With the spirit of cinema alive in 2026, now is the perfect time for new Ridley Scott. With a career spanning five decades, Scott’s the eighth-highest-grossing director of all time, with his films grossing $5 billion at the worldwide box office; with that kind of stat, you’d think that Scott was making fluffier material. No, this is the director of challenging epics like 1982’s Blade Runner or 1979’s highly influential Alien, which helped put Sigourney Weaver on the map while deeply impacting the worlds of horror and science fiction.
A few things make Scott a unique director. Russell Crowe has said Scott’s films focus on the performers, allowing them to explore and add to the characters they portray. He’s also known for the multiple cuts he’s given to his films; Blade Runner has six different versions that viewers have dissected for over 40 years, adding to the film’s legacy.
With Scott’s latest film, The Dog Stars, in theaters now, it’s the best time to take a look at the cream of the crop in Ridley Scott’s filmography. These are Ridley Scott’s 10 best films, ranked.
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Prometheus (2012)
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, Charlize Theron
Release date: June 8, 2012
The fifth installment in the Alien film franchise was also Ridley Scott’s return to the franchise after directing the first film in 1979. (He would also direct the sixth in the franchise, 2017’s Alien: Covenant.) With a stellar performance from Michael Fassbender as the android David (and Noomi Rapace giving her best Weaver), Covenant leaned heavily on stunning visuals and delivered the horror. It may not be the answer-heavy prequel some were looking for, but therein lies the beauty in this kind of film. The stuff you don’t know makes what’s happening that much scarier.
Legend (1985)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent, Alice Playten, Billy Barty, Cork Hubbert
Release date: April 18, 1986 (United States)
Featuring Tim Curry’s Darkness, which is one of the finer depictions of the Devil on screen, Legend follows the pure being Jack, aka the only entity with a chance at stopping the evil Darkness. It ultimately may not have captured a story as impressive as its setpieces, but this is young Tom Cruise cast in the middle of a Ridley Scott fever dream. This may be required viewing!
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, Sam Shepard
Release date: January 18, 2002 (U.S. release)
Featuring a massive cast, Black Hawk Down ended up winning two Oscars—Best Film Editing and Best Sound—while also being nominated for Best Director and Best Cinematography. Ridley Scott putting war on-screen is worth the price of admission; moments of this rival the very best depictions of war you’ve ever seen on film.
American Gangster (2007)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, Ted Levine, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, John Hawkes, RZA Release date: November 2, 2007
Denzel Washington stars in Scott’s film, which is loosely based on the life of the infamous Frank Lucas. A critically acclaimed throwback to old-school gangster films, American Gangster is an expert dance between Washington and Russell Crowe. How dope is the movie? Jay-Z loved it so much he made an entire album based on it.
The Last Duel (2021)
Starring: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck
Release date: October 15, 2021
The lead-up to a knight and a squire engaging in a duel after the knight accuses the squire of raping his wife, set in 14th century France, was going to be a hard sell in any era, but in 2021, during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic? Even throwing Ben Affleck into this film didn’t save it at the box office, although this collaborative work between Scott, Matt Damon, and Affleck turned in an honest portrayal of the time, warts and all.
Gladiator (2000)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris
Release date: May 5, 2000
A phenomenal piece of filmmaking, netting Crowe an Oscar for Best Actor and Scott one for Best Director, Gladiator is built on Crowe’s intense compelling work as Maximus, who becomes a slave after the death of his father and has to rise to win back the throne that is rightfully his. Say what you will about the script at times, but Gladiator features some memorable, breathtaking filmmaking. Are you not entertained?!
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel
Release date: May 24, 1991
Making two great women the leads of this tale shouldn’t be a surprise; again, Weaver’s work in the first Alien film did a lot for heroines in future projects. In Thelma & Louise, we get a dope spin on the road-trip film, this time with two women setting course for all kinds of shenanigans on their trek, which gets realer the deeper they go. Sarandon and Davis have great chemistry, the perfect pair for this touching (and violent) tale.
The Martian (2015)
Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Aksel Hennie, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Release date: October 2, 2015
It may sound weird to call a movie set in outer space—on Mars, no less—“grounded,” but there’s a way Scott and Damon tell the tale of an astronaut who’s left to survive life on Mars while NASA tries to bring him back home. It’s a very funny film, and way more, um, human than you’d expect from a film with this title. For all that talk about Mars and Martians, The Martian is a great study on what it means to be human.
Blade Runner (1982)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Release date: June 25, 1982
A box office bomb upon release, later examintions of Scott’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? heralded the film as not only a cult classic but also an important moment for the neo-noir genre, cyberpunk, and bringing Dick’s work to the mainstream. Home video expanded Blade Runner’s fanbase, as did the lore behind the numerous versions of the film. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young all nail their performances in this bleak world drenched in mystery, no one knowing who’s real and who’s been manufactured to appear real.
Alien (1979)
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto
Release date: May 25, 1979
As if there was any doubt. A defining moment in science fiction, Scott’s Alien was a box office darling, bringing in somewhere around $143 million worldwide, impressive for a film that’s as visually stunning as it is downright scary. No one wants to be locked on a spaceship with an angry alien, but if you ever are, you better study Sigourney Weaver’s tactics in this film. Her performance became the backbone of the franchise, anchoring the first four Alien films. Big scares, disgusting(ly awesome-looking) creatures, and a dope heroine to save the day? What more could you even ask for?!
