Casey Chong looks at seven underrated Ridley Scott movies…
Ridley Scott’s career as a director spans nearly fifty years, beginning with his journey making the 1977 historical drama The Duellists. But it wasn’t until Alien and Blade Runner established him as one of the most revered filmmakers ever seen in the history of modern cinema. His name is often synonymous with the two aforementioned movies and others like Thelma & Louise, Gladiator and The Martian. But some of his movies were either unfairly maligned or fell under the radar and coinciding with the release of Gladiator II [read our review here], we’ve assembled seven underrated Ridley Scott movies worth re-discovering if you haven’t already done so…
Matchstick Men (2003)
Ridley Scott ventures out of his comfort zone, one that doesn’t emphasize heavily on the visual styling in this character-driven black comedy about con artists. These swindlers in question include Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) and Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), who scam unwary customers, specifically housewives selling pricey water filtration systems. Movies about con artists are dime a dozen with the likes of The Grifters, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Sting.
But what makes Matchstick Men a unique entry is Roy Waller’s OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and is prone to nervous tics from his Tourette syndrome. These disorders give way for Cage to embrace his quirky route – something that he’s always good at. His oddball charm is spot-on and pairs well with Sam Rockwell. Scott also layers his movie with a dysfunctional father-daughter drama by introducing Alison Lohman as Angela, who claims to be Roy’s long-lost daughter from his failed marriage, where they share great chemistry.
Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut (2005)
Five years after critics and audiences were entertained by Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning epic Gladiator, he returns to the historical genre in Kingdom of Heaven. Anticipations were soaring high at the time, only to be disappointed by the movie’s incoherent pacing and hasty character motivations. That was the theatrical cut, which had its 45 minutes chopped up, reducing from its initial 3-hour plus length to a butchered 144 minutes.
Thankfully, Scott restored his movie with a director’s cut, resulting in a significantly improved version. The story is more defined and fleshes out the characters more such as how Michael Sheen’s half-brother priest’s taunting drives Balian’s (Orlando Bloom) otherwise passive nature into committing a murder before joining his father, Barisan of Ibelin (Liam Neeson) and his Crusaders army. The longer cut also emphasizes heavily on Sibylla (an eye-catching Eva Green), who actually has a son and how her arc leads to a heartbreaking loss and tragedy.
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Kingdom of Heaven contains some of Scott’s most remarkable visuals in his decades-long career. This includes the distinctly moody cinematography regardless of daytime or nighttime shots and of course, the spectacular battle sequences where Scott doesn’t shy away from brutality and graphic violence. Most of the ensemble cast helps elevate the movie, notably Liam Neeson in his authoritative turn as Barisan of Ibelin and Eva Green as the sexy but vulnerable Sibylla of Jerusalem while Edward Norton’s King Baldwin, whose facial appearance is concealed with a mask due to leprosy, showcases his nuanced acting style mainly from his voice.
Black Rain (1989)
The 80s era saw an influx of the buddy-cop genre, thanks to the success of 48 Hrs. and Lethal Weapon. Black Rain happens to be one of them but despite it did well at the box office worldwide, it wasn’t as widely mentioned as other of Ridley Scott’s more popular films. The movie features Michael Douglas, whose tough-guy and don’t-give-a-damn exterior as Detective Nick Conklin is a classic ‘80s action-movie archetype: slicked-back hair, aviator shades, leather jacket and a whole lot of attitudes. He pairs well with Andy Garcia, who plays Detective Charlie Vincent and more so with Ken Takakura’s mild-mannered cop role as Osaka Prefectural Police’s assistant inspector Mas Matsumoto.
Scott shoots his movie with a distinct visual style that successfully captures the gritty side of New York City and later, the slick and neon-lit Osaka in Japan. The action isn’t the movie’s best forte, even though it was well shot but the pace is energetic enough throughout its 125-minute running time. Black Rain also features Yusaku Matsuda, who plays the formidable yakuza Koji Sato but the actor sadly passed away from bladder cancer shortly after completing the film.
