Most directors would be lucky to have just a few bonafide “classics” on their resume, but Sir Ridley Scott has been making masterpieces for almost five decades. The notorious British filmmaker works frequently and rarely misses; even his most disappointing films tend to feature incredible production design and technical craftsmanship.
Although Scott is best known for his visual expertise, he’s also a filmmaker who can get great performances out of his stars. Many actors have received Academy Award nominations for their work in his films. Here are the best performances in Ridley Scott movies, ranked.
Nicolas Cage, ‘Matchstick Men’ (2002)
Few films capture the world of con artistry quite like Matchstick Men. The film follows the crimes of the career hustler Roy (Nicholas Cage) as he struggles with panic attacks. These breakdowns draw the concern of his associate Frank (Sam Rockwell), who is worried Roy can no longer be relied upon.
Cage is known for his eccentricity, but it really works in Matchstick Men. It makes sense that a man like Roy who plays as many “characters” as he does would begin to lose grasp of who he really is.
Josh Hartnett, ‘Black Hawk Down’ (2001)
Black Hawk Down isn’t just one of Josh Hartnett’s best performances, but the film that proved he was more than just a teenage heartthrob. Black Hawk Down’s ensemble is massive, but Hartnett’s performance as SSG Matt Eversmann shows the heroism that young leaders had during one of the most ill-conceived battles in modern American history.
Eversmann is unexpectedly thrust into a position of command due to unexpected circumstances in the midst of the battle. Hartnett captures the challenges that Eversmann faced knowing that his mens’ lives were in his hands.
Jodie Comer, ‘The Last Duel’ (2021)
Although he frequently depicts true events, The Last Duel is one of Scott’s most important movies. He helped contextualize one of the most important moments in medieval history, and show it from a female perspective.
The film explores the titular “last duel” in medieval France, when the knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) accused his former friend Jacques le Gris (Adam Driver) of raping his wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer). Although the film shows all three characters’ point-of-view, it’s notable that the version of events from Comer’s perspective is referred to as “the truth.”
Christopher Plummer, ‘All The Money In The World’ (2017)
All The Money In The World follows the true story of the business tycoon John Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), one of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful men. Despite the incredible resources at his fingertips, Getty refuses to pay the ransom money when his grandson John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) is kidnapped.
Plummer captures the greed and self-obsession that come with extreme wealth; it’s shocking that his grandson’s life is nothing more than a commodity to him. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
Denzel Washington, ‘American Gangster’ (2007)
The 2007 crime drama American Gangster tells the incredible true story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), the most powerful black gangster in American history. Scott pays homage to classic gangster movies, but American Gangster feels like a modern retelling of a genre that’s often dominated by white men.
Washington shows the tactful, ruthless practices that Lucas enacted in order to monopolize New York’s crime scene. He uses the bigotry of others to his advantage; anyone that doubts the sincerity of Lucas’ threats is bound to pay for it with their life.
Matt Damon, ‘The Martian’ (2015)
The Martian oddly feels like one of the most realistic movies about space ever made, even though it is obviously a work of science fiction. The film features no aliens, wormholes, or battles, as it chooses to focus on the practical skills that scientists like Mark Watney (Matt Damon) used during the work in space.
Watney feels like an authentic astronaut who has dedicated his life to pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. Damon’s sense-of-humor makes the film even more enjoyable. He received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his work.
Susan Sarandon, ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991)
Thelma & Louise shows just how much of a feminist filmmaker Scott actually is; throughout his career, he’s consistently given great roles to his leading ladies. The film follows the adventures of the best friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon), who go on a spree of crimes after shooting a rapist.
Few films have captured the highs and lows of female friendship quite like Thelma & Louise. The banter between Davis and Sarandon is absolutely delightful, despite the disturbing circumstances that forced these characters to go on the run.
Rutger Hauer, ‘Blade Runner’ (1982)
Blade Runner is Scott’s most emotional film. It’s ironic that a film about the nature of artificial intelligence could capture what it means to be “human,” but the story of the android Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) is a striking reminder of what mortality looks like.
Hauer has a sense of innocence and otherworldliness to him that makes Roy’s journey even more beautiful. There aren’t many moments in science fiction film history that are more powerful than his iconic “tears in rain” monologue. It’s a reminder that the most beautiful things in life are fleeting.
Russell Crowe, ‘Gladiator’ (2000)
Gladiator just goes to show how great Scott is at crafting historical epics. The 2000 historical drama follows the Roman military leader Maximus (Russell Crowe) as he seeks revenge for the death of his family.
Although Gladiator is often thought of as purely a work of action spectacle, Crowe does a great job at showing the trauma that Maximus struggles with. There’s not a single battle he wages where the memories of his family’s death don’t pop up in his mind. Crowe won the Oscar for Best Actor, and Gladiator remains Scott’s only Best Picture winner.
Sigourney Weaver, ‘Alien’ (1979)
Alien’s Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is one of the greatest protagonists in film history. Although the film’s sequels would eventually turn Ripley into an action hero, it’s important that in the original Alien, she is a survivor.
The threat of the Xenomorph forces Ripley to fight tooth and nail for her life, and she emerges stronger as a result. Weaver captures the full arc of Ripley’s journey as she goes from being diminutive to dominant. Ripley watches her friends get taken out one by one but knows she will not be doomed to their fate.
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