Mexican-born directorAlfonso Cuarónhas attained a powerful legacy over the years as being one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved directors of the 21st century. He has had a hand in some of the most prestigious and beloved films of the era, with his distinct filmmaking voice lending itself to a wide number of different genres and concepts, each more varied and beautiful than the last. He has personally received 11 Academy Award nominations, winning four of them, including two wins for Best Director, cementing his status as a modern-day auteur.
However, mass critical acclaim doesn’t always correlate with box office success, leading to massive gaps between Cuarón’s biggest blockbusters from his most niche auteur visions.It has resulted in one of the most interesting and varied filmographies when it comes to box office gross, as there are massive differences between his highest-grossing films and his lowest-grossing films. No matter how much money they made, however, each film that Cuarón has had a hand in directing has been massively beloved for its own reason, as he continues his legacy with each subsequent masterwork.
8’Roma' (2018)
Worldwide Box Office:$1.9 Million
The most recent feature film from Cuarón,Romafollows the story of two domestic workers in 1970s Mexico City, who attempt to help out a mother of four while her husband is away. They soon form a bond with the mother, able to relate to similar struggles of poverty and the workforce. The film was able to shed a powerful light on one of the most overlooked and forgotten tragedies faced by workers during the era, painted with its beautiful black-and-white style.
Despite the massive critical success and numerous Academy Award nominations and wins that Roma received, it didn’t do particularly well at the box office thanks to its nature as a streaming service original. Being a film financed and distributed by Netflix,the film only received a limited theatrical run to qualify for awards bodies, alongside a short window at the worldwide box office. Even despite its status as a Netflix original movie, the good graces and strengths of the film allowed it to still make some money in its short theatrical window.
A year in the life of a middle-class family’s maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
Watch on Netflix
7’Paris, Je T’Aime' (2006)
Worldwide Box Office:$5.1 Million
Paris, Je T’Aimeis a collection of short films by some of the most iconic and influential directors of the era, including not just Cuarón, but also the Coen Brothers,Gus van Sant, andWes Craven. Each of the 18 shorts that make up the film shows different interpretations and visions of life in the city of Paris, ranging from heartwarming stories of love and connection to more grounded stories of mundane life. Each director involved is able to provide their own signature voice for the final product, making each short film feel interconnected in some way.
Cuarón is one of many credited directors on the film,as its unique setup and massive display of talent from across the world made the film a must-watch for die-hard movie fans of the era. Even with its incredibly limited theatrical run, showing in a maximum of only 200 theaters, the fans of worldwide cinema showed up in support of this massive worldwide collaboration and passion project. Even after its theatrical run, this anthology film still lives on as one ofthe most iconic and memorable anthology filmsto ever be created.
Watch on Peacock
6’A Little Princess' (1995)
Worldwide Box Office:$10.0 Million
One of the first feature-length films from Cuarón,A Little Princessfollow the story of Sara Crewe, a young British girl who is sent off to a New York boarding school after her father enlists in WWI. While her father believed it to be a perfect fit, as it was the same school theater late mother attended, Sara constantly finds herself clashing with the strict headmistress of the school, Miss Minchin. The duo is constantly at odds with one another as Sara tries her best to stay creative and self-positive despite the dastardly situation she finds herself in.
One of the more underrated family dramas of the 90s,A Little Princesshas amassed a following over the years thanks to its more mature and emotional portrayal and execution of coming of age and maintaining innocence.While the film was able to pick up steam as a home video hit later down the line, it was only able to earn a measly $10 million at the box office, and was deemed a box office failure as it couldn’t find its die-hard audience while in theaters.
A Little Princess
Sara is sent to a strict boarding school after her father enlists in WWI. When he is presumed dead, the headmistress, knowing she will not receive any more money, forces the girl to become a servant.
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5’Y Tu Mamá También' (2001)
Worldwide Box Office:$33.6 Million
One of the most critically acclaimed and beloved films that Cuarón has ever directed,Y Tu Mamá Tambiénfollows the story of a trio, consisting of teenage boys Julio (Gael Carcia Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna) as well as an older woman, Luisa (Maribel Verdú). The trio find themselves on a life-changing road trip across the Mexican countryside as they bond and learn about the importance of life, friendship, sex, and the connections they’ve formed with one another.