SEE ALSO: Black Rain at 35: The Story Behind Ridley Scott’s Stylish Neo-Noir Actioner
Prometheus (2012)
Whereas Ridley Scott’s Prometheus follow-up in Alien: Covenant feels like he’s trying too hard to pander to fans, the former’s Alien prequel is known for dividing its critics and audiences (fans included), even though it made money over $400 million against a $130 million budget. Working from Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof’s screenplay, Scott goes out of the box by expanding the Alien mythology with the introduction of Engineers, an ancient clan of pale-faced humanoids who possess state-of-the-art technology and the creators of the human race and new species, specifically the Xenomorphs.
The movie also incorporates complex themes of human existence, faith and science while Scott’s genre know-how direction showcases his flair for building suspense and tension. Prometheus may suffer from plot holes and heavy on expositions but it’s hard to deny the sheer ambition that Scott tries to break free from the typical Alien movie formula. The prequel equally benefits from Noomi Rapace’s strong lead performance as Elizabeth Shaw while Michael Fassbender steals the show as the manipulative android, David.
G.I. Jane (1997)
Ridley Scott dives into the boundaries-pushing subject matter of the first woman joining the Navy SEALs’ special operations training traditionally reserved for men in G.I. Jane. The ‘90s was a different era emphasizing women in male-dominated action movies wasn’t common back in the day. But Demi Moore, who famously shaved her head and even bulked up for the role impresses with her physically demanding turn as Lt. Jordan O’Neil. Her no-nonsense and fiercely determined personality made her convincing enough against the tough men in the Navy SEALs team.
Scott is certainly no stranger to casting women playing tough roles in a genre movie, evidently in Alien with Sigourney Weaver as well as Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise. G.I. Jane also benefits from solid supporting turns, notably Viggo Mortensen as the stern Commander Master Chief John James ‘Jack’ Urgayle while Scott captures the grueling training sessions with enough grit.
All the Money in the World (2017)
All the Money in the World received significant publicity for Ridley Scott’s bold behind-the-scenes decision after dumping troubled actor Kevin Spacey, who already filmed all his scenes as J. Paul Getty due to his alleged sexual misconduct, and had him replaced with Christopher Plummer for last-minute reshoots.
But not so much on the movie itself, which deserves equal attention for Scott’s effective mix of a matter-of-fact kidnapping drama and a story addressing J. Paul Getty’s heartless nature for refusing to pay the $17 million ransom after his 16-year-old grandson is abducted. Plummer turns out to be a remarkable replacement, whose sublime turn as the crusty oil tycoon, J. Paul Getty is one of his best late-career performances before the actor died in 2021. The movie also benefits from Scott’s moody visual palette and Michelle Williams’ solid supporting role as the kidnapped boy’s distraught mother.
Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)
After exploring the past (The Duellists) and the future (Alien, Blade Runner) alongside a fairytale-like fantasy (Legend), Someone to Watch Over Me finally brings Ridley Scott back to the present-day era at the time. This little-seen thriller incorporates the neo-noir visual aesthetics that are quintessential of Ridley Scott’s style: dark and atmospheric colour palette, low-key lighting, and shadowy background. He also made good use of the New York setting, particularly the nighttime scenes with images of steam vapor coming out of sewers on the streets.
Howard Franklin’s screenplay utilizes the well-worn tropes of a hero falling in love with the witness: A police detective (Tom Berenger’s Mike Keegan) is assigned to protect Claire, a wealthy socialite played by Mimi Rogers after witnessing the murder of her friend. Frankly, the crime-thriller aspect of this movie plays second fiddle to Mike and Claire’s relationship. Scott delves into the morally gray area of Mike’s infidelity, where he is happily married to his wife (Lorraine Bracco in one of her earlier roles before she starred in Goodfellas and TV’s The Sopranos) and has a kid named Tommy (Harley Cross). But his temptation gets the better of him after enthralled by Claire’s sophisticated beauty and demeanor.
Berenger sheds his usual tough-guy appearance in favor of a sensitive man plagued by guilt and confusion, even though he remains devoted to his wife. Rogers steals the show as the elegantly seductive yet vulnerable Claire while Bracco impresses with her feisty turn as Mike’s wife, Ellie.
What are your thoughts on these Ridley Scott movies? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong