and release is reportedly coming in 2023; seeing this presented properly will absolutely enhance its considerable merits.
6. Avatar (2009)
Call it Dances With Wolves Meets Fern Gully in Space if you want, but Avatar’s all-time box-office crown makes perfect sense. Cameron’s first space opera was the greatest use of 3D ever, and characters and storytelling feel effortlessly universal. Avatar briefly lost its all-time box-office title to Avengers: Endgame, then earned it back with a re-release. 20th Century Fox Avatar ushered in a new era of 3D, and most films of that era were awful. Recently re-released, the film is still awe-inspiring and entirely transporting. Perhaps it didn’t leave the kind of lingering pop-culture imprint some blockbusters do, but the theatrical experience and the box-office numbers speak for themselves.
5. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Let’s cut right to the chase: any doubts about the long, long-awaited sequel are nil. The Way of Water is the movie of 2022, and James Cameron has, once again, simply re-set the bar. The special effects, notably groundbreaking underwater action sequences, are matched by a primally emotional storyline about the strength of a family unit, that will indubitably hook international audiences. This is a family-friendly film with a sustained intensity not seen in most R-rated actioners. The effect is utter exhilaration. 20th Century Studios Sam Worthington expands upon his performance in the original in every way conceivable way here, and The Way of Water juggles an ensemble of various species with precision. Three and a quarter hours hasn’t flown by like this since—well, Titanic, and The Way of Water is likely to see success comparable to its predecessor. A pandemic didn’t help, but the cold hard truth is that Top Gun aside, blockbusters this year have been underwhelming and anemic. The Way of Water delivers excitement audiences have been starved for, and then some.
4. The Terminator (1984)
Influenced by the quiet terror and suspense of John Carpenter’s enormously successful Halloween, The Terminator was inspired by a nightmare Cameron experienced of a bloodthirsty cyborg emerging from flames. With astounding technical skill making the most of a smallish budget (Stan Winston’s puppetry and an exploding miniature truck near the end still look great), The Terminator is, above all, a thriller. It’s a streamlined, small, great story about time travelers hunting the same woman: one to kill her, one to protect her. Orion Pictures Even though T2 has overshadowed it for decades, The Terminator is really every bit as good as that film, and different. The nicest surprise in here is a sweet, tender love story that’s handled better than most pure romance films. Cameron’s genius is in moving us once he’s dazzled us.
3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The most expensive movie ever in its day, T2 is a rare, famed example of a sequel with more money and more resources expanding upon a great original. A liquid-metal CGI villain (Robert Patrick) often steals scenes, but nothing can fully upstage a sci-fi plot this ambitious, provocative and indeed heart-tugging. Carolco/ StudioCanal Across his filmography, Cameron has a singular way of writing everyday women who are called to action in a way that’s rousing for the audience. After a surprisingly meaty arc in the first film, Linda Hamilton greatly fleshes out the role of Sarah Connor, an intimidating presence contrasting a more lovable Schwarzenegger, this time the good guy—that moved the bar for women in genre films. T2 is a legendary blockbuster that still lives up to every word of its hype.
2. Aliens (1986)
Aliens is the best movie to watch with an audience, ever. In the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s pure horror masterpiece that surely influenced Cameron just as he was cutting his teeth, Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley faces the Xenomorphs, this time with more personal stakes. Best enjoyed in its leaner theatrical cut that runs just a little over two hours, Aliens is merciless, heart-stopping … and often disarmingly hilarious (thank you, Bill Paxton). 20th Century Fox The ’80s decade is often considered a golden age of the red-blooded action picture, and Aliens is the best of them. The climactic face-off between human mother figure and alien queen is primally ingenious. A work of striking imagination and state-of-the-art skill, Aliens was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including a Best Actress nod for Weaver, all but unheard of in such genre fare. It’s still one of the most beloved performances in any movie ever.
1. Titanic (1997)
“Romeo and Juliet on the Titanic” was the pitch Cameron delivered to studio heads. Perhaps Titanic is best known as a love story—and Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are captivating and riveting, respectively, in the roles that made them megastars—but any venture to explore the heartfelt film’s technical ambitions (that were flawlessly executed, for the record) truly boggles the mind. It’s a miracle this movie ever got made, and it defies reason and logic that it got made this well. Paramount/Fox Titanic still holds a shared record for most Oscar nods and wins, and in recent years it seems like the petty backlash is subsiding. Good. That’s no way to treat an all-time high-water mark landmark for Hollywood craftsmanship. Next, check out the 75 best directors of all time.
