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With Gladiator II about to open in theaters, we’re ranking by Tomatometer all the movies of legendary director Ridley Scott, including sci-fi gamechangers Alien and Blade Runner, Best Picture-winner Gladiator, blockbuster crowd-pleasers like The Martianand his most recent releases (House of Gucci, The Last Duel, Napoleon). His top films are below. See the entire list at Rotten Tomatoes.
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15. House of Gucci (2021)
Tomatometer: 62%
Popcornmeter: 83%
Synopsis: House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire. When Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately... murder.
Critics Consensus: House of Gucci vacillates between inspired camp and dour drama too often to pull off a confident runway strut, but Lady Gaga's note-perfect performance has a timeless style all its own.
Starring: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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14. Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)
Tomatometer: 65%
Popcornmeter: 41%
Synopsis: After Manhattan socialite Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) witnesses her friend's murder at the hands of Joey Venza (Andreas Katsulas), a ruthless mobster, rookie detective Mike Keegan (Tom Berenger) is assigned to protect her. While working on the case, Mike quickly falls in love with Claire, leaving his wife, Ellie (Lorraine Bracco), devastated. Mike is forced to choose between the two women he loves while fending off Venza, who will stop at nothing to get to Claire.
Critics Consensus: Its plot is sometimes hard to swallow, but some fine acting and director Ridley Scott's stylish visual flair make Someone to Watch Over Me an engaging police thriller.
Starring: Tom Berenger, Mimi Rogers, Lorraine Bracco, Jerry Orbach
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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13. Alien: Covenant (2017)
Tomatometer: 65%
Popcornmeter: 55%
Synopsis: Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, members (Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup) of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think to be an uncharted paradise. While there, they meet David (Michael Fassbender), the synthetic survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. The mysterious world soon turns dark and dangerous when a hostile alien life-form forces the crew into a deadly fight for survival.
Critics Consensus: Alien: Covenant delivers another satisfying round of close-quarters deep-space terror, even if it doesn't take the saga in any new directions.
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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12: Prometheus (2012)
Tomatometer: 73%
Popcornmeter: 68%
Synopsis: The discovery of a clue to mankind's origins on Earth leads a team of explorers to the darkest parts of the universe. Two brilliant young scientists lead the expedition. Shaw (Noomi Rapace) hopes that they will meet a race of benevolent, godlike beings who will in some way verify her religious beliefs, while Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) is out to debunk any spiritual notions. However, neither the scientists nor their shipmates are prepared for the unimaginable terrors that await them.
Critics Consensus: Ridley Scott's ambitious quasi-prequel to Alien may not answer all of its big questions, but it's redeemed by its haunting visual grandeur and compelling performances -- particularly Michael Fassbender as a fastidious android.
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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11. The Duellists (1977)
Tomatometer: 74%
Popcornmeter: 83%
Synopsis: Armand d'Hubert (Keith Carradine) and Gabriel Féraud (Harvey Keitel) are French soldiers under Napoleon. A trivial quarrel between d'Hubert and Féraud escalates into a lifelong grudge, and, as war rages on, the officers repeatedly challenge one another to violent sword and pistol duels. After 15 years, both men have distinguished themselves through their service and become generals, however, their mutual hatred never ceases, even when the initial cause of their rivalry is forgotten.
Critics Consensus: Rich, stylized visuals work with effective performances in Ridley Scott's take on Joseph Conrad's Napoleonic story, resulting in an impressive feature film debut for the director.
Starring: Keith Carradine, Harvey Keitel, Albert Finney, Edward Fox
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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10. Black Hawk Down (2001)
Tomatometer: 76%
Popcornmeter: 88%
Synopsis: The film takes place in 1993 when the U.S. sent special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of the helicopters down immediately. From there, the U.S. soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.
Critics Consensus: Though it's light on character development and cultural empathy, Black Hawk Down is a visceral, pulse-pounding portrait of war, elevated by Ridley Scott's superb technical skill.
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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9. All the Money in the World (2017)
Tomatometer: 79%
Popcornmeter: 65%
Synopsis: In 1973, kidnappers demand $17 million from billionaire J. Paul Getty in exchange for his grandson's release. Getty refuses to pay the perpetrators a single penny despite the desperate pleas from his former daughter-in-law Gail and adviser Fletcher Chase. With nowhere else to turn, Gail and Fletcher soon become unlikely allies in a race against time to save the teen's life.
Critics Consensus: All the Money in the World offers an absorbing portrayal of a true story, brought compellingly to life by a powerful performance from Christopher Plummer.
