Every Ridley Scott Movie, Now Including Gladiator II, Ranked From Worst To Best

Image: Paramount

There isn’t a Hollywood director with a sense of scale, scope, and range quite like Ridley Scott.

For five decades and counting, Scott has made himself synonymous with major studio maximalism and epic panache. Scott’s widescreen frames brilliantly capture our universal feelings and anxieties and blows them all up in spectacular fashion. Even when his execution falls short of his reputation – and admittedly, they do so more often than not – a mediocre Scott film demands more attention than a perfectly fine whatever else.

With Gladiator II now in theaters, it’s a good time to reflect on his extensive body of work. Here are all 29 movies directed by Ridley Scott’s, ranked from worst to best:

Exhibiting some of Ridley Scott’s worst tendencies, the 1992 historical drama 1492: Conquest of Paradise is so poorly executed that it might make you sympathize with flat earthers. While Scott’s camera captures a staged rendition of Christopher Columbus’ expedition to the New World with operatic grandeur, there’s no substance behind its sails. The film is merely a string of shots, each resembling a glorified screensaver, featuring a saltwater-soaked Gérard Depardieu aimlessly wandering in colonial cosplay. This critique isn’t about how monstrous the real Columbus was or the film’s gross mythologizing of historical atrocities—it’s simply a dull, uninspired movie with nothing meaningful to say.

Here’s Scott operating at his usual maximum decibels, a big budget escapist piece for grownups that were falling out of favor amid Marvel’s rise to power. Unfortunately, Exodus’ bloated excess, melodramatic incoherence, and overall 300-ification of a story other filmmakers of years past have beautifully told already make it among the weakest entries in Scott’s prolific oeuvre.

This should’ve worked. It’s Sir Anthony Hopkins returning to one of his most famous roles in a sequel helmed by one of the preeminent studio auteurs of the time. Instead, Hannibal is a sequel far too schizophrenic to know what kind of horror movie it wants to be and too unambitious to compete with its predecessor, Jonathan Demme’s handsome Silence of the Lambs.

It’s painful to think about Robin Hood when you remember the movie it almost was. In the original Nottingham script by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, the story took a fresh approach with a more sympathetic Sheriff, an amoral Robin Hood, a steamy love triangle, and even period-accurate forensic science. Silly? Perhaps. But it would have been different—essentially a big-budget Law & Order set in 1199 AD. Instead, what we got was Russell Crowe starring in a beautifully rendered but uninspired retelling of the English legend. Robin Hood is big, bloated—and not bad, but why bother when Errol Flynn’s version is still unbeatable? (Honestly, even Kevin Costner’s will do.)

Someone to Watch Over Me is a neat dive into the neo-noir thrillers that proliferated the latter half of the ‘80s. Scott’s blocking and framing is once again worthy of study for film students. Beyond its striking visuals, however, it’s underwhelming—a story filled with bland characters and a lackluster romance that never manages to ignite any real passion or intrigue.

Arriving nearly 25 years after its seismic predecessor, Scott’s own legacy sequel Gladiator II comes with all the director’s usual excess, evident from Paul Mescal’s broad shoulders to the dialed-up performances by Denzel Washington and Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn. But like rowboats floating in a coliseum, its extravagance can’t make up for its sluggishness. Damning of all is Mescal’s protagonist Lucius, whose overcooked backstory and lack of juice make it hard to cheer for. Any time there’s mention of Russell Crowe’s Maximus, you might find yourself wondering why you’re not just watching Gladiator instead.

Reuniting Scott with Russell Crowe (in the second of five movies together), A Good Year stars Crowe as a workaholic London trader who inherits his uncle’s vineyard in France where he falls for an alluring cafe owner (Marion Cotillard). Mostly sauceless with its few dashes of zest coming out of Crowe and Cotillard’s chemistry, A Good Year is like a full plate of bland cuisine – when “fine” feels too far from good.

Based on the real-life tragedy of the brigantine Albatross, which sank on May 2, 1961, the film follows a group of young men on a school-sponsored sailing trip led by their captain, “Skipper,” Dr. Sheldon (Jeff Bridges). When the ship is devastated by a sudden windstorm—the titular “white squall”—the boys’ survival hinges on the critical lessons they’ve learned throughout their journey. White Squall doesn’t chart any new or particularly thrilling cinematic waters, but its earnestness and emotional pull make it easy to get swept away.

