Ridley Scott made a triumphant return to the top of the box office and added to his lengthy list of historical epics withGladiator II, but where it ranks among the best movies from his decades-long career is a point of debate.The historical inaccuracies inGladiator IIdid little to discourage moviegoers from seeing the long-awaited sequel in theaters, with the movie becoming a blockbuster hit in the fall of 2024 and finding more popularity on streaming. However, it faces harsh competition to be considered among Scott’s best movies.
Since making his feature film directorial debut in 1977,Ridley Scott has tackled a number of different genres, and has become the gold standard for several of them. Scott is particularly famous for tackling historical epics (likeGladiatorandGladiator II) that require time, patience, and attention to detail. However, despite being 87 years old, Scott is still among Hollywood’s most active and influential directors. With so many different genres in his filmography, any comparative examination of Ridley Scott’s feature films is a difficult exercise.
Cast
Kingdom of Heavenwas a box office disappointment despite maintaining Scott’s trademark stunning visuals evoking antiquity, and generally speaking, it wasn’t well-received by critics. However, the version that hit theaters was significantly cut from what Scott originally intended, andhis Director’s Cut of the film is recognized by many critics as the definitive version of the movieupon which judgment should be based.
As with many of Scott’s historical epics,Kingdom of Heavenwas criticized for its historical inaccuracies, but none of that detracts from the sheer spectacle of Saladin’s assault on Jerusalem, or of the immersive Crusades-era set pieces.Kingdom of Heaven’s director’s cutdoes show a more ambitious and interesting version of the movie that Scott had planned, viewed by some as the filmmaker’s last great epic.
Alien: Covenant
Alien: Covenant, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant as they discover an uncharted planet. Initially seeming like a paradise, the planet soon reveals dark secrets. Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, and Billy Crudup lead the cast in this science fiction horror film, which serves as a direct sequel to Prometheus and continues to explore the origins of the Alien species.
Alien: Covenantmay not achieve the heights of the first two movies in the franchise, but the second of Scott’s twoAlienfilms from the 2010sstill maintains many of the elements that made the franchise popular in the first place.Covenantdeparts from the more big-picture world-building of its predecessor,Prometheus,in favor of the claustrophobic terror of the originalAlien.
There are still aspects of the movie that are frustrating, including some questionable CGI and the lackluster creature designs. However, it is a dark and gruesome sci-fi horror movie that goes back totheAlienfranchise’s beginnings.Covenantboasts an excellent cast, and includes many of the practical effects that made the series tick in the earlier movies, all of which combine to create a worthy addition to the franchise.
Prometheus
Prometheus, released in 2012, is a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. It follows a team of explorers as they uncover clues about humanity’s origins, embarking on a perilous interstellar expedition where they confront formidable challenges to secure the future of mankind.
Prometheusisn’t really a prequel toAlien, as, by Scott’s own admission, it explores completely different ideas despite being set in the same universe as Ripley and the original Xenomorph.Prometheusnotably frustrated fans for leaving many of its biggest questions unanswered, butit’s a standout in the franchise for its incredible visuals and haunting aesthetic.
It has been reexamined as a misunderstood sci-fi masterpiece by many.
Prometheuswas met with a mixed response when it was released, possibly due to fans feeling as though they were cheated out of a realAlienmovie. However, it has been reexamined as a misunderstood sci-fi masterpiece by many. The legitimate scares and captivating performance by Michael Fassbender’s android David makes this one of the stronger overall entries in the franchise, and is the second-best Ridley Scott film set in theAlienuniverse.
All the Money in the World
Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World is a crime thriller based on the real-life kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in 1973. The film follows Getty’s mother, Gail (Michelle Williams), as she tries to convince his grandfather, the billionaire J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer, replacing Kevin Spacey), to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
All The Money In The Worldwas infamous for having its main actor swapped mid-production; thanks to sexual misconduct allegations, Kevin Spacey was removed from the film and replaced with Academy Award-winner Christopher Plummer. Plummer was actually Scott’s first choice to play J. Paul Getty, and he was truly excellent in the role, which elevated the quality of the movie.
The true-crime story is a fascinating, dark, and expansive look at greed, centered around the kidnapping of a young man and a ransom that his grandfather refuses to pay.The biographical film received terrific overall reviews, thanks largely to Scott’s excellent directionand David Scarpa’s tight and gripping script. Plummer’s outstanding work earned him an Academy Award nomination and helped Scott earn a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director. It is a movie that proves Scott can handle scandal overtaking his movie and still deliver something special.
Matchstick Men
After a scammer named Roy meets his estranged daughter Angela, he and his partner Frank conclude that it will be difficult to run their business with the girl around. However, Roy decides to allow her to stay and help him defraud an executive.
Matchstick Menis another of Scott’s movies that never got the box office love that should come with a movie of its quality. The black comedy was driven more by its characters than most of Scott’s movies, and the result is a truly entertaining crime comedy. Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell shine as con men, with Cage in particular stealing the movie as Roy Waller, who suffers from Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
It is an oddly touching film and a reminder of how well Scott can handle comedies.
The con artist movie plays into the intrigue and thrills of the genre while also subverting the expectations with its more complex characters. It is an oddly touching film and a reminder of how well Scott can handle comedies. While it didn’t generate any major award nominations,critics and fan reviewers in general embraced the movie for its acting and engaging plot.
