Joey Magidson
It goes without saying, but Ridley Scott is a fascinating director. At his best, few are better. On the flip-side, however, there aren’t many A-listers more capable of a boondoggle than Scott. So, we have a superstar filmmaker who is equally able to make a masterpiece or a disaster. Recently, he’s been on mostly a winning streak, but Scott is always worth discussing even when he misses. With his latest film in The Dog Stars opening, it felt like a perfect time to update my ranking of his movies so far. Plus, he’s goddamn 88 years old, so what a career to be talking about, regardless.
My review of The Dog Stars (here) includes this bit about Scott:
A Ridley Scott movie can really run the gamut. Sometimes, he crafts a gem. Other times? It more closely resembles a turd. However, he doesn’t usually engage in mediocrity. It’s highs and lows with Scott, which is what makes The Dog Stars such a bummer. This isn’t a terrible film, but it’s not a good one, either. Worse, it’s not particularly enjoyable, so we don’t have much fun to be had in the ways that it’s not good. That’s largely due to Scott not being to blame for the movie not working, but that doesn’t make it any less of a late summer disappointment.
Previously, in my review of Gladiator II (here) I said the following about Scott’s direction:
Director Ridley Scott and writer David Scarpa (who shares a Story By credit with Peter Craig) don’t mess with what works. A lot of this is similar to what the first film did, though there’s enough here to prevent it from ever feeling like a remake. Scott is enjoying being in this world again, so the movie has moments where it even feels silly. In a way, it’s a cousin to his Napoleon. I wish there was a little bit more here to sink your teeth into, admittedly, but the movie is mostly aiming to just entertain, which it certainly does.
Below, you can see how Scott’s work so far stacks up for me. It’s hard to argue with Alien being top-tier, while I’m higher on Black Hawk Down and especially The Martian than most. That being said, I don’t quite love Blade Runner like almost everyone else. So, of the now 30 flicks (and counting) he’s made to date, there’s a real grab bag quality to things. Curious where Gladiator and its sequel Gladiator II fall? What about his newest work in The Dog Stars? Well, you’re about to find out…
Here now is how I would rank the films of Ridley Scott. Behold:
30. Exodus: Gods and Kings
29. 1492: Conquest of Paradise
28. Robin Hood
27. A Good Year
26. Someone to Watch Over Me
25. The Counselor
24. Body of Lies
23. House of Gucci
22. White Squall
21. Legend
20. The Dog Stars
19. Kingdom of Heaven
18. All the Money in the World
17. Alien: Covenant
16. Hannibal
15. Black Rain
14. Prometheus
13. Napoleon
12. The Duelists
11. Gladiator II
10. American Gangster
9. G.I. Jane
7. Gladiator
6. Thelma & Louise
5. Blade Runner
4. Matchstick Men
3. Black Hawk Down
2. The Martian
1. Alien
Cinematography by Derek Vanlint
What are your favorite Ridley Scott films? Let us know!
Comments
Loading…