Y Tu Mamá Tambiénweaves together a beautiful story of growth, love, andqueer undertonesthat dominated the world of independent cinema upon its release, putting Cuarón on the map as a must-see director and screenwriter. Even with its smaller-scale release as an independent film,word of mouth was able to help the film become a massive worldwide box office success off of its minuscule $5 million budget.
Watch on AMC+
4’Great Expectations' (1998)
Worldwide Box Office:$55.4 Million
Loosely adapted from the classicCharles Dickensnovel,Great Expectationsis an unexpected love story between Finnegan Bell (Ethan Hawke), a man still in the process of growing up, and Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), the supposed girl of his dreams. Finnegan soon finds himself traveling across the world in pursuit of Estella, not wanting to give up this love for her that he has held from a young age. There prove to be several obstacles that get in the way of their seemingly perfect love, as Finnegan does all he can to fight for the love and affection of Estella.
While the film isn’t held in nearly as high critical regard as the rest of Cuarón’s filmography,Great Expectationswas still able to find intermediate success at the box office thanks to its A-list stars and adult themes. The film earned over $55 million off of its $25 million budget and would find even more success in the video market following the lukewarm reception that it received while in theaters. The film is easily the most often forgotten of Cuarón’s entire slate of films, yet it still acts as an important stepping stone between his independent films and his larger blockbuster works.
Watch on Max
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3’Children of Men' (2006)
Worldwide Box Office:$70.4 Million
One of the most iconic and influential sci-fi thrillers of the 21st century,Children of Mentakes place in a chaotic nightmare future in which humanity has lost the ability to procreate and form new offspring. It follows Theo (Clive Owen) a former activist who is asked to help with the transport of a miraculously pregnant woman, the first pregnant woman in decades, to a sanctuary at sea. While at the sanctuary, a group of scientists may be able to save the future of humanity as a whole, but getting her to the sanctuary proves to be a Herculean task in itself.
Children of Menis widely considered to be one of Cuarón’s best films as it makes the most out of his masterful directing capabilities to tell a story of massive stakes, incredible tension, and outstanding emotional weight. While the film isnowadays considered to be a classicof the sci-fi genre, it certainly didn’t earn that reputation during its theatrical window,as it notoriously bombed at the box office, earning only $70 million on its $75 million budget. Still, especially when compared to Cuarón’s smaller-scale non-blockbuster films,Children of Menstill manages to out-gross them.
Children of Men
2’Gravity' (2013)
Worldwide Box Office:$773 Million
One of thehighest-grossing and most successful original sci-fi filmsof all time,Gravitywas a technical milestone that took the world by storm with its groundbreaking visuals and depiction of space. The film follows the story of Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Lt. Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), two astronauts aboard a space shuttle when disaster strikes, leaving the duo stranded in the deep void of space. With nothing but each other to keep themselves company, they attempt to find a way back to safety and back to Earth.
Especially in an era like the 2010s where the highest-grossing and most successful films are always a part of massive franchises,Gravitybecame a massive global phenomenon thanks to the technological marvel and directing capabilities of Cuarón. The film’s status as a must-see technological event had it achieve box office dominance in the same vein as other visually groundbreaking sci-fi films such asAvatarandInterstellar.
Two astronauts work together to survive after an accident leaves them stranded in space.
1’Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' (2004)
Worldwide Box Office:$807.1 Million
The third film in the massively successfulHarry Potterfranchise,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabansaw the core trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermoine return to Hogwarts for another year of magic and mischief. They find themselves facing danger and villainy once again, as Harry is forced to deal with the ensuing danger and tension caused by escaped convict Sirius Black. As Black appears to be closing in on both Hogwarts and Harry as a whole, he seeks refuge from his seemingly good-hearted Professor Lupin for help.
Prisoner of Azkabanwas a massive turning point for the franchise as a whole, as the story became much more serious and dark in tone, resulting in what many consider to bethe best of the franchise. A lot of what makes this film work so spectacularly well can be attributed to Cuarón’s directing, whose style and flourishes work wonders for the world of Harry Potter.While the film may be the lowest-grossing of the main 8 Harry Potter films, it was still a massive box office success by being attached to the franchiseand is easily Cuarón’s highest-grossing directorial work.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.
NEXT:Ranking Every Movie Directed by Alfonso Cuarón From Worst to Best