Not long after Tom Cruise rose to stardom dancing in his underwear and socks, Scott worked with the newly certified A-lister for his dark storybook fantasy Legend. Fantasy was a new genre playground for Scott, who, in 1985, had already unleashed two of his most seminal sci-fi movies, Alien and Blade Runner. But as magnificent as its vibes are (and a movie I personally recommend to Soulsborne faithful), Legend doesn’t have much going for it besides Tim Curry as a devilishly masculine Darkness—an all-time achievement in makeup and design working in concert with Curry’s flamboyant charisma. Legend is a confused movie, ostensibly a classic fairy tale with arthouse stylings.

All the Money in the World is often remembered as the film that erased Kevin Spacey in the wake of his career-destroying allegations, but it deserves more recognition than that. Based on John Pearson’s 1995 nonfiction book Painfully Rich, the film recounts the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and his mother’s (Michelle Williams) futile attempts to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer, replacing Spacey) to pay the ransom. This leads to increasingly desperate measures to recover her teenage son. While it functions as a fairly standard ransom thriller, it’s Williams’ powerhouse performance that elevates the movie, making it a compelling watch. It’s nothing short of a crime that her exceptional work was overlooked by the Academy Awards, earning only a Golden Globe nomination.

Demi Moore’s dubious (and totally undeserved) Razzie Award win for Worst Actress aside, Ridley Scott’s G.I. Jane—a fictionalized account of the first woman to train in the U.S. Navy SEALs—is an imperfect but commendable film. Moore stars as Lieutenant Jordan O’Neil, who is hand-selected for a trial program to integrate women into the Navy. Her commanding officer, Master Chief John Urgayle (Viggo Mortensen), pushes her to the brink. In contrast to most of Scott’s work, G.I. Jane is an uplifting story about grit and perseverance, underpinned by a potent feminist message. Its noble efforts, however, are somewhat undermined by an uncritical embrace of jingoism.

Loaded with all the hallmarks of post-9/11 spy thrillers, Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies delivers entertaining dadcore fare that fans of Tom Clancy games might enjoy. Based on David Ignatius’ 2007 novel, which was inspired by the real-life Operation Mincemeat conducted by British forces during World War II, the film follows the intense efforts of a CIA operative (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his manipulative boss (Russell Crowe) as they work to flush out a terrorist leader in the Middle East. But how much can they really trust each other? With complex surveillance shots, roving black SUVs, and DiCaprio shouting into tiny cell phones, Body of Lies doesn’t reinvent the spy movie wheel—but it doesn’t have to.

Depending on which version you see, Kingdom of Heaven can be either holy or unholy. The theatrical cut of Kingdom of Heaven, a liberally fictionalized chronicle of the Italian noble Balian of Ibelin (Orlando Bloom) who fought in the Crusades, bombed in theaters. Incoherent and oppressive, the film captures the misery of the Crusades, but ultimately falls short. While it contains moments of visual beauty, expected from the director of Gladiator, it feels incomplete. That was because it was. When Kingdom of Heaven hit DVD, Ridley Scott personally supervised an extended director’s cut, adding 40 minutes of restored material originally excised due to studio meddling and audience test screenings. The result transformed a flawed film into a modern masterpiece.

In his critically acclaimed directing debut, Ridley Scott came out swinging with The Duelists, a historical drama in which Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine portray rival French officers locked in a 20-year battle of attrition. The film marked Scott’s transition from television commercials to theatrical narrative filmmaking, with the director drawing ample inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. Told through a series of painterly tableaus, The Duelists captures the broader political turmoil of Napoleonic France while making each duel intensely personal, thanks to the onscreen tension between Keitel and Carradine. Uncharacteristically for Scott’s later films, The Duelists received particular praise for its historical accuracy, especially the meticulously choreographed sword fights.

Ridley Scott’s recent take on the life of French officer-turned-Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte has drawn criticism from historians, but Scott has never claimed to be making documentaries. In this exceptionally long historical biopic, Joaquin Phoenix takes on the iconic role of Napoleon, charting his rise to power in 19th-century France, with the captivating Vanessa Kirby co-starring as his calculating first wife, Joséphine. While the film captures the dour gloom surrounding a figure often regarded as a tyrant, Napoleon is unexpectedly funny at times, thanks to Phoenix’s committed performance and his knack for portraying the outsized power wielded by one small man. The result is a compelling film—but be ready to bid au revoir to your entire afternoon.

