Ranking Ridley: The top 5 Ridley Scott films

Ash Walker • 20 Nov 2024 Features

Are you not entertained?

That Ridley Scott has made a few good films, hasn’t he? And even at 86 years old, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. With his latest, Gladiator II, now in cinemas, we’re looking back over the filmmaker’s illustrious career and listing our picks for the top five best Ridley Scott films.

5. The Martian (2015)

Credit: The Martian | Official Trailer (20th Century Studios, YouTube)

When astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is stranded on Mars following a devastating sandstorm, he must use all of his wits - and the few resources he has left - to survive until NASA is able to organise a rescue.

Based on the novel by Andy Weir, this is essentially a near-future version of Robinson Crusoe, swapping out a deserted island for the barren, beautiful landscapes of the Red Planet.

Damon is effortlessly charming as the doomed astronaut, dropping one-liners and revelling in the magic of science even as he struggles to survive. It’s impossible not to get swept up in every one of his crushing defeats, every soaring high.

And that’s not to mention the rest of the starry supporting cast, which includes the likes of Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean and Benedict Wong.

At its heart, this is a fun movie about smart people figuring stuff out and solving problems, and sometimes that’s all you need.

The Martian is available to stream on Disney+.

4. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

Credit: Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Trailer #1 (Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers, YouTube)

To be clear, we’re talking about the Director’s Cut here, not the much, much more terrible theatrical release.

The version seen in cinemas was slashed to ribbons by the studio, losing nearly half of its runtime and pretty much all of the character work and emotional nuance. The director’s cut restores all of this, filling in the missing pieces to create a genuinely impressive film.

A true epic - even presented in classic ‘roadshow’ format, with overture and intermission - this tells the story of the knight Balian (Orlando Bloom), who travels to Jerusalem to join the Crusades and becomes embroiled with the Holy Land’s ruling family.

Tackling complex issues of fundamentalism and inter-faith tensions, Kingdom of Heaven is one of Scott’s most philosophically interesting films. Plus it has some truly awesome battle sequences.

An underseen gem that deserves a critical reappraisal.

Kingdom of Heaven is available to stream on Disney+.

3. Gladiator (2000)

Credit: GLADIATOR | Official Trailer (Paramount Movies, YouTube)

No one does a historical epic like Ridley Scott. The director of Napoleon, Robin Hood and, er, Exodus: Gods and Kings never seems more comfortable than he does surrounded by swords, sandals and period-accurate clothing.

By far his most successful trip into the distant past is this Ancient Roman blockbuster. On release it became the second-highest grossing movie of 2000 (after Mission: Impossible 2 of all things) and won five Oscars, including Best Picture. To this day it still regularly appears on lists of the best films of all time.

A never-better Russell Crowe plays wronged Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, etc. And he will have his vengeance, in this life or the next.

The film follows Maximus, a completely fictional creation, as he rises up the ranks in the Colosseum, looking to take his revenge against the wicked emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), inspiring a rebellion along the way.

A rightful classic and a gripping watch. Plus it’s essential viewing ahead of the sequel.

Gladiator is available to stream on ITVX.

2. Blade Runner (1982)

Credit: Blade Runner | The Final Cut Trailer (Warner Bros. Entertainment, YouTube)

Blade Runner has been hugely influential over the years, inspiring countless movies, books, video games and TV shows. It’s become a cornerstone of the Cyberpunk genre and is widely regarded as one of the greatest science-fiction films of all time.

Which is why it’s easy to forget that it was a bit of a flop on release.

Based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by sci-fi legend Philip K. Dick - who also brought us Minority Report, Total Recall and The Man in the High Castle - this rain-soaked slice of neo-noir follows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a ‘blade runner’ who tracks down rogue synthetic humans known as replicants.

It’s dark, complex and willfully ambiguous, which might explain why audiences weren't keen on it to begin with - although the theatrical release also suffered a lot of studio interference, which has since been rectified in several director’s cuts. Whatever the reason, it’s nowadays correctly hailed as a masterpiece.

Dune director Denis Villenueve’s belated sequel, Blade Runner 2049, is also well worth a watch.

Blade Runner is available to watch on Sky Cinema.

1. Alien (1979)

Credit: Alien | Modern Trailer (Max, YouTube)

Could our top choice be anything else?

This truly is Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, and it’s pretty much unlike anything he’s done since - a tense, terrifying slasher movie in space.

When the working class crew of the Nostromo pick up a distress signal from an uninhabited planet, they unwittingly bring aboard a bloodthirsty extraterrestrial killing machine. As the crew are picked off one by one, unassuming warrant officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) emerges as the unlikely heroine.

Boasting some excellent production design, a cast of brilliant character actors and a genuinely horrifying creature designed by artist H.R. Giger, Alien is just as good, just as scary as it was 45 years ago.

Plus its impact on popular culture is undeniable - since 1979, Alien has spawned a horde of comics, video games and toys, not to mention 8 more movies, including two crossovers with Predator and this year’s excellent Alien: Romulus. Even Scott himself returned to the franchise. Twice!

But the less said about Prometheus the better…

Alien is available to stream on Disney+.