Gladiator II
Gladiator 2 is the follow-up to Ridley Scott’s award-winning film Gladiator from 2000. Scott returns to direct the sequel, with Paul Mescal staring as Lucius, alongside Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn as the villain Emperor Geta. Gladiator 2 had been stuck in development hell for years before a script written by David Scarpa finally moved forward.
Gladiator IIwas in development for more than 20 years before its 2024 release date, and as a result, audience anticipation was at a fever pitch for its debut. While it never quite measures up to the originalGladiator,it outshines its predecessor in sheer spectacle.Ridley Scott used every bit of his massive budgetto continue the story of Lucius Verus Aurelius, who inadvertently picks up the mission of Russell Crowe’s Maximus.
The movie received some mixed responses due to its perceived leaning into the original entry too much while lacking the emotional core that makes it so special. However, it is hard not to be entertained by seeing Scott back to work in a movie like this. Denzel Washington steals the show from an acting standpoint, but the action and visuals are still as engrossing as any vintage Ridley Scott historical epic.
The Last Duel
The Last Duel is a historical epic drama set amid the Hundred Years War, and explores the ubiquitous power of men, the frailty of justice, and the strength and courage of one woman willing to stand alone in the service of truth. Based on actual events, the film unravels long-held assumptions about France’s last sanctioned duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris; two friends turned bitter rivals.
The Last Duelhas a justifiable claim asthe most underrated Ridley Scott movie ever. Despite its $100 million budget, a star-studded cast, and rave reviews from critics,The Last Duelbrought in only $30 million at the box office. Critics applauded the performances of the entire cast, along with the thought-provoking script from Nicole Holofcener (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Scott’s direction also received plenty of acclaim, as he took the source material and made it appropriately epic.The Last Duel’s 85%Rotten Tomatoesscore is far more representative of its quality. It is a gripping story that unfolds from three different perspectives, each one of them revealing something closer to the truth. Jodie Comer is excellent in the lead role, and despite being nominated for a Razzie, Ben Affleck is hugely entertaining in a supporting role. It is a gritty, brutal, and unflinching medieval story.
The Duellists
The Duellists is a historical drama film set during the Napoleonic Wars, following the story of two French cavalry officers, Gabriel Féraud and Armand d’Hubert, who engage in a series of duels over a period of 15 years. The film, directed by Ridley Scott, explores the complexities of honor, loyalty, and obsession.
Ridley Scott’s feature film debut foreshadowed his legendary status, asThe Duellistswas nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, at which the historical drama debuted. The sprawling narrative follows a pair of officers during the Napoleonic Wars over the course of 20 years, which provided the perfect backdrop for Scott to show off his trademark visceral style and skill at bringing a historical time period to life.
It may not be the most well-known of Scott’s historical dramas, but it’s certainly among the overall strongest.
The movie announced Scott in a big way as he handles the sweeping nature of the story in such an engrossing way, making the story feel massive while also nailing the intimate aspects at its core. The climax also shows how exceptional he is at delivering unforgettable set pieces. It may not be the most well-known of Scott’s historical dramas, but it’s certainly among the overall strongest.
American Gangster
American Gangster is a 2007 crime film directed by Ridley Scott, featuring Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, a heroin kingpin in Harlem, and Russell Crowe as Richie Roberts, the detective determined to bring him down. The film explores the rise of Lucas in the drug trade and the eventual intersection of their lives amidst the backdrop of a corrupt and morally complex society.
American Gangsterbenefited from a loaded cast, which included multiple-time Ridley Scott collaboratorsRussell Crowe and Denzel Washington.The biographical crime drama earned two Academy Award nominations, and garnered 21 awards overall, thanks in large part to its excellent cast and production under Scott’s direction. Washington gives one of his most commanding performances as Frank Lucas, the real-life gangster who became one of New York’s biggest crime figures in the 1970s.
Given that the subjects of the movie were still alive when it was released, it was criticized for its lack of historical accuracy, but as with most of Scott’s movies, that did nothing to detract from the entertainment quality of the narrative, which is almost always Scott’s focus. The filmmaker transports the audience back to the gritty era of New York with engrossing detail while delivering a hugely entertaining gangster story.
The Martian
Adapted by Ridley Scott from Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, The Martian follows the plight of astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) after he finds himself stranded alone on Mars after he is falsely presumed dead during a mission. Unable to communicate with Earth and armed with little more than his scientific expertise as a botanist, Watney must find a way to survive on the barren planet until the next scheduled mission arrives.
The Martiansaw Ridley Scott returning to space, but in a much different movie than hisAlienprojects. The Martian stars Matt Damon as an astronaut who has to figure out how to survive alone on Mars after accidentally being left behind on a mission. The ensemble cast, led by Damon, was applauded by critics for managing to infuse a genuine drama with a surprising amount of comedy, which resulted in a truly engaging sci-fi story.
The production crew on the movie was also praised for its outstanding work on bringing the lofty source material to the big screen. Ultimately,The Martianearned seven Academy Award nominations and boaststhe second-highest Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of Ridley Scott’s career. It is a gripping survival story, but also a fun tale about the colorful characters who come together to pull off this seemingly impossible mission.