Imagine Blade Runner without the flying cars—that’s essentially Ridley Scott’s Black Rain, a sleek ‘80s crime thriller that follows a hard-edged cop and his partner (Andy Garcia) from New York to Tokyo. After delivering a yakuza hitman to Japanese authorities only for him to escape under their watch, the duo teams up with a local, by-the-books officer (Ken Takakura) to track down their fugitive—a tattooed needle in a neon-soaked haystack. Much like Blade Runner, Black Rain taps into American anxieties about declining global dominance, with its narrative reflecting the unease about Japan’s economic rise in the late 20th century. At the same time, it weaves an unexpectedly heartfelt story of bridging cultural and personal divides. For fans of Scott’s rain-drenched, atmospheric visuals, Black Rain delivers plenty of eye-catching noir-inspired style.

Once again, you’ll want to seek out Scott’s extended director’s cut. A muscular crime thriller filled with hardened bodies and calloused souls, Scott’s 2013 film The Counselor brings Cormac McCarthy’s first spec script to life. It’s a philosophically dense and dialogue-heavy tale about a lawyer (Michael Fassbender) whose decision to involve himself in a drug deal at the Mexico-Texas border spirals out of control. One of Scott’s most divisive films—polarizing audiences between admiration and disdain—The Counselor is undeniably intriguing. It offers a dark, unflinching interrogation of human failings like greed, delivered with a perspective as bleak and unforgiving as crude oil.

A star-studded, buttoned-up tale of aristocratic intrigue, House of Gucci chronicles the doomed romance between Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), heir to the Gucci fortune and its iconic fashion brand, and his wife Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga). The highly publicized feud within the Gucci dynasty feels tailor-made for Ridley Scott’s sensibilities—a director who often prioritizes drama and detail over strict factual accuracy. House of Gucci mirrors the irony of the fashion industry itself: a world where characters obsess over appearances and reputation but have no qualms about getting their hands dirty.

At once part of the Alien franchise but eager to forge its own path, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus marks a return to the director’s haunting and enigmatic sensibilities after years of Hollywood grandeur. Set in the late 21st century, the film follows a team of explorers aboard the starship Prometheus on a mission to uncover the origins of humanity—only to find themselves in a desperate fight for survival. A visually stunning piece of sci-fi horror, Prometheus explores humanity’s hubris, weaving together influences from Greek mythology, Judeo-Christian themes, and the chilling vastness of Lovecraftian cosmic horror.

In Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Eric Jager’s nonfiction book, a French knight (Matt Damon) during the Hundred Years’ War accuses his former squire (Adam Driver) of sexually assaulting his wife (Jodie Comer) and challenges him to one of the last recorded trial-by-combat duels in France. Essentially a Rashomon-style tale with striking #MeToo parallels, The Last Duel unfolds through three conflicting perspectives—though the film asserts there is only one truth. Sober, somber, and gripping, The Last Duel brims with unflinching brutality. While it may not rank as Scott’s all-time best, it stands out as one of his finest works in years.

You can practically smell the dust and debris, feel the heat radiating from a hot assault rifle, and hear your ears ringing from freshly detonated grenades. Released just weeks after 9/11, Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down offered audiences a visceral glimpse into the evolving face of warfare through its depiction of the 1993 Black Hawk Down incident during the Somali Civil War. The film follows a U.S. military mission to stabilize the conflict, which spirals out of control when Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, leaving outnumbered soldiers to regroup and survive against overwhelming odds. Despite its historical inaccuracies and a sometimes dizzying narrative, Black Hawk Down masterfully blurs the line between thrilling spectacle and nail-biting terror. Unsurprisingly, it became a touchstone for military media that followed, influencing everything from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune.

Five years after Prometheus, Scott returned to helm his own sequel to the franchise he began. 2017’s Alien: Covenant officially bridges Alien and Prometheus, following the story of a damaged colonial ship that makes landfall on a mysterious planet hiding a dark secret—and a hostile entity. While the narrative borrows heavily from Scott’s original Alien and offers nods to other entries in the franchise, Covenant serves as a satisfying continuation of Prometheus while delivering some fresh thrills of its own. True to the spirit of the iconic tagline that made Alien unforgettable, Covenant reminds us: “In space, no one can hear you scream.”

