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The Abyss

1989 · directed by James Cameron · 140 min
23,579 feet · Prominence
975th of 15,261 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw63

$90m worldwide in 1989 — $240m in today's money.

As released$90mIn 2026 money$240mRank1,401 of 8,589In 198919 of 125

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise72

Critics 69, awards 24. Half each, so Praise lands at 72.

Critics69 → 34Awards24 → 12

Oscars1 won Visual Effects3 nominated Cinematography, Production Design, Sound
How Praise works

Half critics, half a tiered award record where Picture and Directing carry most of the weight. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy45

Judged directly: Cameron effects milestone, deep-sea cult.

Verdict45 of 100IMDb7.5 from 206kWikipedia0k views a monthAge37 years

Scored beside it · 1,006 of 3,430 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 63 praise 72 legacy 45averages 60, which places it at23,579 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

In these careers — elevation for this film

No scored career runs through this film yet. The people-side engine currently covers 108careers, and this film’s cast sits outside them. Top billing: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester.