Every Ridley Scott Movie Ranked, from ‘The Martian’ and ‘Napoleon’ to ‘The Counselor’ and ‘House of Gucci’

An enterprising surveyor of genre and tone, Ridley Scott has earned the admiration of audiences and critics alike with a seemingly unending interest in exploring the outermost limits of his art form. The British director broke onto the scene in 1977 with “The Duellists,” a French period drama starring Harvey Keitel and Keith Carradine set during the Napoleonic Wars. He returns to the early 19th century with Joaquin Phoenix as its namesake historical figure with the epic “Napoleon,” in theaters November 22.

“I first became aware of Ridley Scott with his film ‘The Duellists,'” Francis Ford Coppola recently said of Scott’s debut in an Instagram post. “I was impressed, and realizing he was my contemporary began following his work, which was prodigious to say the least. One after the other, different styles, themes — all ambitious and never stopping, absolutely great films like ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Thelma & Louise,’ ‘Alien,’ and ‘Black Hawk Down.'”

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Coppola went on to praise Scott’s “amazing productivity,” a compliment supported by a total of 28 feature films from the “Gladiator” director’s career spanning 46 years. From the divisive “House of Gucci” to the even more divisive “Prometheus,” Scott’s filmography has been frequently compared to that of his most foremost 2023 awards season competitor, Martin Scorsese. Despite their similarities, particularly as a matter of scope, Scott recently quipped that he directed four features in the time it took Scorsese to complete “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

At the Oscars, Scott has been nominated for Best Director three times: for “Thelma and & Louise” (1992), “Gladiator” (2001), and “Black Hawk Down” (2002). He was honored with a Best Picture nod for “The Martian” in 2016, and seems a reasonable bet in the still heating up Best Director race for the 2024 Academy Awards. The 85-year-old filmmaker has won Emmys and Golden Globes, as well as been honored at Cannes — including for his first film. Commenting on his lack of an Oscar to the New Yorker, Scott said, “If I ever get one, I’ll say, ‘About feckin’ time!’”

In celebration of “Napoleon,” which David Ehrlich gave a “B-,” IndieWire looks back on Ridley Scott’s entire filmography — including his numerous projects with frequent collaborators Sigourney Weaver, Harvey Keitel, Michael Fassbender, Russell Crowe, and more — ranked.

With editorial contributions by Wilson Chapman, Ryan Lattanzio, David Ehrlich, Jim Hemphill, Kate Erbland, Sarah Shachat, Samantha Bergeson, and Tom Brueggeman.

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