As smart, funny, and suspenseful as Andy Weir’s book—and featuring a striking auburn-orange color palette to bring Mars to life—The Martian allows Ridley Scott to flex different tonal muscles. The film manages to be as light as zero gravity without downplaying the severity of its premise. Matt Damon delivers a commanding performance, supported by an exceptional ensemble cast (Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, and many more), even though most of the characters feel light years apart from each other for much of the runtime. The Martian is simply good stuff—very good stuff.

If Gladiator isn’t Ridley Scott’s greatest movie, it certainly deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as whatever is. A massive hit upon its release in summer 2000, the film resurrected the sword-and-sandals epic with a gripping revenge tale about Maximus (Russell Crowe), a decorated Roman general betrayed by the scheming new emperor (Joaquin Phoenix) and forced to survive as an enslaved gladiator. Brimming with raw machismo and solidifying Crowe’s star power in cinematic bronze, Gladiator was one of the last films to both dominate the box office and claim the Oscar for Best Picture. “Are you not entertained?” We definitely were.

The next time Matchstick Men pops up on cable (assuming you still have a subscription), give it a chance—you might be pleasantly surprised despite its seemingly ho-hum premise. Nicolas Cage stars as a neurotic, tic-riddled con man whose carefully constructed life of crime unravels when he meets his teenage daughter (Alison Lohman). Matchstick Men feels distinct from most of Ridley Scott’s filmography, its understated mise en scène lacking the grand scope and sensory overload typical of his work—except for a final twist so devastating it might knock you off your couch. What Matchstick Men does showcase, however, is another of Scott’s greatest strengths: collaborating with top-tier actors and bringing out their very best performances.

The beauty of Scott’s Thelma & Louise lies in more than just its iconic final shot—it’s in the journey that brings its characters to that unforgettable moment. Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis shine as the titular protagonists, two friends whose short road trip spirals into a run from the law after they kill an attempted rapist. As they traverse the country, Thelma and Louise embark on a deeper quest for independence, finding meaning and self-actualization in the ever-growing distance between themselves and the oppressive world they’ve left behind. Celebrated as both a landmark feminist film and one of the greatest road movies ever made, Thelma & Louise endures in memory just as it concludes: bold, defiant, and unforgettable.

Scott’s sweeping exploration of the American Dream comes to life in American Gangster, embodied in the story of Frank Lucas, the infamous Harlem gangster who built a heroin empire during the Vietnam War—allegedly smuggling the drug into the U.S. via caskets carrying dead servicemen. Denzel Washington commands the screen as Lucas, delivering a performance of chilling ruthlessness and emotional reserve. Russell Crowe reunites with Scott to play the determined cop relentlessly pursuing Lucas’s criminal enterprise.

Nearly flawless from start to finish, American Gangster transcends its generic title to become perhaps one of the greatest films about gangsters and dreamers, capital and power, and the opportunities within corruption since The Godfather and Goodfellas. How good is it? Good enough to inspire Jay-Z to record one of his finest albums.

It’s almost unfathomable that Blade Runner was overlooked at the box office in 1982, only to later become one of the most influential films of all time. A mesmerizing blend of detective noir and speculative science fiction, Blade Runner delves deep into themes of identity, purpose, and memory. The film follows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), an ex-cop turned bounty hunter tasked with retiring lifelike androids known as “replicants,” including a particularly dangerous one (Rutger Hauer) leading an outlaw gang.

Its impact on the sci-fi genre cannot be overstated; nearly every piece of sci-fi media since owes something to Blade Runner. What holds it back from the absolute top tier of Scott’s filmography is the existence of seven different versions of the film, each offering a slightly different vision. For first-time viewers, seek out the 2007 Final Cut—the only version where Scott had complete creative control.

A startling and visually stunning sci-fi horror about humanity’s (or more precisely, women’s) survival against the unknown, Scott’s sophomore feature, Alien, follows the ill-fated crew of a spaceship as they attempt to expel a malevolent entity after it infiltrates their vessel—delivering one of the most grotesque and iconic reveals in movie history. Sigourney Weaver gradually takes center stage as Ellen Ripley, a warrant officer who joins the ranks of Sally Hardesty and Laurie Strode in defining the “final girl” archetype of the horror genre.

Even without considering the countless sequels, comics, video games, and other media it inspired, Alien stands tall as one of the finest achievements in Scott’s illustrious career. More than that, it’s simply one of the greatest films ever made. Period.