12 best Ridley Scott films worth watching

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The versatile director is equally good at shooting history, fantasy and life dramas.

1. Duelists

• Great Britain, 1977.
• Drama, military.
• Duration: 100 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

By an absurd accident, a quarrel breaks out between two officers of Napoleon's army. They arrange a duel, but the enmity does not end there either. Opponents will chase each other for many years.

Already in his debut feature-length film, Ridley Scott took on a genre in which he would shoot many legendary films: hard-core historical drama. The confrontation between the main characters unfolds against the backdrop of real events of the past and impressive scenery.

2. Alien

• USA, UK, 1979.
• Science fiction, thriller, horror.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

The crew of the space tug "Nostromo" receives a signal from the LV-426 planetoid. Deciding that someone is asking for help, the team disembarks and soon discovers an unknown life form. Now, ordinary hard workers will have to confront a creepy xenomorph who only wants to kill and reproduce.

Following the success of The Duelists, Ridley Scott was invited to direct a sci-fi horror film based on a promising script by budding Dan O'Bannon. The director personally did a variety of storyboards inspired by 2001 A Space Odyssey and Star Wars, which greatly impressed the studio.

Scott has released a revolutionary film that combines elements of fantasy and chamber horror. At the same time, the special effects created by Hans Rudy Giger looked both aesthetically pleasing and frightening. Alien has received many sequels that other directors have worked on, such as James Cameron and David Fincher. And in 2012, Ridley Scott returned to the franchise with the prequel Prometheus.

3. Blade Runner

• USA, 1982.
• Science fiction, drama, thriller.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

In the future, scientists have created replicants indistinguishable from humans, who must perform the most difficult and humiliating work. But some cars escape, and then a trained blade runner is sent to search for them. Rick Deckard is one such specialist. The hero already wants to retire, but he has the last task ahead.

Warner Bros. Studio decided to release a screen version of Philip Dick's popular novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. But when Ridley Scott joined the work, the script was radically changed. With the filing of the director, instead of environmental topics, they put philosophy and a story about life and death at the center of the plot.

After the test screenings, the producers were afraid that the picture turned out to be too complex and gloomy, and forced the authors to remount it, adding a voiceover and a happy ending. Because of this, Blade Runner failed at the box office. But later, the director repeatedly refined the film, and it became as iconic as Alien.

4. Thelma and Louise

• USA, UK, France, 1991.
• Drama, crime.
• Duration: 130 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

The life of Thelma and Louise has long turned into a series of gray everyday life: one works as a waitress in a cafe, the other is forced to sit at home and serve a rude husband. The girlfriends decide to run away from their problems and go on a journey. But at the first stop, they have to commit a crime. From that moment on, Thelma and Louise are put on the wanted list, and they are simply forced to break the law again, hiding from the police.

Scott, already in the early stages of his work, often devoted his paintings to strong female characters. So, Ellen Ripley from "Alien" has become one of the most popular action heroines. But the tragedy of Thelma and Louise is that they simply have no one to rely on: even the police do not listen to the girls. And the only reasonable man played by Harvey Keitel cannot influence what is happening in any way.

5. Gladiator

• USA, UK, 2000.
• Drama, historical, thriller.
• Duration: 155 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

Due to the betrayal of the new emperor Commodus, the famous general of the Roman Empire Maximus loses everything. Having lost his family and name, he fights in the arena as a simple gladiator. Maximus uses all his military experience and strength to one day face a longtime enemy and restore justice.

In the nineties, Ridley Scott had several failed projects in a row: "1492: The Conquest of Paradise", "White Flurry" and "Soldier Jane" did not pay off at the box office. But then he took up a large-scale and cruel historical canvas about the Roman Empire. The combination of outright violence, the excellent acting of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix and the large-scale scenery captivated not only ordinary spectators. The Gladiator has received five Academy Awards in 12 nominations, two Golden Globes, four BAFTAs and many other awards.

6. Black hawk

• USA, UK, 2001.
• Action, military, drama.
• Duration: 144 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

The action takes place in early October 1993 in Somalia, engulfed in civil war. Field commanders intercept supplies of humanitarian aid, so civilians are starving to death. Then the US military decides to capture one of the leaders of the group that controls the capital of Mogadishu. But it turns out that the Americans underestimated the strength of the enemy. The operation turns into a protracted battle with a huge number of victims.

