35 John Waters Movies, Ranked Best to Worst

Female Trouble is a dark comedy film which tells the story of Dawn Davenport, a spoiled delinquent high school student, who decides to run away from home, after her parents refuse to buy her the shoes that she wanted. She hitchhikes a ride with a man named Earl, and they eventually have sex. She gets pregnant but Earl refuses to care for her. In order to support herself, Dawn is forced to take up various jobs such as street prostitution, and she even finds herself engaging in criminal activities.

The life of Francine Fishpaw, a suburban housewife is turned upside down, when she finds out that her husband Elmer, a pornographer, is having an affair.

This short film revolves around a deranged nanny who kidnaps young girls, after which she and her crazy friends forces them to ‘model themselves to death’.

This short film features several random scenes such as a priest having beer, a woman being attacked with a fan, etc.

Emmett Ray is a famed jazz guitarist, who believes that love is a hindrance to his musical career. His views start to change after he develops affection for a shy and mute woman. However, shortly after he gains fame, he gets married to a wealthy socialite on a whim. 

This musical comedy drama film revolves around the story of an overweight teen who manages to win a spot on a popular teen dance show, after an audition.  

Pink Flamingos is a crime comedy film which revolves around an overweight woman, who along with her family, compete against a Baltimore couple for the title of ‘The filthiest people alive’.

The satirical black comedy features a dedicated homemaker Beverly Sutphin, who leads a happy life with two teenaged children. But she insists on retaliating against any slight. The parking place-snatcher neighbor starts receiving obscene calls; the math teacher gets run over for criticizing her son. As homicides increase, police get wise on the killer and Beverly becomes media sensation as ‘Serial Mom.’ 

Charles Driggs is a businessman living in New York City, who is “kidnapped” by a free-spirited woman named Lulu. She takes him on an adventurous ride but the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when Lulu’s former husband who is an ex-convict shows up, and the two of them have no other option but to face trouble.

Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker is a delinquent; but with a golden heart. Also the leader of the 1950s’ Baltimore subculture called the ‘drapes’, he is very popular with the girls for his ability to shed a single tear. Then he fall in love with a squire girl called Allison, causing heartburns, and jealous people around them conspire to keep them apart. 

The improvised short is based on true-life suicide of TV personality Art LInkletter’s daughter. Diane Linkletter has taken to drugs and also started dating Jim, a low-life boy who belongs to hippie culture. Her parents, worried about this change in her behavior, question her and as they realize she is high on LSD, express their disapproval. But it results in tragedy. 

Sixteen years old plump Tracy Turnblad loves watching a teen dance TV show The Corny Collins Show. When she gets an opportunity to dance in the show, she quickly emerges as a popular performer. However, the manager of the TV station, Velma, is not happy with Tracy’s success. Meanwhile, Tracy encourages the idea of white and Negro kids dancing together on the show every day. 

Pecker is a comedy drama film which tells the story of a talented young boy, who enjoys taking photographs of things around him. His life takes a turn and he starts to find fame, after he is dragged into a world of pretentious artists from New York City.

Hag in a Black Leather Jacket is a short film which revolves around the unusual marriage between a black man and a white girl.    

This crime thriller comedy film tells the story of an insane independent filmmaker, who along with his group of teen cinema enthusiasts, kidnaps a movie star and forces her to act in their underground movie.

Excision is a horror drama film telling the story of a lonely, disturbed, and delusional teenager who aspires to become a doctor as well as earn the approval of her dominating mother.

A Dirty Shame is a comedy film which revolves around a woman named Sylvia Stickles, who runs a convenience store with her husband, and her mother-in-law. One day, after Sylvia is hit on the head, she transforms from a prude to a lunatic crazy about sex. Things get interesting when she attracts the attention of Ray Ray, a sexual healer.

Glen visits Hollywood after learning that a film is being made on the life of his dead parents, Chuck and Tiff. He feels that resurrecting them is the only way to know them better.

Alvin, Simon and Theodore believes that their friend Dave is going to propose to his girlfriend Samantha in Miami. Fearing that they will lose their friend for good, they think of a way to stop him.