28 Ridley Scott Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best

Released on the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage, 1492: Conquest of Paradise follows the explorer’s venture into the New World. Are there historical inaccuracies? Yes. To the point of being problematic and potentially dangerous? Also yes.

Exodus: Gods and Kings rehashes the story of Moses with an emphasis on over-baked spectacle and Christian Bale in a chainmail skirt. It doesn't really work, but it has plenty of cool CGI, if that’s your thing. Thousands of ick-inducing frogs, for instance, and other more terrifying curses from on high.

In A Good Year, Max (Russell Crowe) leaves his gig as a day trader in London behind for the gorgeous fields of Provence, taking over an estate he inherited from an estranged uncle. Unable to decide if it's a rom-com or drama, the movie struggles to find a consistent tone and, occasionally, is even downright saccharine. To Crowe’s credit, some of the comic bits land. Most do not.

You would think that with Scott and Pulitzer Prize winner Cormac McCarthy at the helm, The Counselor would have been a surefire success. Instead, we got a poorly-paced crime thriller that goes heavy on the rumination and less so on the suspense. Michael Fassbender stars as the slick lawyer who gets into the drug trade—and, inevitably, into hot water with the cartels.

This is not your grandma’s Robin Hood. In this Russell Crowe-vehicle, Scott finds a darker angle to the legend, portraying the outlaw as a grim, self-serious vigilante. Personally, I prefer the Disney version with the foxes and the singing. (You will too.)

Set in the streets of Osaka, Black Rain follows Michael Douglas as an NYPD cop who is tasked with extraditing a mafioso back to Japan. When the culprit escapes, clashes with the Yakuza ensue. Douglas navigates a world of volatile gang warfare, discovering a revenge plot that has been decades in the making in this smoke-filled, atmospheric thriller. Unfortunately, there's not too much to celebrate in Black Rain other than Douglas's sturdy performance.

House of Gucci shows the rise and fall of Patricia Reggazini and her husband Maurizio, who is heir to the Gucci fashion empire. The full-on styling makes for an exceedingly fashionable film, but the ensemble of stars—Adam Driver! Lady Gaga! Al Pacino! Jared Leto!—never feel like they're in the same movie at any point. There are delights to be had between the ridiculous accents and make-up full swings, but a good film, this isn't.

In Someone to Watch Over Me, Scott's penchant for thrillers and NYPD cops is back on display with Tom Berenger starring as Detective Mike Ross. He's tasked with protecting a Manhattan socialite—whom he promptly falls in love with. Lots of strained, longing looks ensue. Watch it for a vintage we're from two different worlds! romance, but don't plan on ever seeing it again.

Scott delivered a gothic fairytale in Legend, which follows a young farm boy (Tom Cruise) in his quest to stop darkness—quite literally. (The Lord of Darkness is played by the ever-watchable Tim Curry). With the help of some fantastical creatures, Cruise’s Jack must save the unicorns in order to stop the world from becoming enveloped in eternal night. Yeah, it's pretty weird, and the plot isn't compelling enough to drive its meagre runtime. But if you're a Scott completionist, Legend's visuals and worldbuilding will impress you, at the very least.

Scott tackles the war on terror in Body of Lies, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing a CIA operative, named Roger Ferris, whose mission is to find a terrorist in Iraq. Over the course of the film, Ferris clashes with his handler (Russell Crowe) while falling for a nurse (Golshifteh Farahani). Eventually, he resorts to creating a faux terrorist group in order to draw his target out of hiding. But the operative’s skill set and the plot that surrounds it are too fantastical, reducing what could have been a high-octane, intelligent film just a cheap thrill.

To those who just don’t get GI Jane—or gave Demi Moore flack for her performance—I just don’t know what to say. A strong female lead, visceral action sequences, and a twist that actually works? GI Jane is not perfect, but it is fun. In the film, Moore’s Lt. Jordan O'Neil undergoes Navy SEAL training; she is the first and only woman to do so, functioning as a test to determine whether the program should integrate women. During the training, she encounters not only the grueling physical obstacles—which cause over half of the trainees to drop out—but ideological ones, too. (See: unsurprising sexism from her fellow trainees.) If you're wondering where Ridley's catalog begins to pick up, look no further.

Following up Silence of the Lambs is an impossible task, but Scott gives it a more than decent shot. Clarice, now a jaded FBI agent working the desk, is pulled once again into the chase by a loose Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). Also at play is Mason Verger (Gary Oldman), Hannibal’s ex-patient, whose face was fed to dogs by the psychiatrist. Expect a solid amount of scares—Hopkins is never anything less than terrifying as Lecter.

Scott's latest historical epic is a little confounding, to say the absolute least. On one end, Napoleon features some of Scott's best setpieces, including reenactments of Austerlitz and Waterloo that are impressive enough to vault the film halfway up this list. That said, Joaquin Phoenix's uneven (and occasionally campy!) turn as the French military commander—plus a strange depiction of his admittedly bizarre love life—keeps Napoleon from reaching the upper echelon of Scott's filmography.

Based on a true story, White Squall sees a group of teenage boys and their captain (Jeff Bridges) navigate the perils of young adulthood and the sea. That may sound like a cliché—and sure, in some places, this movie absolutely is—but overall, it's satisfying, well-paced, and bolstered by strong performances. Think Dead Poets Society on a boat.

Alien: Covenant picks up where Prometheus left off... kind of. After the freak-accident death of their captain, the Covenant crew picks up a signal and lands on a deformed planet to check it out. Sound just a bit familiar? Encounters with Xenomorphs—as well as familiar faces from Prometheus—make for good popcorn fodder, even if this film doesn't really answer any of its predecessor's questions. (Like the origin of humanity, for one.) Bonus: Danny McBride in a dramatic role. It works!

Kingdom of Heaven's theatrical cut is watchable—but its director’s cut makes it great. Philosophical, probing, and beautifully shot, Kingdom of Heaven is loosely based on the events of the siege of Jerusalem, tracing the origin of Balian (Orlando Bloom) from dispirited blacksmith to savior of the Holy Land. Plus, it features a stellar Eva Greene performance.

Sensing a theme here? Scott definitely has a soft spot for the crime biopic. All the Money in the World follows the infamous kidnapping of John Paul Getty III and his grandfather’s refusal to pay his ransom. If you can forget about the drama that surrounded the film (see: reshoots and pay gap issues), it's a solid thriller.

Scott's feature film directorial debut, The Duellists, is a historical epic that centres on a rivalry between two Napoleonic soldiers. Authentic and wide in scope, it's a pristine example of Scott’s ability to weave dense historical detail and visual beauty into an irresistible plot. Looking for an appetiser to Napoleon? This is it!

Thought-provoking and innovative, The Last Duel is based on the true story of a rape allegation in 14th Century France. Told from three different vantage points, Scott makes the case that searching for truth can often be a muddy affair. This one didn't hit at the box office, but it'll stand the test of time.

You know who was disappointed when Prometheus first came out? Everyone. You know who was wrong about Prometheus when it first came out? Everyone. The director's visually stunning 2012 addition to the Alien series demonstrates Scott's strength for remixing his source material into something new. In search of answers regarding humankind’s creation, a crew of scientists visits an unfamiliar planet, where they come across—and explore—a dilapidated, otherworldly spacecraft. What could go wrong? Watch to find out, and enjoy the heady rumination on good and evil that follows.