Starring: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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8. Gladiator (2000)
Tomatometer: 79%
Popcornmeter: 87%
Synopsis: Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor and father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the great stoical philosopher. Maximus is then relegated to fighting to the death in the gladiator arenas.
Critics Consensus: While not everyone will be entertained by Gladiator's glum revenge story, Russell Crowe thunderously wins the crowd with a star-making turn that provides Ridley Scott's opulent resurrection of Rome its bruised heart.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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7. American Gangster (2007)
Tomatometer: 81%
Popcornmeter: 90%
Synopsis: Frank Lucas earns his living as a chauffeur to one of Harlem's leading mobsters; after his boss dies, Frank uses his own ingenuity and strict business code to become one of the inner city's most powerful crime bosses; veteran cop Richie Roberts senses a change in the mob's power structure and looks for ways to bring his opponent to justice.
Critics Consensus: American Gangster is a gritty and entertaining throwback to classic gangster films, with its lead performers firing on all cylinders.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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6. Matchstick Men (2003)
Tomatometer: 82%
Popcornmeter: 74%
Synopsis: Roy (Nicolas Cage), a depressed con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Frank (Sam Rockwell), his partner, find their line of work complicated by the arrival of Roy's teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Angela brings some spirit back into Roy's life, and some of his disorder symptoms seem to disappear. But when Angela wants to learn the family business, and Roy allows her to assist on a big scam concerning a businessmen (Bruce McGill), he reconsiders his parenting techniques.
Critics Consensus: Breezy and well-acted, Matchstick Men focuses more on the characters than on the con.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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5. The Last Duel (2021)
Tomatometer: 85%
Popcornmeter: 81%
Synopsis: The Last Duel is a cinematic and thought-provoking drama set in the midst of the Hundred Years War that explores the ubiquitous power of men, the frailty of justice and the strength and courage of one woman willing to stand alone in the service of truth. Based on actual events, the film unravels long-held assumptions about France's last sanctioned duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, two friends turned bitter rivals. Carrouges is a respected knight known for his bravery and skill on the battlefield. Le Gris is a Norman squire whose intelligence and eloquence make him one of the most admired nobles in court. When Carrouges' wife, Marguerite, is viciously assaulted by Le Gris, a charge he denies, she refuses to stay silent, stepping forward to accuse her attacker, an act of bravery and defiance that puts her life in jeopardy. The ensuing trial by combat, a grueling duel to the death, places the fate of all three in God's hands.
Critics Consensus: The Last Duel's critique of systemic misogyny isn't as effective as it might have been, but it remains a well-acted and thought-provoking drama infused with epic grandeur.
Starring: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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4. Thelma & Louise (1991)
Tomatometer: 86%
Popcornmeter: 82%
Synopsis: Meek housewife Thelma (Geena Davis) joins her friend Louise (Susan Sarandon), an independent waitress, on a short fishing trip. However, their trip becomes a flight from the law when Louise shoots and kills a man who tries to rape Thelma at a bar. Louise decides to flee to Mexico, and Thelma joins her. On the way, Thelma falls for sexy young thief J.D. (Brad Pitt) and the sympathetic Detective Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) tries to convince the two women to surrender before their fates are sealed.
Critics Consensus: Driven by ride-or-die chemistry between Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon while director Ridley Scott provides scorching visuals fit for a postcard, Thelma & Louise is a feminist adventure that's equal parts provocative and rollicking.
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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3. Blade Runner (1982)
Tomatometer: 89%
Popcornmeter: 91%
Synopsis: Deckard (Harrison Ford) is forced by the police Boss (M. Emmet Walsh) to continue his old job as Replicant Hunter. His assignment: eliminate four escaped Replicants from the colonies who have returned to Earth. Before starting the job, Deckard goes to the Tyrell Corporation and he meets Rachel (Sean Young), a Replicant girl he falls in love with.
Critics Consensus: Misunderstood when it first hit theaters, the influence of Ridley Scott's mysterious, neo-noir Blade Runner has deepened with time. A visually remarkable, achingly human sci-fi masterpiece.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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2. The Martian (2015)
Tomatometer: 91%
Popcornmeter: 91%
Synopsis: When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney (Matt Damon), presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meager amount of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilize his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while his crew mates hatch their own plan for a daring rescue mission.
Critics Consensus: Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.
Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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1. Alien (1979)
Tomatometer: 93%
Popcornmeter: 94%
Synopsis: In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship. An organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma.
Critics Consensus: A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Directed By: Ridley Scott
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