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The Best James Franco Movies

Updated November 1, 2019 6.4k votes 1.0k voters 97.8k views87 items

List RulesVote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

List of the best James Franco movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. At the beginning of his acting career, James Franco appeared in Judd Apatow's short-lived TV series Freaks and Geeks, setting the stage for this dynamic duo to collaborate on future films. James Franco's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top James Franco movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated James Franco movies will be at the top of the list. James Franco has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest James Franco movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining James Franco films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best James Franco role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest James Franco performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

Everything from 127 Hours to Pineapple Express is included on this list.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best James Franco movies?" and "What are the greatest James Franco roles of all time?" If you are a fan of Franco's humor, you might also enjoy our list of best Seth Rogan movies and best Jonah Hill movies.

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James Dean
James Franco, Michael Moriarty
James Dean is a 2001 biographical television film based on the life of the American actor of... more
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251
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Pineapple Express
Seth Rogen, James Franco
Pineapple Express is a 2008 American buddy stoner action comedy film directed by David Gordon... more
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Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Set Of 'Pineapple Express'#1004 of 1,506 The Most Rewatchable Movies
3
229
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127 Hours
James Franco, Kate Mara
127 Hours is a 2010 British-American biographical survival drama film directed, co-written and... more
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The True Story Of '127 Hours' Where A Man Cut Off His Own Arm To Survive#27 of 301 The Best Movies Based On True Stories
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194
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Tristan & Isolde
James Franco, Henry Cavill
Tristan & Isolde is a 2006 epic romantic drama film based on the medieval romantic legend of... more
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#52 of 101 The Best Drama Movies for Action Fans#17 of 72 The Best Movies About Forbidden Love
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188
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Your Highness
Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel
Your Highness is a 2011 American fantasy comedy film directed by David Gordon Green, starring... more
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#30 of 38 The Best Movies Coming to Netflix in May 2021#718 of 923 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
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150
19
Flyboys
James Franco, Jean Reno
Flyboys is a 2006 British-American drama film set during WWI, starring James Franco, Martin... more
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#202 of 376 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked#143 of 196 The Best Adventure Movies
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200
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This Is the End
James Franco, Jonah Hill
This Is the End is a 2013 American disaster comedy film directed by Seth Rogen and Evan... more
8
122
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Date Night
Mila Kunis, Olivia Munn
Date Night is a 2010 comedy film directed by Shawn Levy and starring Steve Carell and Tina... more
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#66 of 126 The Greatest Date Movies Of All Time#30 of 126 The Funniest Movies Starring SNL Cast Members
9
142
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Interview
James Franco, Sienna Miller
Interview is a remake of Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh's 2003 movie of the same name. The... more
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99
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City by the Sea
Robert De Niro, James Franco
City by the Sea is a 2002 film starring Robert De Niro, James Franco, Eliza Dushku, Frances... more

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127
34
Spider-Man
Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, based on the Marvel Comics... more
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18 Easter Eggs And References You Missed From 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse'#85 of 306 The Greatest Movie Themes
12
143
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes
James Franco, Freida Pinto
Rise of the Apes is in pre-production as of May 2010. This origin story for a new franchise... more
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#46 of 180 The Best Dystopian And Near Future Movies#45 of 136 The Scariest Animal Horror Movies Ever Made
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91
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The Green Hornet
Cameron Diaz, James Franco
The Green Hornet is a 2011 American superhero action comedy film based on the character of the... more
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#63 of 94 The Worst January Movie Releases#68 of 71 The Funniest Superhero Movies Ever Made
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73
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The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Tim Blake Nelson, Liam Neeson
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a 2018 American western anthology film directed by the Coen... more
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#196 of 400 The Best Western Movies Ever Made#27 of 77 The 30+ Best Modern Western Movies
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76
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Milk
James Franco, Sean Penn
Milk is a 2008 American biographical film based on the life of gay rights activist and... more
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#179 of 675 The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars#41 of 340 The Best Political Films Ever Made
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48
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An American Crime
James Franco, Ellen Page
An American Crime is a 2007 American crime-drama film. The film is based on the true story of... more
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#36 of 57 The Best Scary Movies Based on True Stories#65 of 70 The Most Gratuitous Torture Horror Movies That Are Undeniably Sadistic
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90
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Spider-Man 3
Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, based on the Marvel... more
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Behind The Scenes Of What Made 'Spider-Man 3' Such A Creative Flop#48 of 116 The Worst Superhero Movies Ever Made
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True Story
James Franco, Jonah Hill
True Story is a 2015 American drama film, directed by Rupert Goold and written by David... more
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75
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Eat Pray Love
Julia Roberts, James Franco
Eat Pray Love is a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Julia Roberts as... more
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#261 of 315 Movies with the Best Soundtracks#10 of 24 The Best Movies About a Midlife Crisis in Women
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Spring Breakers
James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens
Spring Breakers is a 2012 American film directed by Harmony Korine. While enjoying their... more
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#12 of 16 The Most Misleading Movie Trailers#60 of 141 The Best College Movies Ever

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Howl
James Franco, Jon Hamm
Howl is a 2010 American experimental film which explores both the Six Gallery debut and the... more
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#83 of 106 The Best Movies About Writers#25 of 25 The Best Biopics About LGBTQ+ Figures
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73
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Knocked Up
Jessica Alba, Eva Mendes
Knocked Up is a 2007 American romantic comedy film co-produced, written, and directed by Judd... more
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#67 of 170 The Most Rewatchable Comedy Movies#17 of 20 Famous Movie Lines That Were Unscripted
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143
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Spider-Man 2
Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst
Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, based on the Marvel... more
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Clear Reasons 'Spider-Man 2' Is The Greatest Superhero Sequel Ever Made#370 of 1,195 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever
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Never Been Kissed
Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore
Never Been Kissed is a 1999 romantic comedy film produced by 20th Century Fox and Drew... more
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#25 of 782 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made#416 of 440 Your Favorite Movies of the 1990s
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The Interview
Eminem, James Franco
The Interview is a 2014 American political satire comedy film directed by Seth Rogen and Evan... more
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#479 of 1,139 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time#15 of 62 The Funniest Movies About Politics

True Story