Throughout his almost 50 years spent directing feature films,Ridley Scotthas proven himself capable of approaching - and succeeding within - just about every genre there is. His latest release,Napoleon, and his upcomingGladiator 2ultimately signify that he might be most at home while directing epics with historical settings, but over the decades, he’s been behind some great entirely fictional movies, too. Some of these titles have even belonged to the science fiction and fantasy genres.
What follows are all his movies that can be regarded as falling into one of these camps, ranked roughly from interesting films that misfire in some ways to stone-cold classics of their respective genres. None of the following movies are bad, and even those that aren’t amazing do have engaging scenes and strong technical elements to admire. They speak to Scott’s general consistency as a director, as well as to the way that he’s always beena chameleonic filmmaker who’s adept at making a variety of movies.
6’Legend' (1985)
Scott’s sole fantasy movie is flawed but interesting
There’s a certain quality to fantasy movies from the 1980s that keeps them feeling particularly distinct, even if it’s not one that’s easy to put into words. Films likeWillow,Labyrinth,The NeverEnding Story, and the underratedLadyhawkeall have a certain vibe to them and don’t seem like they could have been made in any other decade besides the 1980s. Ridley Scott’sLegend- his only true fantasy movie to date - can be counted among those titles, because it definitely screams “1980s fantasy.”
Legendis noteworthy for havingTom Cruiseappearing in it in one of his earliest leading roles, as well as forTim Curryshowing up as essentially the devil. It’s a littleunderrated and overlooked as a Ridley Scott film, even if it can’t quite escape the confines of its stereotypical plot, which is a simple “good fights evil while saving the princess” sort of narrative.Those who like ’80s fantasy movies will likely get a kick out of it, though, and even with its flaws, it does prove charming at times.
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5’Alien: Covenant' (2017)
This sixth ‘Alien’ movie has its problems, but it’s certainly over-hated
Some people talk aboutAlien: Covenantlike it’s offensively bad, and perhaps even the worst film in theAlienseries so far. It functions as a sequel to Ridley Scott’s ownPrometheus(2012), and feels like a kind of “return to basics” sort of thing, given thatPrometheusde-emphasized certain elements usually found inAlienmovies (and, as such, was also divisive). The plot here follows a new crew of people who exist to get terrorized by an alien creature, with their lives spiraling out of control after they meet an android named David.
David’s the only real character who carries over fromPrometheus, and he’s easily the movie’s most interesting element, thanks toa committed and creepy performance byMichael Fassbender. Elsewhere,Alien: Covenantdelivers some solid - if not quite amazing - sci-fi thrills and scares, and certainly proves entertaining, even if it’s not hugely original. There are moments when it feels like it’s aiming to be something more than “just another"Alienfilm, with these parts certainly being the most interesting (and strange).
Alien: Covenant
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4’Prometheus' (2012)
Provides stunning spectacle and intriguing ideas
Prometheusisan ambitious and lofty science fiction moviethat’s more concerned with looking at human nature - and other complex themes - over being a more straightforward piece of sci-fi/horror. It does also serve as anAlienprequel, and begins to feel more like it belongs in that series as it goes along, building slowly and getting progressively more intense and violent. Yet there’s also an argument to be made that it’s those elements that make upPrometheus’weaker moments, particularly when it comes to the characters andsome of the infamous decisions they make.
But whenPrometheuswants to look at things like existence and life’s place in the universe as a whole, it can be surprisingly epic and striking.It’s definitely one of the best-looking sci-fi movies of the 2010s, when judging its visuals and technical aspects; such things are indeed hard to not admire. Other parts of the film - mostly its writing - are more contested and perhaps less worthy of praise, but there is still a great deal thatPrometheusgets right as a sci-fi experience.
Prometheus
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3’The Martian' (2015)
An old-fashioned and satisfying sci-fi/survival movie
Parts ofPrometheusproved divisive, and then Ridley Scott’s next movie - the bleak crime/thriller,The Counselor(2013) - proved to have even more detractors. Further, 2014’sExodus: Gods and Kingswas therare Ridley Scott epic that didn’t really work. As such, it’s possible to seeThe Martianas a comeback for Scott, as it was a well-received and overall popular 2015 sci-fi movie, and told a simple yet compelling story about one man stranded on Mars, doing what he could to survive while awaiting rescue.
The MartianstarsMatt Damonas the astronaut on Mars, with the rest of the cast playing characters back on Earth who have to arrange a mission to rescue him. It’s unapologetically direct and crowd-pleasing in nature, but a solid hit that would be liked by most people is probably what Ridley Scott needed at this point in his career. It’s not a perfect film, and parts can feel perhaps a little safe in nature, butit’s all well-assembled and generally entertaining in a way that’s hard to dislike.
The Martian
2’Alien' (1979)
Deservedly regarded as a legendary horror/sci-fi mash-up
As far as terrifying horror movies go, things don’t get a whole lot more iconic thanAlien. It is one of those movies to whichall other horror/sci-fi/survival movies are compared, as it approaches this brand of science fiction in a manner that’s as blunt and simple as the title “Alien.” It follows seven individuals on board a spacecraft known as the Nostromo, and the way they’re all forced to fight for their lives when a terrifying and deadly alien creature is let loose on the ship.
Alienbirthed an iconic franchise, and one that Ridley Scott himself has returned to twice in the 2010s, withPrometheusandAlien: Covenant. Yetthere’s a strong argument to be made that this is one series where the sequels never quite topped the original… thoughJames Cameron’sAliensis also fantastic, and happens to be much more action-focused in a way that works surprisingly well.Alienwas arguably the film that made Ridley Scott a superstar director, and still holds up fantastically 40+ years on from its initial release.
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1’Blade Runner' (1982)
About as iconic as science fiction gets
For as great asAlienwas, Ridley Scott may have managed to exceed it in quality with his next sci-fi movie, made three years later. That film isBlade Runner, which is also regarded asan all-time great sci-fi movieand one that provedAlienwas no fluke for Ridley Scott. It also has a fairly simple plot, centering on one man who’s assigned to track down a group of synthetic humans who’ve all gone rogue, with the technical craft on offer and the themes explored ultimately adding complexity to the film.
It’s also a very well-cast movie, withHarrison Fordplaying a different sort of characterthan usual andRutger Hauerstealing every scene he’s in. As far as special effects go,Blade Runnerstill looks phenomenal more than four decades later, and the film’s music - composed byVangelis- is also arguably up there with the all-time great cinematic scores.It is a classic in just about every way, and there’s an argument to be made that not only is it Ridley Scott’s best sci-fi or fantasy movie, but is actually his greatest achievement as a filmmaker full-stop.
Blade Runner
NEXT:Every Ridley Scott Historical and Period Movie, Ranked