Scott made a dark war movie based on real events that took place on October 3 and 4, 1993. True, after the release, the director was repeatedly accused of distorting events: he showed that the American military fought almost alone. In fact, they were assisted by Malaysian and Pakistani troops. But despite the inaccuracy, Ebon Hawk looks incredibly exciting.

7. Great scam

• USA, UK, 2003.
• Drama, comedy, crime.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Swindler Roy, together with his partner, runs small business in the field of trade. The hero's personal life did not work out, but suddenly he learns about the existence of 14-year-old daughter Angela. Roy quickly realizes that he must now take care of a loved one. And Angela, having found out what her father is doing, demands that he teach her the art of deception.

After many large-scale works with impressive scenery and action, Ridley Scott took on a touching tragicomedy, built exclusively on acting, unexpected plot twists and emotions. It is in this film that Nicolas Cage's talent is perfectly revealed.

8. Kingdom of Heaven

• USA, Spain, 2005.
• Military, drama.
• Duration: 145 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

Blacksmith Balian is forced to flee his native land and join his father in the Crusade. Soon he dies, but before that he manages to make his son a knight and a baron. In his new status, Balian goes to Jerusalem.

Against the backdrop of the success of Gladiator, Ridley Scott was entrusted with another historic project. But the producers were waiting for him to shoot a cruel and dynamic action movie, and the director decided to create a larger-scale canvas that would become a real cut of the era of the Crusades. Due to a different vision of the plot after filming, the studio re-edited the picture and released a cut-down version for rental, from which some lines and even characters disappeared.

9. Nice year

• USA, UK, 2006.
• Drama, melodrama, comedy.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

After the death of his uncle, a successful stock trader Max plans to sell his winery in Provence. But having arrived in the places where he spent his summer holidays as a child, the hero gradually realizes that a quiet life attracts him much more than the hustle and bustle of the world of business.

The main plot was invented by Ridley Scott, and already based on his ideas, Peter Mail wrote a book. But when it came to filming, the director used his best practices because he was dissatisfied with the literary interpretation.

In this film, as in Gladiator, Russell Crowe played the main role. In one of the scenes where the hero is rubbing the ground in his fingers, the director even made an explicit reference to their previous work together. But the atmosphere here is strikingly different from many of Scott's other films: Good Year is a very calm and touching dramatic comedy.

10. Gangster

• USA, UK, 2007.
• Biography, drama, crime.
• Duration: 157 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

After the death of the crime boss, his driver, Frank Lucas, uses his wits and past connections to start his own business. He supplies heroin from Vietnam and soon becomes the king of the underworld. Frank has his own law enforcement agents, but one of the few honest cops, Richie Roberts, is on his trail.

Another work by Ridley Scott is built in the genre of a crime drama. Here the main emphasis is placed on the confrontation between two outstanding personalities: Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington, and Roberts, played by Russell Crowe, the director's favorite actor. At the same time, the plot shows both heroes very ambiguous, not dividing the world only into pure good and evil.

11. The body of lies

• USA, UK, 2008.
• Action, drama, thriller.
• Duration: 128 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

US National Intelligence Officer Roger Ferris tracks terrorists around the world and prevents tragedies. He is constantly monitored by CIA veteran Ed Hoffman via satellite. Wanting to catch a dangerous action movie, Ferris comes up with a risky plan. But it soon turns out that the bosses are playing a more complex game.

In this film, where the magnificent Leonardo DiCaprio played along with Russell Crowe, the director decided to combine an action-thriller, which takes place around the world, and a detective story with unexpected plot twists. At the same time, it is interesting that in reality, "The Body of Lies" was filmed only in the United States and Morocco. The entourage of other countries had to be recreated artificially.

12. The Martian

• UK, USA, Hungary, 2015.
• Science fiction, adventure.
• Duration: 144 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

In the world of the future, a group of scientists is studying Mars, but is forced to hastily leave the planet due to the onset of a storm. In the process of evacuating one of the members of the expedition, Watney is blown away by the wind. The hero is injured and loses the ability to contact the others. Colleagues consider him dead and fly away. But Watney comes to his senses and realizes that now he must survive alone on a distant planet.

In the 2010s, Ridley Scott was often talked about in the context of his return to the world of Alien. Moreover, new films were mostly scolded. But at the same time, the director released an exciting and witty "The Martian" based on the book of the same name by Andy Weier. The picture was received with enthusiasm, appreciating the combination of fantasy and humor.

As a result, the film received seven Oscar nominations. True, he did not take any awards due to too strong competition.